Colts LBs (1 Viewer)

[Bob Magaw]

somewhat surprisingly to me, keiaho AND hagler weren't signed to even minimum tenders... i suppose this shouldn't come as TOO big a surprise given how the colts traditionally don't value LBs much in the cover two system during the dungy tenure... looks like given how they have architected the salary cap, they are locked into a similar method even in the post-dungy era... they have let mike peterson, david thornton & cato june all walk, getting nothing for them, & looks like more of the same with keiaho... brackett has been a UFA gem & was i think recent reupped... of course, the colts hands are somewhat tied... along with so much invested in manning, wayne & (now dead money) harrison, dwight freeney & bob sanders are among the highest paid defenders in the NFL (if not THE highest) at their respective positions, & CB kelvin hayden just commanded a fairly steep contract... plus saturday was just retained, which wasn't a given... still, the colts elected to not even tender a $1 mil a year contract to retain keiaho's (or recoup a draft pick if another team matched it)... maybe it was a performance-related dis (which it clearly wasn't with his predecessors, but than keiaho didn't play at as high a level), or a combination of issues, as the colts seem to have the institutionalized mentality they can go to the nearest bus stop & find a few prospects they can plug into the WLB position?

who is the early favorite to start... wheeler can play any position in their defense... sessions has flashed promise... or maybe it will be somebody not currently on the roster... they might attract a FA, but certainly not a high profile one, for aforementioned cap constraint reasons... maybe plug in a draft pick?

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090227/S.../902270420/1100

Colts say bye to linebackers Keiaho, Hagler

By Mike Chappell

Posted: February 27, 2009

The Indianapolis Colts face the prospect of retooling at linebacker after deciding not to offer contracts to Freddy Keiaho and Tyjuan Hagler.

The decision came Thursday, the same day the team retained center Jeff Saturday with a three-year contract reportedly worth more than $13 million.

Keiaho, a third-round draft pick in 2006, started 25 regular-season games the past two seasons. He started 14 games on the weak side in 2008 and finished second on the team with 114 tackles.

The Colts would have had to offer Keiaho, a restricted free agent, at least a one-year contract worth $1 million. That would have allowed him to sign an offer sheet with another team, but in that event the Colts could either have matched the offer or gotten a third-round draft in compensation from Keiaho's new team.

Hagler, a 2005 fifth-round draft pick, is an unrestricted free agent. He started 10 games during four injury-plagued seasons, and had 13 tackles in three starts last season.

With Keiaho and Hagler gone, the team features only two linebackers with meaningful playing time. Gary Brackett has started 59 regular-season games and Clint Session 16, with 15 coming last season.

Buster Davis started one game in 2008 when Brackett was out with an injury. Other linebackers on the roster are Phillip Wheeler, Jordan Senn, Rufus Alexander and Michael Okwo.

The Colts also announced they offered exclusive-rights contracts to Davis, running back Lance Ball and defensive tackle Daniel Muir.

Call Star reporter Mike Chappell at (317) 444-6830.

 

[Toads]

somewhat surprisingly to me, keiaho AND hagler weren't signed to even minimum tenders... i suppose this shouldn't come as TOO big a surprise given how the colts traditionally don't value LBs much in the cover two system during the dungy tenure... looks like given how they have architected the salary cap, they are locked into a similar method even in the post-dungy era... they have let mike peterson, david thornton & cato june all walk, getting nothing for them, & looks like more of the same with keiaho... brackett has been a UFA gem & was i think recent reupped... of course, the colts hands are somewhat tied... along with so much invested in manning, wayne & (now dead money) harrison, dwight freeney & bob sanders are among the highest paid defenders in the NFL (if not THE highest) at their respective positions, & CB kelvin hayden just commanded a fairly steep contract... plus saturday was just retained, which wasn't a given... still, the colts elected to not even tender a $1 mil a year contract to retain keiaho's (or recoup a draft pick if another team matched it)... maybe it was a performance-related dis (which it clearly wasn't with his predecessors, but than keiaho didn't play at as high a level), or a combination of issues, as the colts seem to have the institutionalized mentality they can go to the nearest bus stop & find a few prospects they can plug into the WLB position?

who is the early favorite to start... wheeler can play any position in their defense... sessions has flashed promise... or maybe it will be somebody not currently on the roster... they might attract a FA, but certainly not a high profile one, for aforementioned cap constraint reasons... maybe plug in a draft pick?

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090227/S.../902270420/1100

Colts say bye to linebackers Keiaho, Hagler

By Mike Chappell

Posted: February 27, 2009

The Indianapolis Colts face the prospect of retooling at linebacker after deciding not to offer contracts to Freddy Keiaho and Tyjuan Hagler.

The decision came Thursday, the same day the team retained center Jeff Saturday with a three-year contract reportedly worth more than $13 million.

Keiaho, a third-round draft pick in 2006, started 25 regular-season games the past two seasons. He started 14 games on the weak side in 2008 and finished second on the team with 114 tackles.

The Colts would have had to offer Keiaho, a restricted free agent, at least a one-year contract worth $1 million. That would have allowed him to sign an offer sheet with another team, but in that event the Colts could either have matched the offer or gotten a third-round draft in compensation from Keiaho's new team.

Hagler, a 2005 fifth-round draft pick, is an unrestricted free agent. He started 10 games during four injury-plagued seasons, and had 13 tackles in three starts last season.

With Keiaho and Hagler gone, the team features only two linebackers with meaningful playing time. Gary Brackett has started 59 regular-season games and Clint Session 16, with 15 coming last season.

Buster Davis started one game in 2008 when Brackett was out with an injury. Other linebackers on the roster are Phillip Wheeler, Jordan Senn, Rufus Alexander and Michael Okwo.

The Colts also announced they offered exclusive-rights contracts to Davis, running back Lance Ball and defensive tackle Daniel Muir.

Call Star reporter Mike Chappell at (317) 444-6830.

I'd think that it's probably one of both if not two of draft pick.

 

[Larry Thomas]

Maybe they can get Roy Williams cheap and make a will backer out of him. :( If he has a future left in the NFL, a cover-2 will is probably where it's at.

 

[Jene Bramel]

Keiaho isn't a stud talent by any stretch, but he's certainly good enough to warrant a 1 mil tender. Especially on a team that isn't exactly flush with veteran backer prospects. So, this is either a big indictment against his skills or a sign that Larry Coyer wants a different type of OLB, whether they use a lot of Cover-2 or not.

Since a big name FA acquisition seems unlikely given the refusal of a 1 mil tender, it looks like Clint Session in one OLB slot and a free-for-all for the other. Regardless of who plays where, it's the every down backer that could have LB3 value. It seems highly likely that Session is that guy on opening weekend.

And this group of FA is so flush with Keiaho-like players that I'm not sure he'll find a slot anywhere unless a team really likes him -- similar to the Giants' quick pursuit of Michael Boley.

 

[djcolts]

They don't have any depth right now. if the lineup was today, it would pretty much have to be Sessions as WLB, Brackett at MLB and Phillip Wheller at SSLB. Having either Jordan Senn or Buster Davis as a starter is just unacceptable - so they must either like the value in the mid-rounds in this draft at LB or they think someone in FA can come very cheap that can fit.

 

[Bob Magaw]

Maybe they can get Roy Williams cheap and make a will backer out of him. :( If he has a future left in the NFL, a cover-2 will is probably where it's at.

good point, larry... this may not be too far fetched (though williams might want more than IND could pay)...in addition to getting a LB from FA or draft, other possible options could be expanded in remembering the precedent of converting a safety to WLB fairly recently, ala cato june...

 

[DonFue]

They may know they can get Keiaho back for less than $1 million. He isn't very good or durable. Wheeler, Sessions and possibly Keiaho can battle it out for the 2 OLB spots or just plug Wheeler in and draft a rookie so the same scenario can play out next year. The last part has been going on for years in Indy and shouldn't stop now. The defense suffers but its actually genius to have a full LB core playing for $2-3 million every year. Polian knows this team has average revenue and an expensive offense that makes them a contender every year. Getting mid-round picks that start in their second year is better than paying a dime-a-dozen, run-and-chase LB that other teams overpay for.

 

[Larry Thomas]

Maybe they can get Roy Williams cheap and make a will backer out of him. If he has a future left in the NFL, a cover-2 will is probably where it's at.

good point, larry... this may not be too far fetched (though williams might want more than IND could pay)...in addition to getting a LB from FA or draft, other possible options could be expanded in remembering the precedent of converting a safety to WLB fairly recently, ala cato june...

Indy likes to get their backers in the draft. Can't see Williams drawing too much interest as a safety. Dallas is looking to deal him if they can't get any takers he'll surely be released. I beleive I read somewhere Williams was willing to move to LB. (too lazy to find link)Cowboys looking to deal S Williams

The Dallas Cowboys are looking to trade safety Roy Williams, according to a published report.

The Dallas Morning News reported on Thursday that the Cowboys have been checking with teams around the league to determine the veteran safety’s trade value.

The report adds that if Dallas is unable to find a trade partner, it is only a matter of time before it releases the five-time Pro Bowler.

The Cowboys need his cap room with the onset of free agency coming at 12:01 a.m. EST Friday. Cutting Williams, who is scheduled to earn $4.4 million and count $6.6 million against the salary cap, would save Dallas about $2.18 million. Two years remain on the five-year contract extension Williams received in 2006, the Morning News reported.

“I wanted to be known as the best safety to play in Dallas,” Williams told the paper Thursday. “Forget the Pro Bowls. I wanted to win playoff games and play in Super Bowls. If I was to leave without doing that, I’d be unfulfilled, like I should have done more.

“I never envisioned playing for another team. I’ve never been fired or released from a job.”

 

[Bdub]

Anybody got some news on Brackett's recovery? Isn't this his last year as a Colt, still a good situation, but they never resign their LB's when the time comes.

Is this Brackett's last year as a FF LB stud? Pretty much the same as Cato June a few years ago, age, system, etc?

 

[DonFue]

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFL/A.../wwhi030509.htm

Confirmed!

2009 pick to take Session's spot in '10: Tyrone McKenzie

 

[Bdub]

Does anybody know anything about Wheeler, other than he's a 3rd round Polian draft pick? Would he be a good fit in their D at WLB? Could be some real nice IDP potential there.

 

[Larry Thomas]

Does anybody know anything about Wheeler, other than he's a 3rd round Polian draft pick? Would he be a good fit in their D at WLB? Could be some real nice IDP potential there.

Wheeler is probably better suited to play will over sam, but so is Session. Both struggle taking on blocks. Wheeler should have the edge for a 3 down LB role, has better coverage skills. Couple of knocks on Wheeler coming out of GA Tech were his arrogance, and his heart. A player who relied on his God given ability instead of working hard to be all he can.