Indianapolis Colts News and Notes for 2005/2006

[Ego74]

Doss may face discipline from Colts
Starting safety also could be suspended or fined by NFL if he is convicted of charges.


By Mike Chappell
mike.chappell@indystar.com


Along with legal problems, Indianapolis Colts starting safety Mike Doss faces possible disciplinary actions from the team and NFL after being arrested over the weekend in downtown Akron, Ohio, on charges of firing a handgun into the air near a crowded nightclub.

According to an arrest report obtained by The Star from the Akron Police Department, Doss was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a fourth-degree felony, and misdemeanor charges of discharging a firearm within the city limits, inducing panic and obstructing official business. The incident occurred at 2:20 a.m. Sunday in an Akron nightclub district.

The arrest report states that Doss, 24, "fired five-six rounds in the air from a .40 cal. handgun" and that he "was approximately 50-75 yards away from a crowded bar while the establishment was closing and patrons were exiting."

Sgt. David Hammond told The Canton (Ohio) Republic officers who responded to the scene found shell casings on the ground and discovered the handgun in the trunk of Doss' black Mercedes. The arrest report said Doss refused to cooperate when questioned, resulting in the obstruction charge.

Two people with Doss also were arrested on charges of obstructing police business. Doss was not cited on any alcohol charges; however, in a category labeled "Suspected of Using:," Sgt. T.A. Givens, the arresting officer, placed a checkmark in the "alcohol" box.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported Doss was released Sunday afternoon from Summit County Jail after posing $1,000 bond, 10 percent of the $10,000 bond set by Akron Municipal Court Judge John Holcomb.

Doss is scheduled to appear in Akron Municipal Court today.

Messages left with a woman at Doss' home in Canton and at the home of Tom Condon, Doss' agent, were not immediately returned. Craig Kelley, Colts vice president of public relations, said the team was aware of the situation but would have no comment.

The NFL is explicit regarding players who run afoul of its conduct policy.

A player who is convicted of a criminal violation, or admits to one while pleading to a lesser charge, is subject to discipline at the discretion of commissioner Paul Tagliabue. That may include a fine, suspension without pay and/or banishment from the league. A player convicted of or admitting to a second criminal violation will be suspended without pay or banished for a period to be determined by the commissioner.

All players charged with criminal activity are required to undergo an immediate, mandatory clinical evaluation and, if directed, appropriate league-supervised counseling.

There is precedent for a team to punish a player when the league doesn't. In 2001, the New York Jets fined safety Damien Robinson $30,000 after police discovered an assault rifle and ammunition in the trunk of his car.

Doss has started 24 of 25 regular-season games since the Colts selected him in the second round of the 2003 draft. He started 15 games as a rookie but a hamstring injury limited him to nine starts last season. In two seasons, the hard-hitting safety has collected three interceptions and 100 tackles while forcing seven fumbles.

Losing Doss for any length of time would be a blow to the Colts defense. He is expected to start this season alongside Bob Sanders, the team's second-round draft pick in 2004. The potential backups at safety -- Gerome Sapp, rookie Matt Giordano, Brandon Lynch, Waine Bacon and Daryl Dixon -- share zero NFL starts.

Doss is the fifth Colts player to encounter off-the-field problems since January.

Last week, rookie cornerback Marlin Jackson was sued for $10 million by a Michigan man stemming from a 2003 assault incident in Ann Arbor, Mich., after which Jackson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and completed community service and a one-year probation.

In March, wide receiver Marvin Harrison was sued for unspecified damages for his role in an altercation before the NFL's Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

Also in March, cornerback Joseph Jefferson was placed on probation and sentenced to community service for a 2004 drunken driving violation. Defensive tackle Montae Reagor appeared in a Littleton, Colo., court in January in connection with felony and misdemeanor charges. He allegedly made threatening phone calls to a former girlfriend.

 

[TheGeneral+]

Thanks for jumping in Ego. I wish we had a thread from a homie for all teams.

 

[Ego74]

Thanks for jumping in Ego. I wish we had a thread from a homie for all teams.

thanks General. I'm starting one for the Lions, maybe some others will chirp in for their teams

 

[Ego74]

June 2, 2005

colts notebook
Doss a no-show; punishment expected soon

By Mike Chappell
mike.chappell@indystar.com


Safety Mike Doss could learn what disciplinary action the Indianapolis Colts will take against him before the team's voluntary four-week summer school concludes next Thursday.

The team's fact-finding process into Doss being charged with four gun-related counts over the weekend in Akron, Ohio, should be wrapped up "in a relatively reasonable amount of time," according to team president Bill Polian.

"We do not have all the facts at our disposal right now," he said after the Colts completed another summer school workout Wednesday morning at the Union Federal Football Center. "We're going to marshal all the facts and then we're going to have a discussion internally as to what we wish to do."

Doss, who appeared in Akron Municipal Court on Tuesday morning, was expected to return to the practice field Wednesday. That did not occur.

"I thought he was going to be here," coach Tony Dungy said. "Hopefully he'll be here (today) or before the week's out."

The Colts have consulted with the NFL's management council about their right to punish a player who has violated the league's personal conduct policy.

Polian, who has not spoken with Doss since the incident, anticipates the team levying some type of punishment against Doss -- perhaps a fine or suspension -- by the end of next week.

Doss was arrested early Sunday outside an Akron nightclub for firing a handgun several times into the air. He was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, discharging a fireman within city limits, inducing panic and obstructing official business.

While the Colts will act quickly to discipline Doss, the NFL cannot sanction him until the legal process runs its course. The last Colts player to be punished by the league was cornerback Mustafah Muhammad. He was suspended for two games without pay in 2000 after being convicted of abusing his pregnant wife.

Another 'cut' day

Dungy doesn't anticipate the Colts benefiting from the NFL's June 1 cut day. That's the date after which teams are allowed to cut a high-priced player and gain immediate relief under the salary cap by spreading the remainder of that player's signing bonus over this season and the 2006 season.

"I'm not sensing there's anybody that's going to be a savior for us, but you never know," Dungy said.

The Colts aren't expected to release anyone to create cap space.

"I doubt that Peyton (Manning) or Marvin (Harrison) will be on there," Dungy said, smiling.

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Wide Receivers

colts.com


Each year, the numbers have risen.

Each season, his abilities and skills have improved. Even putting numbers aside, Reggie Wayne said he has gotten better during each of his four NFL seasons.

His goal, then, is clear for next season.

“It’s about upping the ante a little bit,” Wayne said during the Colts’ summer-school sessions, which continued Tuesday at the Union Federal Football Center.

Setting the goal was simple. Accomplishing it won’t be.

Because not only did Wayne, a fifth-year wide receiver for the Colts, have the best of his four NFL seasons a year ago, he emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the National Football League and a critical part of one of the league’s best offenses.

Wayne, a 2001 first-round draft selection by the Colts from the University of Miami, caught 77 passes for 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.

All numbers were career-highs.

Then, again, that part is nothing new for Wayne. Each season, he has set a goal to improve on the previous season, to catch at least one more pass for one more yard and for one more touchdown than he did the year before.

Each season, he has done just that.

But what about this year?

Can he improve again?

After his first 1,000-yard season? After a dozen touchdowns?

Can that really be the goal again?

“It’s going to have to be,” said Wayne, who developed into one of the NFL’s top third-down options last season. “It’s not going to be easy, but I said that about last year and I said it the year before – about preparing yourself and being ready to step up and getting better from the year before.

“Last year was my best season by far, so it’s not going to be easy to have a better season. Hopefully, we can do what we did last year and start out fast.

“If we start out fast, it’s better for everybody.”

Wayne, after an injury-filled rookie season, has not only developed into one of the Colts’ top offensive weapons, but one of the most reliable. He has played in every game the last three seasons, and has started every game each of the past two seasons.

His production has risen at the same time.

After catching 27 passes for 345 yards as a rookie in 2001, he caught 49 passes for 716 yards and four touchdowns alternating between the second and third receiver in 2002. He became a full-time starter in 2003, catching 68 passes for 838 yards and seven touchdowns, then bettered his numbers in each category last season.

In four seasons, Wayne has caught 221 passes for 3,109 yards and 23 touchdowns. After averaging 15.7 yards per reception last season, he his averaging 14.1 yards per catch throughout his career.

The production has made Wayne one of the top receivers in the AFC, and last season, it made him something else:

A target for opposing defenses.

Through Wayne’s first three NFL seasons, secondaries typically focused on Colts All-Pro wide receiver Marvin Harrison, leaving Wayne to face largely single coverage. Last season, with quarterback Peyton Manning distributing his NFL-record 49 touchdown passes evenly among Harrison (15 touchdowns), Wayne (12) and Brandon Stokley (10), defenses double-covered Stokley, Wayne and Harrison at various times.

“You saw a little bit of everything,” Wayne said. “You saw teams focusing in on Marv. You saw people focusing in on Stokley. You saw them focusing in on me. It’s like we said last year, ‘Pick your poison.’ Whoever they’re focusing on, it’s the other guys’ job to get that focus off of you. We love it. We know what we have over here, obviously, with our run game and we’ve also got arguably the best quarterback in the league.

“It’s almost like, ‘Whatever you want to do, good luck. We’ll do something else. You pick your poison. We’re going to play off of you.’’’

Gaining the attention of opposing defenses is the foremost sign of respect for an NFL wide receiver. It also makes things more difficult, with secondaries sometimes rolling defenders toward that receiver to take away certain patterns.

Wayne said he expects that more this season, just as he said he doesn’t expect defenses to defend the Colts with the same approach as last season, when Indianapolis scored an NFL-best 522 points, the sixth-most in league history.

“They’re getting better, so there’s no sense me sitting on my behind,” Wayne said. “I’ve got to get better as well. They’re going to be gunning for us. They saw what we did last year. We haven’t won the Super Bowl, but there are teams who want to be beat us, especially with our offense. There are going to be teams that are out there for us. I’ve just got to bite my lip, bite the bullet and go out and continue to get better.

“I’ve had a question mark about my speed since I was signed. I have to keep that burst, continue to get faster. I have to get stronger in the weight room.

“There are teams out there who have a job as well – to stop me.”

Not that Wayne thinks that means teams aren’t still trying to stop Harrison. A Pro Bowl selection the past six seasons, Harrison is the Colts’ go-to receiver, and has led the team in receptions in eight of his nine seasons.

Wayne said if that means he’s the “No. 2” guy, then so be it.

“There’s not a receiver win the league who doesn’t want to be the guy,” Wayne said. “Everybody wants to be the guy, but you also don’t want to fall into the trap of – no disrespect to these guys – the Alvin Harper mode. When he left the Cowboys with Michael Irvin (in the early 1990s), you really didn’t hear that much about him after that. Peerless Price went to Atlanta and didn’t have the same numbers he did in Buffalo. You don’t want to fall into the trap, but at the same time, everybody wants to be the guy in some form or fashion.

“It’s a guessing game. You never know. You have to take it day by day.”

So far, taking it day by day has allowed Wayne to steadily develop from a first-round draft selection with potential to one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers. That he already has been in the NFL four seasons seems odd, he said recently, but he said as he moves from young player to one of the Colts’ experienced veterans, he is more than ready for the role.

And more than ready to get a little better yet again.

“My first years, they’ve gone by fast,” Wayne said. “We were talking about that the other day, how fast it has gone by. Already, I’m coming into the final year (of his rookie contract). You’ve got to enjoy the moment. It’s not here forever.

“I’m a veteran now, and I’ve got to live up to it. I’ve got the name, ‘veteran.’ Now, I’ve got to play like one.”







THE WIDE RECEIVERS



Marvin Harrison

Tenth NFL season

6-0, 179

Syracuse

Acquired: First round, 1996 (No. 19 overall)

A Pro Bowl selection each of the past six seasons and still the Colts’ go-to receiver after nine NFL seasons . . . caught a team-high 86 passes for 1,113 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns last season . . . the 15 touchdowns tied a career-high . . . has had at least 10 touchdown receptions in each of last six seasons . . . has 845 receptions for 11,185 yards and 98 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons.



Reggie Wayne

Fifth NFL season

6-0, 198

Miami

Acquired: First round, 2001 (No. 30 overall)

Emerged as one of the AFC’s top receivers last season, catching 77 passes for 1,210 yards and 12 touchdowns, all career-highs . . . averaged 15.7 yards a reception last season, also a career-high . . . went over the 1,000-yard receiving mark last season for the first time in his career . . . has 221 receptions for 3,109 yards and 23 touchdowns in four NFL seasons.



Brandon Stokley

Seventh NFL season

5-11, 197

Louisiana-Lafayette

Acquired: Unrestricted free agent, 2003 (Baltimore)

Developed into one of the NFL’s top third receivers last season, and his emergence gave the Colts arguably the top wide receiver trio in the NFL . . . established career-highs in all three major receiving categories, catching 68 passes for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns . . . in six NFL seasons, he has caught 150 passes for 2,201 yards and 20 touchdowns.



Troy Walters

Sixth NFL season

5-7, 172

Stanford

Acquired: Waivers, 2002 (Minnesota)

Played sparingly last season because of a broken arm sustained early in the preseason . . . spent most of 2003 as the Colts’ third receiver, catching a career-high 36 passes for 456 yards and three touchdowns . . . caught one pass for five yards in five regular-season games last season . . . also a valuable punt returner . . . has caught 56 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns in five NFL seasons.



Aaron Moorehead

Third NFL season

6-3, 200

Illinois

Acquired: Free agent, 2003

Made team as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2003 and caught seven passes for 101 yards that season . . . has played in seven games in each of the past two seasons . . . has eight career receptions for 108 yards.



Brad Pyatt

Third NFL season

5-11, 195

Northern Colorado

Acquired: Free agent, 2003

Made team as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2003, and played key role early that season as a punt and kickoff returner . . . has played in eight games each of the last two seasons . . . neck injury kept him out of the final eight games of 2003 season . . . has three receptions for 14 yards in two seasons . . . returned eight punts for 47 yards and 10 kickoffs for 230 yards last season.



John Standeford

First NFL season

6-4, 206

Purdue

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Spent much of last season on the Colts’ practice squad . . . caught 266 passes for 3,788 yards and 27 touchdowns at Purdue . . . finished college career as Big 10’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards.



Kerry Wright

Rookie

5-9, 175

Middle Tennessee State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005 . . . caught 167 passes for 2,589 and 22 touchdowns at Middle Tennessee State . . . also had a kickoff return and a punt return for a touchdown in college.



Levon Thomas

Rookie

6-0, 195

Georgia Tech

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005 . . . caught 66 passes for 928 yards and six touchdowns at Georgia Tech.



DaVon Fowlkes

Rookie

5-7, 165

Appalachian State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with Colts as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005 . . . caught 204 passes for 3.047 yards and 23 touchdowns at Appalachian State.

 

[TheGeneral+]

Troy Walters is a very solid WR for us as well. He will have some key receptions I guess.

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Offensive Line

colts.com


Jake Scott wouldn’t call it pressure.

And he sure won’t say he’s not ready for what’s coming this season.

But he knows when the coming season opens, he and fellow second-year offensive guard Ryan Lilja will be a much-examined story along the Colts’ offensive line.

They’re relatively young players, after all.

And they’re the newest elements on an offensive line that – despite seemingly annual flux and turnover – for much of the past decade consistently has been among the best groups in the NFL at its position.

“I don’t know that it’s pressure, because I think we’re both confident we can get it done,” Scott said recently during the Colts’ summer-school session, which continued Wednesday at the Union Federal Football Center.

“It’s a matter of going out and doing it.”

Just go out and do it.

That has been the credo for the Colts’ offensive linemen in recent seasons, particularly at offensive guard.

In recent years, a player’s age hasn’t mattered.

Or his experience.

And it hasn’t mattered how many players have been lost to free agency, or whether that player’s replacement were a low or high draft choice.

Or even if he were drafted at all.

Whatever the situation, players along the Colts’ offensive line have produced in recent seasons, and that has been true at guard, too.

Since 1998, when Colts offensive line coach Howard Mudd first joined the franchise, Indianapolis regularly has lost guards in free agency only to replace them and continue to play effectively along the line.

In 2000 and 2001, Steve McKinney and Larry Moore started at guard for the Colts, who ranked in the Top 10 in total offense in the NFL each season. In 2002, Ryan Diem and Rick DeMulling – then second-year players – took over as starters and the Colts remained in the Top 10. In 2003, Diem moved to tackle and was replaced by rookie guard Steve Sciullo.

The Colts finished in the Top Three in the NFL in total offense.

“Everybody’s prepared to play multiple positions here,” Scott said. “All the young guys here now, we’re getting them prepared to do the same thing, like we did last year. You have to be able to do that.

“Everybody comes in knowing that you have to be able to do more than one thing.”

In 2004, with Sciullo replaced by guard Tupe Peko in the starting lineup, Colts guards sustained injuries throughout the season. Scott started nine games and Lilja started six.

The Colts still finished second in the NFL in total offense, and led the league with a franchise-record 522 points scored, the sixth-highest total in league istory.

This year, guard again is the line’s position of change, with Lilja moving in at left guard to replace DeMulling and Scott keeping the right guard position he had won by the end of last season.

“It really doesn’t change your approach at all,” Scott said. “You go in every day trying to improve on the things you need to improve on. You get more comfortable with the system everyday and work on your techniques.”

Such was the approach Scott took throughout last season.

A fifth-round draft selection from the University of Idaho, Scott played well enough during preseason to be one of the top reserves entering the regular season. He spent the first four games of the season inactive, then played as a reserve against Oakland and against Jacksonville.

By late October, when injuries began to seriously deplete the line, Scott was inserted into the starting lineup.

“I was pretty confident coming in that I could play,” Scott said. “I guess I really started feeling confident against Kansas City. I played in that game and thought I played pretty well. Once you do it on the field on a Sunday, then you know.”

He made his first career start against the Chiefs on Halloween, and after playing as a reserve the following week in a season-turning Monday night victory over Minnesota, Scott started the final eight regular-season games and both games in the playoffs.

This season, as the Colts make yet another transition at the guard position, Scott said he’ll draw on that experience, but he won’t call what he’ll face pressure.

And he sure won’t say he’s not ready.

“It helps a lot, because you have that experience to draw from,” Scott said. “The biggest thing in this game is experience, because the more time you do it, the easier it gets.

“I don’t have a particular area where I’m focusing this season, really. I just need to get more comfortable in the system, mainly. The more repetitions you take, the more you see on the field, the quicker things come. The longer you’re out there, the better you get.

“That’s my main goal – get better and build on what I did the day before every day.”







THE OFFENSIVE LINE



Tarik Glenn

Ninth NFL season

6-5, 332

California

Acquired: First round, 1997 (No. 19 overall)

A durable, reliable player who made his first Pro Bowl appearance last season . . . has started 16 of 16 games in seven of eight NFL seasons . . . has been the Colts’ starting left tackle since 1998 . . . only season in which he missed a start was 2003, when he missed six games with a knee injury.



Ryan Lilja

Second NFL season

6-2, 285

Kansas State

Acquired: Waivers, 2004 (Kansas City)

Signed off waivers from the Chiefs just before last season . . . started six of seven games late last season at left guard and moves into starting role vacated by Rick DeMulling, who signed as a free agent with Detroit in the off-season.



Jeff Saturday

Seventh NFL season

6-2, 295

North Carolina

Acquired: Free agent, 1999

One of the NFL’s top centers and a key in the Colts’ no-huddle offense . . . started 16 of 16 games from 2000-2003, then missed two starts last season . . . Colts’ starting center every season since 2000 and has anchored one of the NFL’s top offensive lines during that span.



Jake Scott

Second NFL season

6-5, 280

Idaho

Acquired: Fifth round, 2004

Moved into starting lineup midway through last season and became a fixture at right offensive guard.



Ryan Diem

Fifth NFL season

6-6, 331

Northern Illinois

Acquired: Fourth round, 2001

The Colts’ starting right tackle each of the past two seasons . . . he and left tackle Tarik Glenn were the only two Colts offensive linemen not to miss a start last season . . . started at guard in 2001 and 2002 before moving to right tackle in 2003.



Joaquin Gonzalez

Fourth NFL season

6-5, 315

Miami

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent this past off-season after spending first three seasons with the Cleveland Browns . . . started 11 of 16 games for Cleveland last season, nine at right tackle and two at right guard.



Makoa Freitas

Third NFL season

6-4, 307

Arizona

Acquired: Sixth round, 2003

A solid reserve who started six of 12 games at left tackle as a rookie . . . played in all 16 games last season.





Dylan Gandy

Rookie

6-3, 302

Texas Tech

Acquired: Fourth round, 2005

Started 12 games as a senior last season and started 20 games in college career . . . also played guard in college.



Rob Hunt

Rookie

6-3, 298

North Dakota State

Acquired: Fifth round, 2005

Started 42 career games at North Dakota State, including 12 as a senior at center.



Trevor Hutton

Second NFL season

6-5, 305

Utah State

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2004 NFL Draft.



Cody Campbell

Rookie

6-4, 305

Texas Tech

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on April 29, 2005 . . . started 25 of 44 games in college, including 12 at left guard as a senior.



Lou Lombardo

Rookie

6-5, 308

Maryland

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on April 29, 2005 . . . played 46 games in college, including 10 as a senior . . . an offensive tackle.



Marico Portis

First NFL season

6-2, 315

Alabama

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent by the Colts on March 31, 2005 . . . spent much of last season on Tennessee’s practice squad . . . an offensive guard.



Jason Russell

Rookie

6-5, 300

Central Arkansas

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on April 29, 2005 . . . started 32 of 43 games in college, including 11 at guard as a senior.



Matt Ulrich

Rookie

6-2, 309

Northwestern

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on April 29, 2005 . . . started 37 of 47 games at guard and center in college . . . started 12 games at guard as a senior.

 

[TheGeneral+]

With a couple relatively new members to the offensive line, it should be fine from my experience. When you know that you have a star like Peyton behind you that will certainly keep you motivated. As well, if you do not block well for a Peyton, then you will find the bench rather quickly. Offensive line should be no problem. We hope they are well conditioned and have strong stamina.

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Linebackers

Gilbert Gardner always is ready for the question.

But he’s just as ready put the topic behind him.

The question and the topic typically arise when Gardner discusses last season, because what that season mostly was about for Gardner was injuries.

He spent last season injured, recovering from injuries and doing whatever he could do to get on the field after being injured. And Gardner, the Colts’ second-year outside linebacker, did make it back on the field at times.

Just not nearly as much as he wanted.

“That first year was about learning how to play in the league and learning how to take care of my body,” Gardner said during the Colts’ summer school session, which continued Thursday afternoon at the Union Federal Football Center.

“This year, it’s about playing and about showing what I can do.”

Which is what Gardner wanted to do last season.

Until injuries got in his way.

Gardner, a third-round selection in the April 2004 NFL Draft from Purdue University, entered the NFL as a speedy, physical player who had 215 tackles, 23 for losses, and seven forced fumbles in college.

He entered training camp healthy as a rookie, but sustained an ankle injury that kept him out of much of the preseason. He missed the first two regular-season games, then played extensively as a reserve before missing two more games in November with a hamstring injury.

He then missed the regular-season finale with a shoulder injury.

“Of course, you start to get discouraged,” Gardner said. “But you can’t, because it comes with the job. You play through it.”

Gardner did play through it, finishing the season with seven tackles – three solos – and developing into one of the Colts’ top special teams players. In 11 games, Gardner had 13 tackles on special teams, with eight solos.

His most memorable play of the season also came on special teams.

In a mid-November game against Tennessee, the Titans trailed by 17 points in the third quarter and attempted a fake punt. Initially, it appeared the Colts were fooled, but Gardner chased down the receiver and knocked away the pass, preventing the first down.

That’s the sort of play Colts coaches and personnel officials believed Gardner capable of on a regular basis, and the type he said he had few chances to make last season.

“I’d say people have seen about 10 percent of what I can do,” Gardner said. “Injuries stink, but they come with the job. Hopefully, I’ll stay healthy this year and it will give me a chance to show what I can do.”

Not being able to do so last season was frustrating, he said.

But not being able to do so as a rookie was doubly difficult.

“It was a frustrating situation,’ he said. “You have expectations coming out and you want to prove you belong. You want to get out and show everybody what you can do. When you can’t do that, it’s frustrating, but you go on.

“You put that season behind you and you keep going.”

Gardner said he got through the season with the help of veterans such as linebacker David Thornton, and said the experience made him mentally tougher.

“It better have,” he said with a laugh.

Now fully healthy, Gardner has worked on weakside – where he played collegiately – during the Colts’ summer-school sessions. He said he is comfortable on the weakside, and that he expects to compete with Cato June – the Colts’ leading tackler last season – for a starting position during training camp.

“If I didn’t have that mindset, I shouldn’t be here,” he said. “Of course, we’re competing. I learn from Cato every day, but we compete. I make him good and he makes me good. But I think I should play and start every game.

“That’s the attitude I have to take.”

Mostly, Gardner said he is approaching each practice as a new opportunity. After a season that he considered mostly lost to injury, just getting to practice healthy is enjoyable, and what he said he has found is he fits into the Colts’ defense. He played a similar scheme at Purdue, and said he is confident he can be effective at the NFL level.

Now, he said, it’s a matter of showing it.

And he said that’s a matter of staying healthy, and putting the topic and the questions surrounding his rookie season behind him at last.

“I like this defense,” he said. “You’re running and chasing. It’s a lot of running. Once you know you’re assignments, you let your ability take over. That’s what all this is for – once the season comes around, you’re playing without thinking.

“I showed a small, small part of what I could do last year. I love going to practice. I’m trying to get better every day, learn more every day, get more comfortable every day and get in a position where I can just let my body go.

“That’s what I never could do last year, but this year, I want to be able to do that.”







THE LINEBACKERS



David Thornton

Fourth NFL season

6-2, 230

North Carolina

Acquired: Fourth round, 2002

A two-year starter who led the Colts in tackles in 2003, his first season as a starter . . . moved from weakside to strongside last season and started 15 games . . . has started 31 games over the past two seasons . . . finished second on Colts last season with 98 tackles, 59 solos, and also had four quarterback pressures, an interception and two forced fumbles . . . had nine tackles, six solos, on special teams.



Gary Brackett

Third NFL season

5-11, 235

Rutgers

Acquired: Free agent, 2003

With four-year starter Rob Morris not re-signed, Brackett is the team’s starting middle linebacker . . . played in 15 of 16 games at middle linebacker last season, playing extensively in the team’s nickel packages and also continuing to be one of the Colts’ top special teams players . . . was named the 2004 Colts Recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award . . . finished the season with 27 tackles on defense and had two interceptions, the second and third of his NFL career.



Cato June

Third NFL season

6-0, 227

Michigan

Acquired: Sixth round, 2003

An athletic, speedy outside linebacker who started last season at weak-side linebacker . . . started 16 of 16 games at weakside backer . . . led team in tackles with 128, 69 solos, and also had five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two interceptions for 71 return yards.



Gilbert Gardner

Second NFL season

6-1, 228

Purdue

Acquired: Third round, 2004

An outside linebacker who played in 11 games during an injury-plagued rookie season . . . began to play a role as a reserve on defense in the second half of the season . . . missed much of the preseason and first two games of the season with an ankle injury, then missed two games in November with a hamstring injury before missing the regular-season finale at Denver with a shoulder injury . . . finished the season with seven tackles, three solos, and a pass defensed.



Kendyll Pope

Second NFL season

6-1, 220

Florida State

Acquired: Fourth round, 2004

Missed much of rookie season with a sports hernia injury sustained during his Pro Day workout in the spring of 2004 . . . has worked at strong side and middle linebacker during summer-school session . . . played in final two regular-season games last season.



Keyon Whiteside

Third NFL season

6-0, 228

Tennessee

Acquired: Fifth round, 2003

A solid special teams player who spent most of 2003 with the Colts and part of last season on the team’s active roster . . . sustained a serious knee injury early last season, spending the last nine weeks on injured reserve . . . had five special teams tackles before his injury.



Tyjuan Hagler

Rookie

6-0, 236

Cincinnati

Acquired: Fifth round, 2005

Was working extensively with the middle linebackers in mini-camp and summer school . . . is out with a sports hernia injury that is expected to keep him out into training camp . . . started three seasons at Cincinnati, starting 36 of 41 games . . . had 346 tackles and seven sacks in college.



Thomas Houchin

First NFL season

6-3, 261

Kansas State

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Spent last season on injured reserve with the Colts after sustaining a triceps injury during training camp . . . started 10 of 14 games as a senior at Kansas State, where he had 105 tackles and nine sacks playing 37 games.



Andre Sommersell

First NFL season

6-2, 230

Colorado State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent early this off-season . . . spent time on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad last season.

Nick Hannah

Rookie

6-1, 220

Eastern Oregon

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on April 29, 2005 . . . started 28 of 36 games in college . . . had 291 tackles and seven sacks at Eastern Oregon.



Jarrell Weaver

First NFL season

6-3, 205

Miami

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts this off-season . . . spent time on the New York Jets’ practice squad last season.



Dominique Sims

Rookie

6-1, 230

Minnesota

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on May 11, 2005 . . . started 11 of 12 games as a senior and had 74 tackles and two losses that season.



Deryck Toles

First NFL season

5-11, 224

Penn State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent onto the Colts’ practice squad late last season . . . spent time with Atlanta in training camp and on Jacksonville and Cleveland practice squads last season . . . started 27 games in college with 179 tackles and six and a half sacks.

 

[TheGeneral+]

Big concerns in this area. The corps have to be able and read the play and I don't see the experience here to be great. When you look at New England games, Brady was able to get many passes under the secondary and through the linebackers utilizing a short passing game that has beat us down time after time. These guys could turn out to be a good unit, but the concern is realistic.

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Tight Ends

colts.com


Dallas Clark won’t say his old teammate won’t be missed.

He will be. Without question, Clark said.

But while the Colts will have a new look for the first time in a long time next season at Clark’s position – tight end – a new look isn’t necessarily a bad look. And although Clark said the team won’t quite be the same, he said the position is ready for the future.

Marcus Pollard is gone. And won’t be forgotten.

Now, the future at the position is at hand.

“It hurts because he’s a great friend, a great guy and a great player,” Clark said during the Colts’ ongoing summer school session, which continued on Monday at the Union Federal Football Center.

“It’s just bringing along opportunities for other guys to step up.”

The other guys include Clark and are a group of players who have played well enough in the summer school sessions to create a real excitement among the Colts’ coaching staff. Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy continually has spoken of the group as a foursome of players capable of making an impact next season:

• Clark, a third-year veteran from the University of Iowa.

• Ben Hartsock, a second-year veteran from Ohio State.

• Ben Utecht, a first-year veteran from Minnesota.

• Bryan Fletcher, a first-year veteran from UCLA.

“The whole tight end situation is as positive as it could possibly be,” Colts Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore said.

Clark, a 2003 first-round draft selection, formed with Pollard one of the NFL’s top tight end combinations last season and Hartsock – a 2004 third-round selection – played an extensive role as a reserve late last season.

Neither Fletcher nor Utecht played last season, but each has shown athleticism and big-play ability during summer school. Rookie tight end Joey Hawkins – an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech – also has been impressive in summer school, Moore said recently.

“You can’t ignore what he’s done,” Moore said of Hawkins. “If you’ve seen our summer school practices, you see we’ve got guys there who can make plays.”

Pollard, who played with the Colts from 1995-2004, caught 29 passes for 309 yards and six touchdowns last season, and for much of the past decade provided Indianapolis a big-play option at tight end.

“It’s definitely going to be a new situation – in the locker room, on the field, all around,” Clark said. “There aren’t many guys out there like Marcus. You can’t replace him, what he does for your team. I know that, and all the other guys understand that.

“We’re not going to replace him, the things he’s done. People have seen that throughout the years.”

Last season, Clark emerged as the same sort of threat.

After a rookie season shortened by a broken leg, Clark started 13 of 15 games last season, developing into one of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning’s top options in the passing game. After catching 29 passes for 340 yards and one touchdown as a rookie, Clark caught 25 passes for 424 yards and five touchdowns last season.

He also caught Manning’s longest touchdown pass of the season, an 80-yarder in a mid-November victory over Houston.

Hartsock, who played in all 16 games last season, started three times, including the last two games of the season. He caught four passes, all of which came in the last two games, for 33 yards with no touchdowns.

In seven seasons with Moore as coordinator, the Colts historically have utilized tight ends more than most NFL teams. From 1998-2001, Pollard and Ken Dilger formed one of the league’s top tight end combinations, and for the last two seasons, Pollard and Clark were among the NFL’s top duos.

Moore said he doesn’t expect the position’s effectiveness to change.

“We’re having a lot of good, solid competition at the position now,” Moore said. “You always want to get your best 11 players on the field, and if you have two tight ends, maybe you’ve got 13 best 11 players.

“That allows you different formations and matchups and things like that.”

Said Clark, “We definitely have guys across the line who have the ability to step up and make plays. It’s sad on one end not to have Marcus, but now it give everyone an opportunity. I think we have guys who are learning and making strides and ready to do some things.”







THE TIGHT ENDS



Dallas Clark

Third NFL season

6-3, 257

Iowa

Acquired: First round, 2003 (No. 24 overall)

A big-play tight end with rare athletic ability . . . continued to develop into a crucial part of passing offense last season, catching 25 passes for 424 yards and five touchdowns . . . has 54 receptions for 763 yards and six touchdowns in two NFL seasons.



Ben Hartsock

Second NFL season

6-4, 262

Ohio State

Acquired: Third round, 2004

A highly-drafted player who played extensively in a mostly-reserve role last season . . . a solid blocker . . . caught four passes for 33 yards last season.



Bryan Fletcher

First NFL season

6-5, 238

UCLA

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

An athletic tight end who impressed coaches during training camp last season . . . spent last season on Colts’ practice squad . . . has played well during the team’s ongoing summer-school sessions.



Ben Utecht

First NFL season

6-6, 251

Minnesota

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

An athletic tight end who signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2004 NFL Draft . . . considered one of nation’s top tight end prospects before sports hernia injury late in senior season . . . is fully healthy for the first time in nearly two seasons and has been impressive during summer school.



Joey Hawkins

Rookie

6-9, 252

Texas Tech

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005 . . . played in 29 career games at tight end in college . . . caught 17 passes for 214 yards . . . also played in 15 games as a forward for Texas Tech’s NCAA Tournament basketball team.



Tory Humphrey

First NFL season

6-3, 253

Central Michigan

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as an undrafted free agent on April 29, 2005 . . . played in 42 career games in college . . . caught 68 passes for 862 yards and seven touchdowns in college.

 

[TheGeneral+]

The Cornerbacks

colts.com


Jason David got the message.

And while the Colts’ second-year cornerback said the Colts’ moves during the recent NFL Draft might have bothered some players in his position, he said they had a different effect on him.

The Colts drafted one player at his position in the first round. They then took another in the second.

David’s reaction?

Frustration? Anger? Resentment?

No, no, no, he said. Anything but.

“It just motivated me to work even harder,” David said during the Colts’ summer-school sessions, which continued Tuesday at the Union Federal Football Center.

David, a fourth-round draft selection from Washington State, started 11 of 16 games last season, moving into the starting lineup a month into the season when Donald Strickland underwent season-ending shoulder surgery.

He started all but one game after that, finishing the season with four interceptions and 13 passes defensed, team-high totals in both categories.

Although David said he believed he played well last season, he expected the Colts to select a cornerback early in the draft.

They did, selecting Marlin Jackson from Michigan in the first round.

Then came the second round.

The Colts selected Kelvin Hayden. Another cornerback.

“That was kind of a message to all the defensive backs – the cornerbacks, and the safeties, too,” David said. “Before the draft, I was working out, working hard, training. I knew they were going to draft a corner. I just didn’t know they were going back to back.

“When that happened, I started working harder. I wanted to get better at the things I knew the team wants me to get better at.

“It made me just become a better team player.”

Toward that end, David said he has spent the off-season working to become a more physical player. The first step in that process was to get bigger.

David, at 5-foot-8 considered short by NFL standards, was listed at 172 pounds last season. He added 10 pounds early in the off-season, lost some of that weight, but said he is stronger and bigger than he was this time last off-season.

“I want to be a better tackler this year,” David said. “The coaches are waiting to see that. They know I’ve gotten better and I’ve gotten stronger, but they’re waiting to see how well I can tackle.

“That’s the challenge I had my senior year coming out. Going into my senior year, they needed me to do a better job tackling. I can respond. When I need to do something better to stay on the field, I’m going to do it.”

David, throughout his rookie season, talked often of his ability to play with confidence in difficult situations. As an undersized rookie, he said he knew early teams would throw toward him, and while he allowed big plays at times, he typically responded by making a big play.

That always has been his way, he said, and the attitude helped him last season.

“That’s something you practice as well,” David said. “I work at it in practice. If you go out in practice and have a bad play, you work on getting past it. Practice is for everything. You practice technique for game time and you practice strategies and mentality. I go through the whole week with a game mentally thinking that if it’s a bad play, you’ve just got to bounce back and make something positive out of it.

“Overall, the game slowed down a lot for me last year, just having so much playing time. This year, I can see a difference in what’s going on and what’s about to happen. I can anticipate a little bit more because I know the defense a little bit better. I think what I gained from that year was actually game experience.

“There’s no substitute for experience.”

David said this week he doesn’t know if that experience will allow him to regain a starting role next season, and he said that’s not necessarily his focus. While he said his goal is to start, and to play as much as possible, his bigger goal is “just to be out there playing. Whether it’s on defense, or special teams, I just want to be out there playing.

“This is a great job,” he said. “It’s one of the best jobs in the world, but at the same time, you’ve got to be hungry each year. You can’t ever get complacent no matter if you’re a Pro Bowl player or a starter or a sub. They’re always bringing new guys in to replace you.

“I’ve proven to myself I can play in this league and that’s key. If you feel like you can accomplish something, and you have confidence in yourself you can get it done, that’s the first step toward getting it done. I know I can get it done, and the team and my teammates know I can, too. That always helps.”





THE CORNERBACKS



Donald Strickland

Third NFL season

5-10, 187

Colorado

Acquired: Third round, 2003

A starting safety for the last half of the 2003 season and a starting cornerback the first month of last season . . . missed the last three months of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery . . . started at right cornerback the first four games of last season . . . had 22 tackles, including 14 solo last season . . . had two interceptions as a rookie.


Nick Harper

Fifth NFL season

5-10, 182

Fort Valley State

Acquired: Free agent, 2001

A starter the past two seasons who has played through several injuries over that span . . . has seven interceptions over the past two seasons, the leading total on the Colts . . . finished fourth on the team with 75 tackles last season . . . also had three interceptions and five passes defensed last season.



Joseph Jefferson

Fourth NFL season

6-1, 202

Western Kentucky

Acquired: Third round, 2002

An athletic, physical cornerback who has missed much of his first three NFL seasons with injuries . . . played sparingly as a rookie in 2002, then missed entire season in 2003 before playing in nine games last season . . . started in three of nine games last season with 22 tackles, three passes defended and an interception.



Jason David

Second NFL season

5-8, 172

Washington State

Acquired: Fourth round, 2004

A cover corner who started 11 of 16 games as a rookie . . . led the Colts with four interceptions and also led the team with 13 pass breakups . . . moved into starting lineup four weeks into last season and started all but one game thereafter.



Marlin Jackson

Rookie

6-0, 196

Michigan

Acquired: First round, 2005 (No. 29 overall)

A talented, physical player who was the first player selected by the Colts in this past April’s NFL Draft . . . a four-year starter at Michigan, he started 39 of 45 games for the Wolverines . . . had 195 tackles, two sacks and nine interceptions in college.



Kelvin Hayden

Rookie

6-0, 195

Illinois

Acquired: Second round, 2005

The second player selected by the Colts in this past April’s NFL Draft . . . moved to cornerback as a senior after playing first three collegiate seasons at wide receiver . . . played two seasons at Joliet (Ill.) Junior College before transferring to Illinois . . . led Illinois with 52 receptions for 592 yards and three touchdowns as a junior . . . had six passes defensed and four interceptions as a senior.



Von Hutchins

Second NFL season

5-9, 181

Mississippi

Acquired: Sixth round, 2004

Played extensively as a reserve in passing situations last season . . . started one game and also played extensively on special teams . . . had 42 tackles, one interception and one defended pass as a rookie.



Waine Bacon

Second NFL season

5-10, 191

Alabama

Acquired: Free agent, 2004

Played a key role on special teams last season after signing as a free agent five games into the season . . . had 10 tackles on special teams and also had five tackles and an interception in a reserve role on defense.



Eric Hill

First NFL season

6-0, 190

Colorado State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed as a free agent with the Colts on January 17, 2005, after spending last season on the team’s practice squad . . . switched from wide receiver to cornerback this off-season . . . caught 33 passes for 545 yards and nine touchdowns in college.


Brandon Lynch

First NFL season

5-11, 192

Middle Tennessee State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with Colts as a free agent on January 20, 2005 . . . spent training camp last season with Tennessee.



Jerome Dennis

Rookie

6-1, 192

Utah State

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with the Colts as a free agent on April 29, 2005 . . . a two-year starter in college, he missed much of junior season with an injury before starting 11 as a senior.



Daryl Dixon

First NFL season

5-10, 193

Florida

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with the Colts as a free agent on January 17 and was allocated to NFL Europe . . . playing with Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe . . . has six tackles in Europe this season.



Willie Ford

First NFL season

6-2, 200

Syracuse

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with the Colts as a free agent on January 21 and was allocated to NFL Europe . . . playing with Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe . . . has 38 tackles, four interceptions and a team-high 12 passes defended in Europe this season.



Jermaine Mays

First NFL season

5-11, 198

Minnesota

Acquired: Free agent, 2005

Signed with the Colts as a free agent on February 11 and was allocated to NFL Europe . . . playing with Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe . . . has 22 tackles, four interceptions and nine passes defended in Europe this season . . . also has a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown this season.

 

[Ego74]

colts notebook
Jefferson willing to make move from cornerback
Veteran asked to switch to safety with Doss facing at least a 1-game suspension.

By Mike Chappell
mike.chappell@indystar.com


The request was made, and quickly accepted by Joseph Jefferson.

Searching for a quality candidate at safety, the Indianapolis Colts looked to their pool of cornerbacks. More specifically, they looked at Jefferson.

"They just came to me," Jefferson said after Wednesday's summer school workout at the Union Federal Football Center. "I just do what they tell me. If they say, 'We need you to make the transition to safety,' I'm going to do it.

"It's a blessing just to be playing in this league; I'll do whatever I have to do to stay employed. I've got mouths to feed."

Coach Tony Dungy said part of the reason for Jefferson's relocation was the pending suspension of starting strong safety Mike Doss.

"It may be long term," Dungy said, "but it's certainly short term because we're preparing for what we eventually do with Mike."

Doss faces at least a one-game suspension after being found guilty of two misdemeanor gun charges earlier in the week.

Also contributing to the decision to move Jefferson to safety was the team's desire to get its best players on the field. The 6-1, 202-pound Jefferson, according to Dungy, "is a very physical guy. He has tremendous ball skills. He's got a lot of things you look for in a safety."

Jefferson, a third-round draft pick in 2002, has spent his entire pro career at cornerback. He has appeared in 23 games, three as a starter, while battling a variety of injuries.

Jefferson was a starting free safety at Western Kentucky before moving to cornerback. He anticipates no major problem relearning the position.

James will honor deal

Running back Edgerrin James still wants a long-term contract but has no intention of forcing the issue with a holdout. He skipped the team's mandatory three-day minicamp and has not participated in its voluntary summer school.

In a recent interview with ESPN.com, James said, "I honor my contract. The season hasn't even started yet. I never said I wasn't going to play. I'm going to play, regardless."

In March, the Colts' career rushing leader signed a one-year, $8.1 million contract as a "franchise" player. James can earn an additional $1 million through performance incentives.

While he maintained his desire for a long-term contract, he conceded it won't happen before the start of the regular season.

"Man, nothing (is) getting done," James said. "It ain't going to happen."

James was not asked if he plans to report on time for the start of training camp. Players report to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute on July 27th

 

[Ego74]

Found: $48 million for Colts
City, state leaders shift funds to cover shortfall

By John Fritze
john.fritze@indystar.com


A $48 million shortfall in the financing of the new Indianapolis Colts stadium has been plugged, increasing the likelihood of a summer groundbreaking, city and state leaders said Friday.

To cover the expense, which will be paid to the team to break the current lease, officials nearly cut in half a contingency fund that was supposed to be used for unforeseen construction problems with the stadium.

Shifting the money removed a roadblock that had threatened to delay the project and ended more than a week of public squabbling between the city and the state over who should pay the Colts.

"We're early in the project, but we would not have come up with this solution had we not been comfortable with it," said David Frick, chairman of the new Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority that is building the stadium. "I feel very good with the cooperative spirit that I saw."

Gov. Mitch Daniels and Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, last week said the financing plan for the $900 million stadium and Convention Center project did not include the $48 million payment to the team. Because the payment will be used to break the team's lease with the city, the two state leaders argued it was the city's job to come up with the money.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson argued the payment became the state's responsibility in April when Daniels took control of the project's design, construction and financing.

Officials are facing a July 1 deadline to sign a lease with the Colts, secure tax increases to pay for the project and begin borrowing money for construction. Groundbreaking is scheduled for August, and the facility must open for the 2008 season.

The July 1 deadline was threatened by the shortfall because without the $48 million payment, the Colts are not expected to sign a new lease. Colts officials could not be reached for comment Friday.

The new funding plan will cover most of the $48 million cost by reducing a contingency fund from $90 million to $50 million. Another $8 million will be tacked on to the overall cost of the project, which will be financed by a 30-year loan, backed by the state with new taxes on Marion County hotel rooms, car rentals and restaurant tabs.

Seven suburban counties also are expected to levy a 1 percent food and beverage tax and chip in about $5 million a year toward the project.

Construction on the stadium is expected to cost $500 million, but Frick said more money is included in that figure -- on top of the contingency fund -- for unexpected issues. When estimating costs, Frick said, officials have been careful to overestimate.

"What you'll find is, as the design develops . . . those numbers tend to go down," he said. "The original projection you put on a project -- you want to be safe."

Construction does not always go smoothly. The Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, for instance, has recently struggled to pay to expand the Central Library branch Downtown.

The original $103 million price tag could go up because of concrete problems found on site last year. Library officials said they might have to borrow up to $30 million to cover costs associated with the delay.

Kenley drafted the legislation that set up the Colts funding plan. He said he thinks the stadium can be built with less contingency money, but that everyone should cross their fingers.

"It's tight," he said. "I think it's critically important that we not have any other surprises or overruns."

City and state leaders struck conciliatory tones Friday as they emerged from negotiations that have lasted several days.

"This makes a lot of sense, and it's a great step toward getting the project completed," said Melina Kennedy, the city's deputy mayor for economic development. "It's something we worked together to find."

 

[TheGeneral+]

Colts Re-Sign Longtime Middle Linebacker

Rob Morris, the Colts’ starting middle linebacker the past four seasons, re-signed with Indianapolis Tuesday. Duration and terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Morris became an unrestricted free agent after this past season.

“I have good feelings,” Morris said Tuesday at the Union Federal Football Center after signing. “I like the coaches a lot. Mr. (Colts President Bill) Polian and everybody always has been good to me here, so I appreciate that they wanted me back.

“It’s good to be back.”

Morris, the Colts’ third-leading tackler last season, has started 60 of 61 games over the past four seasons after playing in seven games during an injury-shortened rookie season.

He has 547 tackles since 2001, the most on the Colts during that span, and last season had one of his best seasons with 94 tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and a crucial interception in a late-season overtime victory over San Diego.

Morris was the Colts’ first-round draft selection in 2000 and has started for the team since 2001.

colts.com

 

[ruyfm76]

:hump: