Indianapolis Colts News

Colts add Terry to offensive line
Comment
March 13
Indianapolis Star
 
"The offseason shakeup of the Indianapolis Colts' offensive line continued with the addition of free-agent tackle Adam Terry.

A 2005 second-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, Terry agreed to a one-year contract with the Colts on Friday after a visit earlier in the week. He was a restricted free agent who was not tendered a one-year offer by the Ravens. The Colts' objective is to get bigger along the offensive line during the offseason and Terry fits the description. He's 6-8, 335 pounds. Terry, 27, never fulfilled expectations in Baltimore. He started 18 of 48 regular-season games -- 16 in 2007-08 -- before missing the 2009 season after suffering a knee ..."

Baskett happy to be back with Eagles
Comment
March 13
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The Eagles, apparently working from the bottom up, addressed one of their lesser needs yesterday when they signed wide receiver - and familiar face - Hank Baskett to a one-year contract. One of their greater needs - finding a competent complement to running back LeSean McCoy - was pecked at, but a visit from free agent Justin Fargas resulted in nothing more. The former Raiders running back left Philadelphia without a deal and is unlikely to sign with the Eagles, according to a league source. A message left with Fargas' agent, David Dunn, was not returned yesterday. Baskett returns after almost a full season in Indianapolis. The 27-year-old receiver spent his first three years with the ..."
Ex-Colt Jackson signs with Eagles
Comment
March 11
Indianapolis Star
 
"Marlin Jackson's comeback from a second season-ending knee injury will continue in Philadelphia. The Indianapolis Colts' 2005 first-round draft pick, who missed 21 regular-season games the past two years with knee injuries, signed a two-year contract with the Eagles on Wednesday reportedly worth $6 million. Jackson, 26, became a free agent last week when the Colts did not issue the restricted free agent a one-year tender. He is excited about his new team. "The most appealing thing about the deal was that it's a winning franchise,'' Jackson told Philadelphia media. "Winning is the most important thing for me and I came from a winning franchise and that was a key thing.'' Also appealing was ..."
Former Colts backup QB Sorgi signs with Giants
Comment
March 10
Indianapolis Star
 
"Jim Sorgi's stint as an unemployed quarterback didn't last long. The longtime Indianapolis Colts backup, whose contract was terminated last week, agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Giants. Sorgi, who worked behind Peyton Manning for six seasons with the Colts, will back up younger brother Eli Manning with the Giants. "Jim is very excited to go to New York and help the Giants," Matt Brei, Sorgi's agent, said in an e-mail to The Star. "He had a great visit (Monday) with the team and is looking forward to the new opportunity." Sorgi had been Peyton Manning's backup since the Colts selected him in the sixth round of the 2004 draft."
Former Colts safety Marlin Jackson visits Eagles
Comment
March 10
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Finally, a free-agent visit. The Eagles apparently see Marlin Jackson as a free safety, and there seems to be a pretty good chance that Jackson will be signed by the time he is scheduled to meet with reporters today at 11 a.m. at NovaCare. (Though at least one report indicates a pending visit with the Jets.) Yes, he's the Colts cornerback with the anterior cruciate ligament injuries each of the past two seasons, the left in 2009 and the right in 2008. He is the guy who intercepted Tom Brady to seal the Colts' trip to the Super Bowl following the 2006 season. No, he isn't Michael Jackson's brother. That's Marlon. What else do we know? Well, Jackson was a Jason Avant teammate at Michigan, ..."
Giants sign quarterback Jim Sorgi
Comment
March 9
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Jim Sorgi's agent didn't expect a deal on Monday but was hopeful it would come soon. It did. On Tuesday, Sorgi got his contract. The Giants signed Sorgi to a one-year deal after their doctors conversed with some other physicians who have examined Sorgi's shoulder. Obviously, they got the answers they were looking for and the ones Sorgi's agent said he was hoping to provide. "The team doctor talked to (noted orthopedic surgeon) Dr. (James) Andrews. He has a history with Jim," Sorgi's agent, Matt Brei, said by phone. "It was a matter of everybody getting comfortable, so we got the doctors in contact and everything was cleared. That's where a little bit of the holdup was." After six seasons ..."
Colts release Lilja
Comment
March 9
Indianapolis Star
 
"The offseason overhaul of the Indianapolis Colts offensive line continued Monday with the release of starting guard Ryan Lilja. "They let him go," said Craig Domann, Lilja's agent. "They said they want to go bigger and apparently are going to get people who fit that philosophy." Lilja, 28, a 6-2, 290-pounder, started all 19 games last season after missing the 2008 season with knee issues. He had been a fixture on the offensive line since being claimed off waivers in '04, starting 67 games, including the playoffs. The move apparently wasn't financially driven. The team paid Lilja the $1.7 million roster bonus he was due before terminating his contract. He would have earned a base salary of ..."
Colts terminate Ryan Lilja's contract
Comment
March 9
Indianapolis Star
 
"The offseason overhaul of the Indianapolis Colts offensive line continued Monday with the release of starting guard Ryan Lilja. "They let him go," said Craig Domann, Lilja's agent. "They said they want to go bigger and apparently are going to get people who fit that philosophy." Lilja, a 6-2, 290-pounder, started all 19 games last season after missing the 2008 season with knee issues. He had been a fixture on the offensive line since being claimed off waivers in 2004, starting 67 games, including the playoffs. The move apparently wasn't financially driven. The team paid Lilja the $1.7 million roster bonus he was due before terminating his contract. He would have earned a base salary of ..."
Colts cornerback Jackson to visit Eagles
Comment
March 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"The Eagles, like a lot of other teams, weren't really excited by this year's diluted unrestricted free-agent pool. This morning, we are starting to grasp exactly how unexcited they really are; the only free agent with a confirmed Eagles visit scheduled is Indianapolis corner Marlin Jackson, whose last two seasons have been ended by serious knee injuries. And Jackson, 26, a restricted free agent who wasn't tendered, is scheduled to come here after he visits Baltimore tomorrow. As Eagles coach Andy Reid noted in his Friday-evening radio appearance at the Maxwell Club dinner, the expansion of restricted free agency to everybody with less than 6 years' experience means the UFAs are mostly ..."
Colts sign free agent guard Andy Alleman
Comment
March 7
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Indianapolis Colts signed free agent guard Andy Alleman today. Alleman (6-4, 310) originally was a 2007 third-round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints. He spent 2008 with Miami and last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, who did not offer him a contract last week."
Colts opt to release backup QB Jim Sorgi
Comment
March 6
Indianapolis Star
 
"Quarterback Jim Sorgi's throwing shoulder is fine, but if he's going to use it, it won't be with the Indianapolis Colts. "The Colts informed us today that they will be releasing Jim Sorgi at 4 p.m.," Sorgi's agent, Matt Brei wrote in an email to the Star. "They gave us no reason at this point." The reason might be the $275,000 roster bonus the Colts would have owed Sorgi on the fifth day of the league year, which began today. Sorgi, who backed up starter Peyton Manning the past six seasons, was due to earn $1.08 million in 2010."
Titans should consider another Colt
Comment
March 6
Tennessean
 
"The Titans have a long history of signing former Colts, and vice versa. In the past Tennessee has added guys like linebacker David Thornton, guard Jake Scott, cornerback Nick Harper and tight end Ben Hartsock. Here's another former Colt they should consider: cornerback Marlin Jackson. He would seem to be a guy right up their alley. A first-round pick in 2005, Jackson quickly proved to be a solid player. But he suffered ACL injuries in the past two seasons, including last November. His situation is similar to Keith Bulluck's - recovering and hoping another team gives him a chance after the Colts failed to tender him."
Colts sign Brackett to 5-year deal
Comment
March 5
Indianapolis Star
 
"Linebacker Gary Brackett has agreed to a five-year contract that will keep him with the Indianapolis Colts a source with knowledge of the situation said this morning. Terms of the deal were not immediately available but Colts owner Jim Irsay said last week he intended to make a commitment to Brackett "competitive with some of the top guys at his position." Had Brackett not been signed after discussions that went deep into Thursday night, he would have become an unrestricted free agent and been free to sign with any team."
Brock says he has played last game with Colts
Comment
March 5
Indianapolis Star
 
"Although immediate confirmation was not available, defensive lineman Raheem Brock apparently has played his last game for the Indianapolis Colts. "The superbowl was the last time ull see me in a colts uniform!" Brock tweeted on twitter.com late this afternoon. "Its been real indy." Brock's agent, Kevin Pompey, said he hadn't spoken with Brock but knew the player had a meeting with Colts president Bill Polian today. Brock was under contract through the 2010 season. He was due to make $3.79 million."
Colts, Brackett talk deep into night
Comment
March 5
Indianapolis Star
 
"Negotiations between linebacker Gary Brackett and the Indianapolis Colts continued late Thursday night with the possibility that a new contract will be announced today, a source familiar with the situation said. Whatever the resolution of Brackett's talks, the Colts apparently have said goodbye to another defensive stalwart. "The superbowl was the last time ull see me in a colts uniform?" defensive lineman Raheem Brock tweeted on twitter.com late Thursday afternoon. "It's been real indy." Brock's agent, Kevin Pompey, hadn't spoken with his client, but he knew the player had a meeting with Colts president Bill Polian on Thursday afternoon. The Colts made no announcement."
Brackett faces decision today
Comment
March 4
Indianapolis Star
 
"Gary Brackett's hopes of a negotiating a contract that will keep him with the Indianapolis Colts have moved into their final day. Brackett's agent, Brian Mackler, confirmed Wednesday that talks continue with Colts president Bill Polian. Unless an agreement is reached before 12:01 a.m. Friday, Brackett will become an unrestricted free agent and be free to sign with any NFL team. Brackett, 29, is a seven-year veteran who has been the Colts' starting middle linebacker since 2005 and their defensive captain since 2007. He is looking for a contract commensurate with those responsibilities, and last week Colts owner Jim Irsay said he was prepared to make a commitment to Brackett "competitive ..."
Peyton Manning undergoes procedure on his neck
Comment
March 4
Indianapolis Star
 
"Quarterback Peyton Manning on Tuesday underwent a procedure to relieve pain in his neck caused by a pinched nerve the Indianapolis Colts announced on Wednesday. The condition "has existed intermittently for the past four years, but at no time did it interfere with his training, practice or playing regimen," the team said in a statement."While it never has affected Peyton's activity on or off the field, the Colts' medical staff, after post-playoff examination, thought it best to resolve the situation now.""
Colts add assistant coach
Comment
March 3
Indianapolis Star
 
"Former Kansas State football coach Ron Prince is the latest addition to the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff. The hiring was confirmed by a source at the University of Virginia, where he served as special teams coordinator last season. Prince joins former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner as the new faces on Colts coach Jim Caldwell's staff."
Colts' Caldwell optimistic about 2010 season
Comment
March 1
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell sat in his team's vacant locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday morning, far removed from his team's Super Bowl loss and close to the next wave of talent preparing to sweep into the NFL. It was time, he insisted, to look ahead, not behind. "You go through a situation where you have a tough loss, but there's a certain point in time you have to look forward,'' Caldwell said, declining to elaborate on the Colts' 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. "That's where we are. Obviously it's 2010. It starts right about now. "The combine is usually a pretty good indicator.'' Not far away, on the stadium's playing surface, quarterbacks and ..."
Caldwell: Super Bowl journey begins now
Comment
February 28
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Indianapolis Colts' transition from 2009 Super Bowl participant to 2010 Super Bowl contender is in full swing, yet fluid. Coach Jim Caldwell said this morning before heading into the ongoing NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium that the process of moving beyond the 31-17 loss to New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV "starts over right about now. "The combine is usually a pretty good indicator.""
Clausen aims to be the leader
Comment
February 28
Indianapolis Star
 
"The perceptions are out there, and aren't exactly flattering regarding Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen. Allow him to elaborate. "Some people say I'm cocky, I'm arrogant, I'm not a good leader, I'm not a good teammate,'' Clausen said Saturday afternoon while meeting the media during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. "The people who are out there saying those things, they don't know me as a person.'' So, aside from being considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the April draft, along with Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, what's the real scoop on Clausen? Golden Tate, another Notre Dame junior who left school early, was quick to defend his pitch-and-catch partner. "I think ..."
Turner newest coaching addition
Comment
February 28
Indianapolis Star
 
"The addition of Ron Turner is the latest change to coach Jim Caldwell's Indianapolis Colts staff. It's uncertain if there's more to come. A source with the Colts confirmed Saturday afternoon Turner's arrival but was unable to specify his role. It might be as receivers coach, an area currently under the purview of assistant head coach Clyde Christensen. It's been a hectic few months for Turner, 56. He was fired by the Chicago Bears on Jan. 5 after serving as their offensive coordinator for five seasons. Earlier this month, Turner accepted a position on Jim Harbaugh's staff at Stanford."
Colts add Ron Turner to coaching staff
Comment
February 28
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Indianapolis Colts have added Ron Turner to their coaching roster, the latest change to coach Jim Caldwell's staff. It might not be the last. Frank Bauer, Turner's agent, confirmed the Colts' addition of Turner to the Chicago Tribune. Turner joined Jim Harbaugh's staff at Stanford earlier this month after being fired as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator. It's uncertain what position Turner will fill, and whether more changes are imminent."
Study estimates Super Bowl impact at more than $611 million
Comment
February 27
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
"Add another eye-popping number to the hype surrounding the first-ever Super Bowl in North Texas: $611 million.That's the estimated economic impact from spending related to the February 2011 game, according to a new study commissioned by the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee.If the projection by California-based Marketing Information Masters holds true - and such economic estimates are notoriously hard to quantify - it would be a record haul.Three years ago, the Super Bowl brought more than $500 million in revenue to the Phoenix, Ariz., area, according to the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Previous estimates have put the potential North Texas total at $350 ..."
Colts hike ticket prices for 2010 season
Comment
February 27
Indianapolis Star
 
"It will cost season-ticket holders more to watch the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts in 2010. The team has increased prices in all nine ticket levels, starting with a boost from $34 to $38 for the least expensive tickets and including a bump in the $119 level to $126. The three club-level areas also experienced an increase dependent upon the length of each season-ticket holder's contract. The across-the-board increases come after the Colts had no increase for approximately 90 percent of their Lucas Oil Stadium seats in 2009."
Irsay says team will make 'competitive' offer to keep Brackett
Comment
February 27
Indianapolis Star
 
"Gary Brackett is intent on maximizing his status as a free agent-to-be, and his team owner made it clear the Indianapolis Colts are ready to do their part. Jim Irsay said Friday that he's willing to make a financial commitment to Brackett, his starting middle linebacker and defensive captain, that will be "competitive with some of the top-notch guys at his position. "I don't know what the final numbers are going to be," Irsay added, "but it's going to be a sizable commitment in terms of getting it done in a multiyear way." The NFL's highest-paid middle linebackers include Chicago's Brian Urlacher, who's working under a five-year, $47.2 million contract; the New York Jets' Bart Scott (six ..."
Gary Brackett's eyes open
Comment
February 27
Boston Herald
 columnist Karen Guregian
"Gary Brackett has spent all of his football life on the Indianapolis side of the heated Patriots-Colts rivalry. Set to become an unrestricted free agent March 5, would the 29-year-old middle linebacker even consider changing into enemy colors? Brackett didn't hesitate with his answer: "Absolutely." The Colts did not apply the franchise tag to the heart and soul of their defense. Brackett has expressed a desire to retire a Colt, and said his agent, Brian Mackler, was currently in talks with the team in hopes of coming to terms on a deal. But if an agreement isn't reached by the March 5 deadline, "then I'm free and we'll see what happens," Brackett said. Brackett indicated yesterday he would ..."
Colts to make O-line changes
Comment
February 26
Indianapolis Star
 
"Change is imminent for one of the NFL's most efficient and prolific offenses. The Indianapolis Colts offensive line lost its longtime leader with the retirement of senior offensive line coach Howard Mudd. So, what now? And will any of the prospects in town for the annual NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium figure into the equation? Although the team has made no announcement and not made coach Jim Caldwell available to the local media since its Feb. 7 loss to New Orleans in Super Bowl XLIV, it's believed assistant Pete Metzelaars will succeed Mudd. That might be just the beginning of an offseason of transformation rather than a minor tweaking. Team president Bill Polian was critical ..."
Colts decide to pass on 'tagging' Brackett
Comment
February 26
Indianapolis Star
 
"As expected, it will take a long-term contract for the Indianapolis Colts to keep linebacker Gary Brackett off the free agent market. The deadline for using the franchise or transition tags passed Thursday. Brian Mackler, Brackett's agent, said Thursday he and the team still were trying to work out a new deal before the start of free agency March 5. The idea of "tagging'' Brackett never was attractive to the Colts. That would have meant a one-year contract of either $9.68 million as a franchise player or $8.373 million as a transition player. Brackett, 29, has been a defensive mainstay since 2005, starting 72 regular-season games."
No arguing with Colts over draft
Comment
February 25
Indianapolis Star
 
"If you thought Super Bowl XLIV was unsettling, Indianapolis Colts fans, imagine this: » Wide receiver Austin Collie catching passes from Tom Brady in New England. » Cornerback Jerraud Powers bolstering Atlanta's secondary. » Cornerback Jacob Lacey suiting up with, gulp, New Orleans, the team that knocked off the Colts 31-17 for the NFL title Feb. 7. No, Colts president Bill Polian didn't trade those three talented rookies. But that's how the players should have been selected in the first round, according to a Canadian fan's Great Blue North Draft Report Web site, which includes a 2009 draft redux based on "if teams knew then what they know now!" "We're just having a little fun with it," ..."
Colts not likely to 'tag' Brackett
Comment
February 25
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Colts continue to discuss a new contract for Gary Brackett but aren't likely to use the franchise tag to retain their starting linebacker and defensive captain, team president Bill Polian told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Brackett becomes an unrestricted free agent March 5. The deadline for a team to use a one-year "tag'' is Friday."
Gary Brackett Wants To Stay In Indianapolis
Comment
February 22
SportingNews.com
 
"Colts middle linebacker Gary Brackett, one of a handful of players who could generate a lot of interest as an unrestricted free agent when the market opens March 5, wants to stay in Indianapolis. The team would like to re-sign him and the two sides have been talking, The Indianapolis Star reported. In the past, the Colts have often treated linebackers like replaceable parts, allowing them to leave in free agency. But Brackett, 29, is a key leader who continues to be productive."
Colts, Brackett continue to talk
Comment
February 21
Indianapolis Star
 
"March 5 is slipping nearer and with it impending unrestricted free agency for Gary Brackett, but the Indianapolis Colts linebacker's agent, Brian Mackler, and Colts president Bill Polian are speaking. "Gary has expressed his great desire to retire a Colt," Mackler said Friday. "I'm going to do my best to honor his wishes and Bill and I are going to continue to talk." Brackett is a seven-year veteran and the Colts' defensive captain and signal caller, but the Colts historically haven't paid top money to keep their linebackers. Mike Peterson, Marcus Washington, David Thornton and Cato June have left as free agents since 2003."
Colts' season tarnished, but legacy strong due to Bill Polian
Comment
February 20
USA Today
 
"The Indianapolis Colts hoped to finish with a flourish and create a "Team of the Decade" debate by handling the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, which would've been their second title in four years.They instead bowed to New Orleans 31-17, leaving the decade's superlatives to the three-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the partying to Bourbon Street. Despite that failure, Indianapolis achieved extraordinary accomplishments over the last 10 years. The Colts boast an NFL-best eight consecutive playoff berths; they won more regular-season games than anyone else in any decade (115); and they smashed New England's record for consecutive regular-season victories with 23 ..."
Colts, Brackett continue to talk
Comment
February 20
Indianapolis Star
 
"March 5 is slipping nearer and with it impending unrestricted free agency for Gary Brackett, but the Indianapolis Colts linebacker's agent, Brian Mackler, and Colts president Bill Polian are speaking. "Gary has expressed his great desire to retire a Colt," Mackler said Friday. "I'm going to do my best to honor his wishes and Bill and I are going to continue to talk." Brackett is a seven-year veteran and the Colts' defensive captain and signal caller, but the Colts historically haven't paid top money to keep their linebackers. Mike Peterson, Marcus Washington, David Thornton and Cato June have left as free agents since 2003. Brackett signed a four-year, $10.1 million contract in 2006 that ..."
Bullitt gives AFC title ring to father
Comment
February 18
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indianapolis Colts safety Melvin Bullitt doesn't want to look at his AFC Championship Game ring and constantly be reminded of the more impressive jewelry he didn't win. So rather than dwell on a Super Bowl XLIV loss to New Orleans on Feb. 7, the third-year pro is giving the AFC ring to his father, Jerry. "I decided that after we lost," Bullitt said Wednesday, in reference to the 31-17 defeat in Miami. "It was really more about how I don't want to accept the fact we didn't reach our goal. "Each day, it eats at me. Every day. It crosses my mind every day." Then he thinks of the 30-17 AFC title game triumph over the New York Jets, and about his family in the Lucas Oil Stadium stands. "It's a ..."
Owners, players both at fault in labor mess
Comment
February 17
Houston Chronicle
 columnist John McClain
"At this time next year, expect the NFL to be in panic mode. The NFL Players Association and Management Council will be locked behind closed doors trying to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement and avoid a lockout that would begin in March. There won't be a salary cap when free agency begins March 5 of this year. There's a good chance that in 2011, a season will be interrupted for the first time since the players strike in 1987. Locking out the players in March seems foolish because players don't get paid game checks until the season starts in September. Maybe I'm missing something, but the only ones who'll get hurt in March, April, May, June, July and August are the employees ..."
Colts sign 6 players
Comment
February 16
Indianapolis Star
 
"The Indianapolis Colts signed six free agents to futures contracts. They are quarterback Drew Willy, offensive tackle Jaimie Thomas, wide receivers John Matthews and Taj Smith, cornerback Terrail Lambert and linebacker Brandon Renkart."
Colts' past does matter, and that's a good thing
Comment
February 14
Indianapolis Star
 
"When Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian doesn't feel like addressing a question about the past -- like Friday, when he didn't want to linger on the team's Super Bowl performance -- he likes to roll out a famous quotation from Shakespeare's "The Tempest.'' "What's past is prologue,'' he says over and over again, whether on his radio show or during a strangely combative media gathering late Friday afternoon. What he's trying to say, I'm assuming, is that the past is in the rearview mirror, that what's done is done, what has passed has passed and that's all she wrote. Except that what that quote really means is that the past informs and affects the present and the future. What happened ..."
Goodell Receives Extension Through '15
Comment
February 13
Sports Business Daily
 
"The NFL has added 3 1/2 years to Commissioner Roger Goodell's contract, SportsBusiness Journal has learned, extending the deal through March 1, 2015. His initial five-year deal was scheduled to expire September 1, 2011. Goodell is taking no increases in his base pay, a move designed to send a message that the league is willing to tighten its belt in light of its battle with the NFLPA over how much players are paid, and after a recent round of cutbacks at league headquarters. The extension was approved unanimously by NFL owners at a meeting in Dallas in mid-December, but the league only publicly disclosed it today. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009, Goodell earned $2.9M in base pay ..."
Polian proud of his team's 'very, very memorable season'
Comment
February 13
Indianapolis Star
 
"The team's president met with the local media Friday evening, less than a week after the 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. Polian made it clear he considered the journey a success even though the ultimate objective -- another Lombardi Trophy -- went unfulfilled. "This was by any measure a great season,'' he said. "Most of the people, if you had told them on Aug. 1 that we would lose Bob Sanders, Adam Vinatieri, Anthony Gonzalez, Tyjuan Hagler and Jim Sorgi for all or significant parts of the season yet finish 16-3 and reach the Super Bowl, would have said 'We'll take that in a heartbeat.' "Through lots of trials and tribulation and strife, we were able to, through ..."
Colts' Polian: Losing Super Bowl didn't diminish 'memorable season'
Comment
February 13
Indianapolis Star
 
"Losing the last game of the season, the biggest game of the season, didn't diminish an otherwise "memorable season'' for the Indianapolis Colts, according to Bill Polian. In a season-ending press conference with the local media this evening, the team's president insisted the 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints "does not in anyway diminish the great job that everybody did here, including the fans who stayed with us through a difficult period and really gave us the push we needed during the playoffs.'' Polian, who was critical of the play of the offensive line and special teams in last Sunday's Super Bowl, declined to discuss the loss to the Saints. "I tell the players quite often when I ..."
Colts need only modest tweaking
Comment
February 12
Indianapolis Star
 
"Oddsmakers have wasted no time turning the page on the 2009 NFL season. Looking ahead to 2010, they already have established the Indianapolis Colts, who lost Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 to the New Orleans Saints, as early favorites to reach Super Bowl XLV in Arlington, Texas. The reasoning is sound. The Colts' starting Super Bowl squad should return intact, although that requires a new contract for middle linebacker and defensive captain Gary Brackett. Moreover, safety Bob Sanders, wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez and linebacker Tyjuan Hagler are on pace to make full recoveries from season-ending injuries. But tying the Dallas Cowboys' record with a ninth consecutive playoff berth won't be easy. ..."
The Rams have been purchased by businessman Shahid Khan
Comment
February 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The 1-15 St. Louis Rams are headed for new ownership. Owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez "have entered into a signed agreement to sell the team to Shahid Khan," according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. NFL owners must approve the sale. Khan is the 55-year-old president of Flex-N-Gate Corp., which is an auto-parts manufacturer located in Urbana, Illinois. The company reportedly has $2 billion in annual revenue."
Colts GM Polian Blames O-Line, Special Teams, for Superbowl Loss
Comment
February 11
ESPN.com
 
"Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian is pointing fingers after his team's 31-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. The offensive line and special teams are to blame for the loss, Polian told the Colts' Web site on Wednesday. "Our offensive line, by our standards, did not have a good game," Polian told NFL.com. "They were outplayed by the Saints' defensive line. Our special teams, in terms of handing the ball -- both in the return game and on the onside kick -- were outplayed by the Saints. Therein lies the result. It had nothing to do with strategy or preparedness or toughness or effort." The Colts' offensive line has been criticized after a playoff loss in the past. ..."
With just one Super win, Colts face big rebound effort in 2010
Comment
February 11
USA Today
 columnist Nate Davis
"NFL teams are typically loathe to linger on past performances and accolades, particularly as they transition from a completed season to the challenges that lie ahead.In the case of the Indianapolis Colts, they are charged with moving on from a season that fell one half short of a Super Bowl XLIV title. In the broader sense, they exit a 10-year era that saw them reach the playoffs nine times while winning 115 regular-season games - the most any team has ever won in a single decade - and run off a record 23 in a row spanning the 2008 and 2009 campaigns. Quarterback Peyton Manning won an unprecedented four league MVP awards and another in Super Bowl XLI, the franchise's first championship ..."
Are the Dolphins close to Saints, Colts? No!
Comment
February 11
Miami Herald
 columnist Armando Salguero
"In the aftermath of Super Bowl XLIV, I cannot tell you how many times I've heard this phrase: The Dolphins aren't that far off from winning a Super Bowl. They played both New Orleans and Indianapolis well and should have beaten them. So they're close. The logic apparently follows that since the Dolphins lost to Indianapolis 27-23 the second week of the season, then lost to New Orleans 46-34 on Oct. 25th, Miami is close to being pretty good because those two teams are obviously championship caliber. And it's not just fans seeing the Dolphins through this prism. "I think we're close," Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown said on his Ronnie Brown radio show on 560-WQAM this week. "I think we ..."
Stanford hires Polian's son
Comment
February 11
Indianapolis Star
 
"Brian Polian, the son of Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian, will take over as special teams coordinator at Stanford. He coached special teams the past five years for Notre Dame. Coach Jim Harbaugh also announced the hiring of Randy Hart as defensive line coach and former NFL assistant Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. Hart had served as defensive line coach at Washington for 21 years before holding the same job at Notre Dame last season."