Tag: Xavier Rhodes

Xavier Rhodes listed as the one free agent the Colts must re-sign

PFF believes Rhodes is a must re-sign this offseason.

When it comes to this offseason, there are several moves the Indianapolis Colts will have to consider. Among them will be what to do with their pending free agents.

With the new league year set to begin midway through March, the Colts have roughly 20 players set to hit the market. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes is one of the biggest names in that group and after a strong bounce-back campaign in 2020, he should have a solid market.

However, Pro Football Focus listed Rhodes as the one free agent the Colts can’t afford to lose.

Rhodes’ career resurgence in Indianapolis played a major role in Indianapolis’ return to the postseason. The Colts have a star slot cornerback in Kenny Moore II and a young up-and-comer in 2019 second-round pick Rock Ya-Sin, retaining Rhodes and running it back with this group again could lead to further success as Ya-Sin continues to progress.

Impressively, the Colts really aren’t set to lose many key players. One could argue Philip Rivers should be the name here, but Indianapolis could decide to turn toward the future and find a franchise quarterback; it would be hard to argue with that logic.

This was written before the news that Rivers would be retiring after 17 NFL seasons, but Rhodes still remains arguably the biggest free agent set to hit the market for the Colts.

During his year-end press conference, general manager Chris Ballard hinted that the team is likely to let Rhodes test free agency. They aren’t one to get into a bidding war and given that his market should include several teams, it seems Rhodes could be available when the new league year opens.

Whether that will work out for the Colts remains to be seen. They have a massive need at cornerback after the rocky season for Rock Ya-Sin and despite Kenny Moore continuing to be their most versatile defender.

What happens with Rhodes and the Colts will come down to money and we may not know how either side is feeling until the market opens officially on March 17.

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5 ‘go for broke’ free agent signings the Chargers could pursue in offseason

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco might elect to sign some of the top free agents this offseason.

The Los Angeles Chargers enter this offseason with a healthy amount of salary cap space.

Even though L.A. has to use a good chunk of that money to re-sign a few of their own players, they should look to bring in some external free agents to ensure they’re in the most optimal position to get back on track in 2021 – even if that means breaking the bank.

General manager Tom Telesco likely has one last shot to prove himself, which means he could go on a free agency frenzy. Should Telesco and company look to bring in some big-time free agents that might require a hefty paycheck, then these are five additions that I’d advocate for.

OL Joe Thuney

Solidifying the offensive line will be one of the Chargers’ priorities this offseason. Adding another veteran on Los Angeles’ offensive line is critical for keeping quarterback Justin Herbert upright. Thuney played every snap for the Patriots in all but two games this season. Thuney has allowed just three sacks in the past three years. He has posted pass-blocking grades of at least 85.0 in two of those three seasons. He is also a great run blocker. He has great character, is rarely penalized and is still in the prime of his career. Thuney would take over the left guard spot that was played by Forrest Lamp this past season, but he can play tackle or center.

OL Brandon Scherff

Scherff, the four-time Pro Bowler, allowed only one sack and was flagged for just one penalty in 13 games this past season. A wall in pass protection, Scherff graded as the seventh-best guard in the league this year, per Pro Football Focus. The 29-year old was voted All-Pro in 2020, marking the first of his career. The former Iowa product has battled through some injuries, but he has overcame them and has managed to continue to still play at a high level. Like Thuney, Scherff would be an immediate plug-and-play guard on the left side.

OT Trent Williams

While Sam Tevi had a decent 2020 season, he will be a free agent this offseason. Williams was one the best offensive players for the 49ers in a injury-ravaged season. The 32-year old, who sat our all of 2019 due to a dispute with the Washington Football Team, regained his All-Pro form with San Francisco. Williams earned a 91.9-grade this past season, the highest of any tackle in the NFL, per PFF. Even though he’s getting up there in age, he’s still proven to play the position at a high level. I’m a firm believer that L.A. should address the position early on in the draft, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a premiere blindside blocker with Williams.

WR Chris Godwin

If the Chargers hire Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll as their head coach, he could elect to add more skill players for Herbert, considering he runs a lot of four-wide receiver sets. I believe that Los Angeles is better off doing so in the draft, but why not give the former Oregon product one of the better wideouts in the league, especially one who ranks among the best after the catch? In 2019, Godwin was at his best, finishing with 1,333 yards, nine touchdowns and an average 95.2 yards per game through the air. Even after QB Tom Brady spread the wealth this past season, he still finished with 840 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 games. A combination of Godwin, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams would be one of the top wide receiver tandems in the league.

CB Xavier Rhodes

Whether it was injury or scheme related, Casey Hayward did not play well this past season. An option is releasing Hayward and saving $9.75 in cap space. If so, the Chargers will be in need of finding an instant starter and they could afford to do so with a veteran. Playing at a Pro Bowl level after experiencing a rough year in 2019, Rhodes allowed just 43 catches on 82 targets, deflected 16 passes, posted two interceptions, 42 tackles and was one of the most impactful pieces in the Colts’ secondary. Rhodes played on a one-year deal, $1.5 million deal but his play from 2020 proved that he’s worth much more.

Are the Colts going to let Xavier Rhodes test free agency?

Xavier Rhodes may be heading for free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts took a chance on veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes during the 2020 season, and it played out beautifully as he enjoyed a bounce-back season.

The best boundary cornerback for the Colts is now a free agent after his one-year deal expires and it appears Indy may be letting him test free agency when the new league year arrives.

General manager Chris Ballard noted during his year-end that Rhodes a great year but that they are going to wait and see what the market tells them in March.

This isn’t all that much of a surprise given how Ballard operates. Overpaying isn’t really his style and he’d much rather see what other teams are willing to pay the veteran cornerback for his services after a bounce-back year.

Even with the cornerback position being one of major need, Ballard and his team will go through the process to find a value for Rhodes. If the market demand is higher than what they have on him, then he will walk and sign a nice contract with another team.

But if the market isn’t as strong as Rhodes may have hoped, the Colts can still bring him back on a short deal.

Regardless, the cornerback position is going to be a big need this offseason and it appears the chances of Rhodes returning are up in the air if he’s allowed to test to market in March.

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5 pending free agents the Colts should re-sign

Which free agents should the Colts bring back?

Now that the Indianapolis Colts’ 2020 season is over, it’s time to look at the offseason and with that, looking at which impending free agents the team should look to re-sign.

After the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, Indianapolis is projected to have over $60 million in cap space, which is among the leaders in the projections.

With 20 players becoming free agents (two were signed to extensions this week), there will be a lot of Colts that don’t return, but there could be some brought back.

Here are five pending free agents Indianapolis should re-sign:

PFF predicts Colts sign Bud Dupree, Jameis Winston in free agency

PFF has a big offseason in store for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have a lot of decisions to make at some very crucial positions this offseason. Whether through the 2021 NFL draft or free agency, Indy has the opportunity to be an active participant.

When it comes to free agency, general manager Chris Ballard typically lays low through the first wave of signings. He feels it’s best to not overpay or get into a bidding war for the top players—most of the time.

But Pro Football Focus is predicting a pretty big offseason and free agency for the Colts. Among those additions include edge rusher Bud Dupree, quarterback Jameis Winston and tight end Jared Cook. That is to go along with re-signing quarterback Philip Rivers, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

Here are the predicted contracts for each player from PFF:

  • QB Philip Rivers: one year, $25 million (fully guaranteed)
  • QB Jameis Winston: one year, $5 million
  • WR T.Y. Hilton: three years, $28.5 million ($18 million guaranteed)
  • DE Bud Dupree: one year, $10 million ($7.5 million guaranteed)
  • CB Xavier Rhodes: three years, $24 million ($14.5 million guaranteed)
  • TE Jared Cook: one year, $5 million

That would be an awfully busy offseason and one that would come with some surprises. The Colts had their chance to sign Winston during the 2020 offseason but decided against it and went with Rivers.

The signing of Dupree would be an interesting one. Though he’s coming off a torn ACL, the Colts need help on the edge and he would be a nice addition to the unit assuming his health is in order.

It is a bit interesting to see three-year extensions for both Hilton and Rhodes, both of which should have competitive markets. It isn’t clear if Hilton will sign on with another team while Rhodes should be expected to test the market unless the Colts give him an offer like the one above.

The new league year doesn’t start until March, but it should be a fun offseason leading up to it debating on who the Colts might go after.

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Colts’ Year-End awards from 2020 season

Handing out some awards.

The 2020 season has come to an end for the Indianapolis Colts and while it was a disappointing ending losing in the wild-card game, there were still plenty of positives to come out of the campaign.

The Colts are certainly heading in the right direction entering this offseason even if there are several questions to be answered. They have the foundation of the roster set and just need to keep building on it.

As the season came and went, players stood out. Some were positive while others failed to meet expectations.

From MVP to the Breakout Player of the Year, here are our year-end awards for the 2020 Colts:

Colts fall to Bills, 27-24, as late rally comes up short

The Indianapolis Colts gave the Buffalo Bills everything they had, but a late rally came up short leading to an early playoff exit.

The Indianapolis Colts entered their wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills as hefty underdogs (+6.5) but didn’t look like a team that cared what Vegas thought throughout.

The Colts dominated the Bills in every aspect of the game but could not stop shooting themselves in the foot. From dropped passes to foolish penalties to questionable play calling and to a missed field goal, Indy was their own worst enemy on Sunday.

Their early exit will be a tough spill to swallow because they had every opportunity to pull off a playoff-altering road upset. Instead, they head home and prepare for an uncertain offseason.

Postgame analysis: Jags fall in season finale to Colts and finish season 1-15

Finally, the Jags’ 2020 season has ended, but not without another loss.

Finally, it’s over.

The Jacksonville Jaguars concluded their 2020 season Sunday after falling to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium by a score of 28-14. As a result, the Jags finished the season with the worst record in the league and in their franchise’s history, while the Colts will advance to the playoffs.

Sunday’s game was one in which the Colts started hot and never looked back.  They got off to a 20-0 start against the Jags with the first touchdown coming from T.Y. Hilton early in the first quarter. As for their second touchdown, it came as the result of Indy taking advantage of a Mike Glennon fumble (caused by Darius Leonard) at the Jags’ 36-yard line. The Colts were also able to add two field goals before the half courtesy of Rodrigo Blankenship.

However, before the half could end, receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. put the Jags on the board after scoring off a slant pattern where he beat cornerback TJ Carrie. As a result, the Colts went into halftime up 20-7.

After the half, Shenault would continue his success through the air by snagging another touchdown during the Jags first drive of the third quarter. He was able to link up with Glennon on an outside post where he got a step on Leonard and was hit with a perfect pass from his veteran cornerback. Of course, that was the last score of the game for the Jags and also was the only score of the quarter, putting the game at a score of 20-14.

With their playoff hopes being threatened, the Colts went ahead to finish the job thanks to rookie tailback Johnathan Taylor. With the ball at around the mid-field point, Taylor was able to bust a 45-yard rush open and take it to the house, putting a dagger in the heart of the Jags. Afterward, Hilton was able to help with a 2-point conversion, which gave Indy a two-touchdown lead and put the game at its final scoring figure.

The loss marked another game in which the Jags’ defense allowed over 400 yards (437 to be exact), which is an issue that has been an ongoing problem all year. A majority of those yards came from Taylor, who had a whopping total of 30 carries for 253 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the Jags, it was pretty much a roller-coaster day for Glennon, who took the field for his fourth start of the season and finished his day 26-of-42, for 261 yards, and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, receiver Chris Conley led the way in receiving with seven catches for 87 yards and Dare Ogunbowale was the rushing leader with 14 carries for 50 yards.

With Week 17’s game in the books, it’s now on to the 2021 offseason, which will involve many changes. That includes the fate of coach Doug Marrone, who will meet with ownership Monday and is expected to be fired in the coming days.

Afterward, they will be tasked with finding his replacement and a new general manager, then it’s on to the 2021 NFL Draft where the Jags have 11 selections, including the No. 1 overall pick.

Colts injury report: Anthony Castonzo a full participant

Thursday’s injury report.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-4) released their injury report on Thursday as they prepare for the Week 15 matchup against the Houston Texans (4-9) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

While the Wednesday injury report had a number of players listed as non-participants, Thursday’s was very different. Only two players didn’t practice and one of which was due to injury. The Colts seem to be near full health entering the weekend.

Here’s a look at the injury report for the Colts following Thursday’s practice:

*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*

Name Position Injury Wed. Thur. Fri. Status
Mo Alie-Cox TE Knee DNP DNP
Denico Autry DE Rest DNP FP
Trey Burton TE Rest DNP FP
Anthony Castonzo OT Knee DNP FP
Justin Houston DE Rest DNP FP
Philip Rivers QB Toe DNP FP
Darius Leonard LB Back FP FP
Xavier Rhodes CB Knee FP FP
Rigoberto Sanchez P Illness FP FP
Kemoko Turay DE Ankle FP FP
Jack Doyle TE Rest — DNP
DeForest Buckner DT Ankle — LP

Notes

  • LB Darius Leonard and CB Xavier Rhodes were full participants for the second day in a row.
  • LT Anthony Castonzo and QB Philip Rivers returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday. That appears to be just a precaution.
  • P Rigoberto Sanchez was a full participant again, suggesting he has a strong chance to play on Sunday.
  • DT DeForest Buckner was limited after practicing in full on Wednesday. His status should be monitored when the injury designations come out Friday.

The Colts have one more practice before they host the Texans on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Colts get encouraging injury news on Darius Leonard, Xavier Rhodes

Their injuries don’t appear to be serious.

The Indianapolis Colts saw two of their starters go down with an injury during the second half of the 44-27 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 as linebacker Darius Leonard and cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

Though there wasn’t a big update from head coach Frank Reich on Monday in his press conference with reporters, he did say that the team doesn’t view their injuries to be serious.

“Also mention to you the injuries on Darius (Leonard) and Xavier (Rhodes), we will continue to monitor those,” Reich said. “They don’t appear to be serious, but we will monitor them during the week, but we’re optimistic that they’ll be fine.”

Rhodes suffered a knee injury during the third quarter of the game. He seemed to be in a lot of pain on the turf when he was getting checked out by the training staff and even though he was never officially ruled out for the game, he didn’t make a return.

Leonard went to the sideline in the fourth quarter with a back injury during the fourth quarter. By that time, the Colts had a sizeable lead and Leonard didn’t make a return. But he wasn’t ruled out either.

Both players are enjoying strong seasons at their respective positions in 2020. Rhodes is allowing a 42.9% completion rate and a 60.9 passer rating in coverage this season while Leonard is second on the team with 30 defensive stops, per Pro Football Focus.

Their injuries will bear monitoring throughout the week and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they are on the injury report, but it’s encouraging that Reich and the staff don’t see these injuries lingering too long.

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