Colts News

"The Indianapolis Colts have added depth to their quarterback position by signing Quinn Gray. The former Jacksonville Jaguars backup signed a one-year contract with the Colts on Wednesday, according to his agent. %u201CThis is a fresh start for Quinn and I%u2019m confident he will take full advantage of it,%u2019%u2019 agent Drew Rosenhaus said this morning. %u201CHe%u2019s getting an opportunity to work in a great offense with a great coaching staff.%u2019%u2019 Gray, 29, appeared in 11 games, four as a starter, with Jacksonville the past three seasons. He%u2019s 2-2 as a starter. A report by the NFL Network said the Colts also have signed quarterback Jared Lorenzen."

"Introductions won't be necessary when the Indianapolis Colts defense huddles Sept. 7 in the regular-season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium. The bulk of the unit that was one of the NFL's finest in 2007 -- first in fewest points allowed (16.4 per game), third in total yards allowed (279.7), second in passing yards allowed (172.8) -- returns. That includes safeties Bob Sanders, the first Colt to be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and Antoine Bethea, Sanders' Pro Bowl sidekick. Perhaps most importantly, that includes Dwight Freeney. "Things are working out the way they're supposed to,'' said the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, who will report today with the rest of his teammates to ..."

"The Indianapolis Colts have cleared a big hurdle by agreeing to terms with guard Mike Pollak. The team's second-round draft pick and team's top choice accepted a four-year deal worth about $3 million. Kenny Zuckerman, Pollak's agent, declined to provide any specifics of the contract, but was satisfied with the outcome. "It was definitely important for Mike and his family to be in camp on time," Zuckerman said."

"The Indianapolis Colts have cleared a big hurdle by agreeing to terms with guard Mike Pollak. The team’s second-round draft pick and team's top choice accepted a four-year deal worth about $4 million.

Kenny Zuckerman, Pollak’s agent, declined to provide any specifics of the contract, but was satisfied with the outcome. “It was definitely important for Mike and his family to be in camp on time,’’ Zuckerman said."

"The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to contract terms with tight end Jacob Tamme, their fourth-round draft pick. Details of the deal were not immediately available. Tamme joins wide receiver Pierre Garcon, a sixth-round selection, as the only members of the team%u2019s nine-player draft class to sign. The Colts report to Terre Haute on Thursday for the start of training camp, and only players under contract are allowed to report."

"The list of Colts who won't be available when training camp opens Friday in Terre Haute is long and illustrious, but most of the players are expected to be eased into practice as the preseason unfolds. More important, most will be ready for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener. That includes quarterback Peyton Manning, who had an infected bursa sac removed from his left knee on July 14. At the time of the surgery, the team said his recovery would range from four to six weeks."

"As one of college football's top centers, Mike Pollak was "shocked" when the Indianapolis Colts took him in the second round of April's NFL draft. They wanted him to play guard. Recovery is a crucial aspect of offensive line play. When Gregg Smith, Arizona State's line coach, passed through the weight room two days later, he found Pollak, alone, sweating. "He was working on his guard sets," Smith said. Stance. Angles. Steps. Landmarks. Pollak wanted to get a jump on his position change. In his mind, he already was a day behind."

"It will be full speed ahead for Marvin Harrison when the Indianapolis Colts hold their first training camp practice Friday morning at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute. The team’s eight-time Pro Bowl selection and career leader in every receiving category has been cleared for practice, according to coach Tony Dungy. “The last I heard from our doctors’ meeting was Marvin would be ready to go when we get there,’’ Dungy said this afternoon. “He’s been running and feeling good and everybody, including Marvin, is really enthused and optimistic about how that’s gone.’’"

"The Indianapolis Colts have signed wide receiver Pierre Garcon, one of their sixth-round picks. With Garcon under contract, the team still has eight draft picks unsigned as training camp approaches. Players report to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute for the start of camp on Thursday. Only players under contract are allowed to report."

"The Indianapolis Colts report to Terre Haute for the start of training camp Thursday and will practice the first time the following morning, with or without the participation of their draft class. Monday afternoon, the team still had not come to terms with any of its nine draft picks. Team president Bill Polian offered little optimism -- or concern -- that things might change today or before players step onto the practice fields at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. "We haven't made any progress. None," Polian said. "If they come in, they come in. If they don't, they don't. "We'll play with the guys who are there. If these players don't want to sign because the union thinks our ..."

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"Reggie Wayne was back in Indianapolis Saturday evening, and it wasn't to offer an in-depth assessment of the Indianapolis Colts. That much was made clear as the two-time Pro Bowl receiver stood in a Conseco Fieldhouse corridor prior to the Amp Harris/Reggie Wayne Celebrity Basketball game that benefited Indiana Black Expo. "C'mon now,'' he said, "don't be asking me about Peyton or Marv.'' Consider it a preemptive dismissal. Rather than discuss quarterback Peyton Manning, who is expected to miss the first few weeks of training camp after having an infected bursa sac in his left knee removed last Monday, or wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who is coming back from an injury to his left ..."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"Peyton Manning is home and on the mend after undergoing surgery Monday to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee. "I think he's doing fine, really,'' Archie Manning , the father of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, said Wednesday. "Peyton will deal with it. He'll rehab and go at it 100 percent. "I know Peyton and he'll make the best of his days and try to contribute.''"

"Peyton Manning is home and on the mend after undergoing surgery Monday to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee. "I think he's doing fine, really," Archie Manning, the father of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, said this morning. "Peyton will deal with it. He'll rehab and go at it 100 percent. "I know Peyton and he'll make the best of his days and try to contribute."Archie Manning is in Indianapolis for a speaking engagement for a company he's associated with, and plans to visit his son this afternoon."

"Manning will miss invaluable on-field work with his receivers, specifically second-year pro Anthony Gonzalez and rookie tight ends Jacob Tamme and Tom Santi more than the veterans. Timing is everything in the Colts' passing game, and timing takes, well, time."

"Peyton Manning underwent surgery to remove an infected bursa sac from his left knee Monday afternoon, sending a jolt of uncertainty through the Indianapolis Colts organization. With his rehabilitation expected to last as long as six weeks, there is a chance the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and eight-time Pro Bowler may not be ready when the Colts open the regular season -- and usher in the Lucas Oil Stadium era -- Sept. 7 against the Chicago Bears."

"Whether Peyton Manning steps on the field for any of the Indianapolis Colts’ five preseason games is open for debate, but the team is confident its eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback will be ready when it matters most — the Sept. 7 regular-season opener in Lucas Oil Stadium against the Chicago Bears. “That’s our expectation,” team president Bill Polian said this afternoon."

"Peyton Manning underwent surgery this afternoon to remove an infected bursa sac from his left knee, and rehabilitation for the Indianapolis Colts quarterback could last six weeks. That leaves Manning’s status for the team’s Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Chicago Bears uncertain.The two-time NFL MVP has started 160 consecutive regular-season games. He has missed only one play because of injury during his 10-year career."

"A limited number of tickets have been released for the Indianapolis Colts’ preseason home games against Buffalo and Cincinnati. The Colts make their first appearance in Lucas Oil Stadium against the Bills on Aug. 24, and close the preseason against the Bengals on Aug. 28."

"The New England Patriots didn't do much this off-season, which is why not much has changed in the American Football Conference. New England did lose All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, but otherwise looks like the same team that went 16-0 last season. The Patriots have won 20 regular-season games in a row, dating to a 21-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. They have broken their own NFL record of 18 consecutive victories set in 2003-04. The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't change much in the off-season, either, which is why they are given the best shots to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy this season."

"Harriet Irsay, the mother of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, died of natural causes Friday night at her Chicago-area home. She was 87. "She was just such a big, big figure for our family," Jim Irsay said Saturday afternoon. "She's going to be missed." He described his mother as a "feisty little redhead" who was a staunch supporter of the Colts. She was on hand -- albeit in a wheelchair because of her declining health -- on a rainy night in Miami on Feb. 4, 2007, when her son's NFL team defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI. Harriet attended a few Colts games in the RCA Dome last season before her health made traveling too difficult."

"When the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts converged on a rain-soaked field during the 2007 Super Bowl, failing health could not keep Harriet Irsay from attending the game. Born to poor Polish immigrants in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood in 1921, she went on to become the matriarch of the National Football League's Colts franchise, loyal to the team through good times and bad. "She was a feisty redhead," said son Jim Irsay, now the owner of the Colts. "If things weren't going well, she'd say: 'Let me talk to them, I'll talk to the coach. They have to get in there, fight harder and get it done.' " Mrs. Irsay, 87, died of natural causes Friday, July 11, in her Winnetka home, ..."

"The Indianapolis Colts defense has taken a hit without even stepping on the field. Tyjuan Hagler, expected to start at strong-side linebacker this season, recently suffered a torn pectoral muscle during the team's offseason conditioning program, according to a report on NFL.com. The team declined comment, but a person with knowledge of the incident confirmed the injury."

"Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark has turned his autograph into money for disaster relief in Iowa. The former University of Iowa football star signed autographs Sunday at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, asking people to donate $20 to help Iowans affected by flooding and tornadoes. After signing autographs for more than four hours, Clark -- a Livermore, Iowa, native -- raised more than $18,000."

"A limited number of tickets for the Indianapolis Colts' preseason games go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Single-game prices range from $34 to $119 and are available through Ticketmaster.com, by phone at (317) 239-5151 or in person at the Lucas Oil Stadium box office, located in the Convention Center across from Hall E."

"Touch the artificial turf. Walk through the locker room. Hang out in a suite. Hoosiers will be able to do that and more in free tours of the new Lucas Oil Stadium during the Aug. 16 grand opening ceremonies announced today."

"Rosevelt Colvin will be coming home next NFL season. It just won't be for the Indianapolis Colts. The free agent linebacker, a former Broad Ripple High School and Purdue standout, signed Monday with AFC South rival Houston, which visits Lucas Oil Stadium on Nov. 16. Colvin, who has 521/2 sacks in nine seasons with Chicago and New England, worked out for the Colts, which raised expectations for fans and specifically family, including his mother, Bessie, who lives in Indianapolis and runs a UPS store in Broad Ripple."

"Free-agent linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, a former Broad Ripple High School and Purdue standout, has agreed to sign with the Houston Texans, Houston media is reporting. The contract was expected to be signed today. Terms have not been disclosed."

"Training camp is more than a month away, and the Texans already have a victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts wanted Rosevelt Colvin. The Texans snatched him from the clutches of Tony Dungy. No, prevailing in a free-agent skirmish with the Colts doesn't give the Texans the sort of standings cred that a November victory at RCA Dome would. Little victories such as this, though, can lead to bigger ones down the road and at Reliant Stadium alike."

"The Indianapolis Colts have trimmed five players from their roster. The team terminated the contract of veteran punter Chad Stanley and waived running back Justise Hairston, defensive tackle Dan Davis, center Pat Ross and kicker Shane Andrus."

"The Indianapolis Colts concluded their 14-session summer school Thursday. Next stop: training camp. "Where we are right now is as good or better than we've been since we've been here,'' team president Bill Polian said. Players will continue to work out, many at the team's Northwestside complex, until they report to Terre Haute on July 24. Coach Tony Dungy and his staff are headed into an extended vacation. They're off until just before camp."

"Membership in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame increased by three Thursday afternoon, acquiring a distinct Indianapolis Colts flavor in the process. Described as "the triplets'' in a ceremony-launching video salute by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, Colts owner Jim Irsay, president Bill Polian and coach Tony Dungy were the latest inductees. Each has been prominent on the state's football scene, highlighted by a victory in Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season."

"Former Colts defensive back Dexter Reid had his driver's license suspended six months for a felony drug conviction in Virginia Beach, Va. Circuit Judge Thomas Padrick Jr. also ordered Reid to attend drug treatment. The 27-year-old Reid had faced up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in January to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. He was acquitted of carrying a concealed weapon."

"The Indianapolis Colts' 10th training camp in Terre Haute consists of 31 practices, including only two at night, according to the schedule released Wednesday. All players under contract are required to report by 2 p.m. July 24 to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The first practice is the next morning."

"Lucas Oil Stadium is the new home of the Indianapolis Colts, a 63,000-seat state-of-the-art facility that quarterback Peyton Manning helped build by leading the team to one world championship and eight playoff appearances over the past nine seasons. Yet one historical footnote regarding Indy's new digs almost certainly will elude Manning. "I'm a little jealous, I have to admit, that somebody in this room is going to throw a touchdown pass in the stadium before I get to,'' he said Wednesday while announcing the four participants in the ninth annual PeyBack Classic. The first football games to be held in Lucas Oil Stadium -- high school affairs -- pit Noblesville versus ..."

"The Indianapolis Colts have released veteran punter Chad Stanley. He had signed a one-year, $730,000 contract earlier in the offseason to compete with incumbent Hunter Smith. With Stanley out of the mix, Smith's training camp competition likely will come from Adam Crossett, a rookie free agent out of Missouri."

"Has it really been 10 seasons? How is it possible that Peyton Manning, now 32 years old and entering his 11th season, is really on the back-nine of his Hall of Fame career? Wasn't it just 10 minutes ago the football world was debating whether Manning or Ryan Leaf was the best choice to play quarterback for the then-abysmal Indianapolis Colts?"

"The Indianapolis Colts traded fullback Luke Lawton to the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional 2009 draft choice. Lawton, 27, emerged as a crowd favorite for the Colts last season. He appeared in 11 games, primarily on special teams and as a lead blocker in short-yardage situations. He had five carries for 13 yards and four receptions for 29 yards and one touchdown."

"The Indianapolis Colts haven't closed the door on pursuing linebacker Rosevelt Colvin or any other veteran free agent, but the time for such an addition is winding down. "I don't know where we are in the process, but we'd probably like to get it settled one way or the other pretty quick," coach Tony Dungy said during a recent break in the team's ongoing summer school. "We're still investigating some things, so I wouldn't say anything is out of the picture. But for the most part, this is the group you're counting on." Colvin, 30, a former Broad Ripple High School and Purdue standout, was released by the New England Patriots after last season. He visited with the Colts in ..."

"At no point last season did Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez feel lost or alone as he experienced the NFL for the first time. But neither was the team's 2007 first-round pick totally comfortable. The transition took time, and remains ongoing as Gonzalez participates in the Colts' voluntary summer school. "It's the same with any new job," he said. "There's always anxiety in meeting new people, little things like finding out where the mail is, finding out where the training room is. Now," Gonzalez added with a smile, "I know where the locker room is.""

"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has worked hard to bring his players' behavior under control. Or at least as much under control as possible. Now, he is turning his attention to fan behavior, saying last week he is working with teams on ways to bring out-of-line fans in line and make games more enjoyable for all fans. Details of how the commish plans to do this are forthcoming, but we thought we'd offer our help in the form of these 10 recommendations:"

"With the start of training camps less than two months away, there's reason to believe the division will be just as competitive this fall. The Colts, Super Bowl champs two years ago, didn't do much in free agency, but the core of their team is back, led by quarterback Peyton Manning. The Jaguars have a new defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams, and used the draft to pick up some pass rush pop. The Titans and Texans both took the low-key approach in free agency and their drafts have been widely scrutinized, but both teams feel they got better."

"Mike Vanderjagt is returning to the Canadian Football League because of his love for the City of Toronto and the Argonauts, Sportsnet.ca learned in an exclusive interview with the high-profile punter/place kicker. And he insisted he is not coming back hoping to use it to return to the National Football League, in which he played from 1998 to halfway through the 2006 and had would best be described as bittersweet success. Vanderjagt, who starred for Toronto as a punter/place kicker in their Grey Cup-winning years in 1996-97, is scheduled to sign with the team on Sunday or Monday."

"Indianapolis Colts players Dwight Freeney, Joseph Addai and Gary Brackett are hosting an Indy Stars Football Camp June 3-5 at Ben Davis High School from 4:30-7:30 p.m. each day. The camp is open to boys and girls 7 to 14 years old. Drills are non-contact."

"When Indianapolis opens its arms and Lucas Oil Stadium for Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, tickets to the game will be available to only a few thousand local fans. While the capacity of Lucas Oil Stadium will expand to more than 73,000 for the NFL's championship game, the Colts will receive only 5 percent of the capacity, approximately 3,650 seats."

"It was a powerful and revealing, if relatively innocent, comment that surely could creep under the skin of the man who has caught more passes than all but three players in NFL history. "I guess I'm Marv now," Reggie Wayne said last weekend. If Wayne, the Indianapolis Colts' eighth-year wide receiver, who had his best season in 2007, is now "Marv," where then does that leave Marvin Harrison, the 35-year-old Philadelphia native with more than 1,000 catches in 12 seasons? On the downhill arc of his career? As the "other option" in the Colts' offensive arsenal? One more tweak away from becoming Mr. Irrelevant? A successful rehabilitation away from regaining his status as The Man?"

"The co-chairman of the bid's fundraising effort, sporting an Indianapolis 2012 hat, was speaking to a donor so excited about the prospect of hosting the big game and creating a legacy on the Near Eastside that he wanted to contribute $100,000. Wednesday, the day after NFL owners picked the Circle City for Super Bowl XLVI, bid organizers said they plan to capitalize on the momentum of the announcement to raise an additional $7 million needed to fully realize their ambitious plans."

"The possibility of an NFL work stoppage in 2011, and how that might affect Indianapolis hosting that season's Super Bowl, didn't resonate with those who landed Indy the title-game bid. "Whatever it is, it is," said Jack Swarbrick, an attorney who helped spearhead the effort. "Anything can happen, but we're not worried about it.'' League owners opted out of their labor agreement with the players Tuesday, the same day they awarded Super Bowl XLVI to Indianapolis."