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HOT TOPIC
With one key defensive performer now signed, the Indianapolis Colts will now turn their attention to perhaps the best player on the team's improving defensive unit.
Defensive end Robert Mathis officially inked a six-year, $30 million contract with the team last week, a deal that included a $12 million guarantee along with an $8.1 million signing bonus and a $3.9 roster bonus that is due next March.
The contract, which ties Mathis to the Colts until the 2011 season, also included non-guaranteed roster bonuses of $2 million in 2008 and 2009 as well as $1 million in 2010 and 2011. He is scheduled to earn $18.5 million over the initial three years of the deal.
The Colts' decision to get Mathis' deal done first simply sets the stage for what will happen next with Freeney. He is expected to become the highest paid defensive player in the league when a deal is finally worked out.
Once known solely as a pass rushing specialist, Mathis will now get a chance to be a full-time starter in 2006. The Colts are expected to move former defensive end Raheem Brock inside to tackle, where he would start along side veteran tackle Montae Reagor.
With Brock sliding inside, where he would split playing time with Corey Simon, the smallish (6-foot-2, 235 pounds) Mathis becomes an every-down player for Indianapolis. He recorded 10.5 sacks as a rookie in 2004 and had 11.5 sacks last year, along with forcing 14 fumbles the last two seasons.
In 45 games, Mathis has 86 career tackles, 25.5 sacks, 17 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and six passes broken up.
Next up will be defensive end Dwight Freeney, whose contract expires after the upcoming season.
There's little to no chance the Colts will allow Freeney - who has become the face of the Indianapolis defense - to move on, which means that either a new deal will get done or the team will simply opt to franchise him. But make no mistake about it -- Freeney isn't expected to go anywhere.
PLAYER NOTES
--DE Robert Mathis is the fourth player to be locked up with a long-term contract this offseason.
Previously, WR Reggie Wayne signed a six-year, $39 million contract that included a $12.5 million signing bonus, DT Raheem Brock signed a five-year, $23.6 million contract that included an $8 million signing bonus and LB Gary Brackett signed a four-year, $10.1 million deal that included a $2.7 million signing bonus.
--Colts coach Tony Dungy figures all hands will be on deck when the team reports for training camp at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. Camp is slated to begin July 30.
"I think we'll have everybody opening day," Dungy said. "I'm hoping opening day of training camp, but even if that's not the case, I don't think there's anything on the table that our doctors think could linger. Some guys may be limited to some one-a-day work, but for the most part there's no one who our doctors have said, 'I don't think you can plan on that guy for the opener.'"
--While the Indianapolis Colts are set to report July 30 for their eighth consecutive training camp at Rose-Hulman, it wouldn't surprise too many people if the Indianapolis Colts ended up hosting their own camp sometime in the not too distant future.
"I like the camp environment myself," Dungy said. "I like going slightly away and having the guys the whole time. I know it's a little bit of a pain for guys not get to go home and that type of thing. But I do think there's an element of preparing and sacrificing a little bit. I do think there's a little concentration factor when you are out on your own and all together. So I'm probably old school in that I'm a little partial to the camp."
That being said, the Colts coach can see a time when moving training camp back to Indianapolis is a distinct possibility.
"I do. Yeah, I think it'll come. Logistically, it's probably easier. Financially, I'm sure it's better to do," he said. "Our facility, we're gonna have improvements. They'll be a time when it will probably be easier to do here. I don't know if I'll like that, necessarily, but I see it coming."
--The end of summer school workouts gives the Colts' coaching staff and player personnel scouts, many of who have not had much of a real break since the start of training camp last year, an opportunity to catch their collective breaths.
"I encourage the coaches to get away from it totally," Dungy said. "We've had some guys who have done a lot of work from right after the (2005) season was over, looking at what we did last year, leading up to the draft, all the preparations for mini-camp and now all our training camp preparations have been done.
"So you've worked, not in-season hours, but you've worked good hours and then you're coming up to a period of time where you're going to work hopefully about 29 or 30 weeks in a row. So they need to get away from it. Most of them do."
--The Indianapolis Colts sold out every one of their 2006 home games through season-ticket sales. The season-ticket sellout means the team will not be selling single-game tickets for any of its eight regular-season contests at the RCA Dome this year.
This is the first time the team has sold out with only season-ticket sales since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984.
--The state of Indiana recently created an Indianapolis Colts series of license plates, which were released earlier this year. So far, more than 6,134 have been sold, with part of the proceeds going to help fund the team's new stadium.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
The Colts traded S Gerome Sapp to Baltimore for a conditional pick in the 2007 draft. The trade returns Sapp, 25, a product of Notre Dame, to the team that selected him in the sixth round of the 2003 draft. The Colts claimed Sapp off waivers in 2004. He appeared in 29 games the past two seasons and developed into one of the team's top special teams contributors.
FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.
TRANSITION PLAYER: None.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
--LB Rocky Calmus (not tendered June 1).
--S Joseph Jefferson (not tendered June 1).
--OT Kurt Vollers (not tendered June 1).
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS
--LB Keith O'Neil proved to be a pretty good special teams performer last year after arriving from Dallas. Was sidelined with a shoulder injury midway through the year.
--LB Keyon Whiteside is recovering from a serious knee injury that has curtailed his career the last two seasons. Has shown some upside when able to practice.
PLAYERS RE-SIGNED
--LB Gary Brackett: Potential RFA; $10M/4 yrs, $3.5M guaranteed.
--DE Raheem Brock: Potential UFA; terms unknown.
--OT Makoa Freitas: RFA; $721,600/1 yr.
--LB Cato June: RFA; $1.573M/1 yr.
--OG Ryan Lilja: ERFA; $385,000/1 yr.
--DE Robert Mathis: RFA; $2.097M/1 yr.
--WR Aaron Moorehead: RFA; terms unknown, had been tendered at $721,600.
--LB Rob Morris: UFA; terms unknown.
--RB James Mungro: UFA; $585,000/1 yr.
--TE Ben Utecht: ERFA; $350,000/1 yr.
--WR Reggie Wayne: Potential UFA; $36M/6 yrs, $12.5M SB; 2006 cap: $4.68M.
PLAYERS ACQUIRED
--QB Shaun King: FA; $585,000/1 yr.
--PK Adam Vinatieri: UFA Patriots; $12.5M/5 yrs, $3.5M SB.
--WR Terrence Wilkins: FA; $585,000/1 yr.
PLAYERS LOST
--QB Josh Brown (released).
--PK Jose Cortez (released; had been re-signed as UFA).
--OT Joaquin Gonzalez (released).
--RB Edgerrin James: UFA Cardinals; $30M/4 yrs, $7M SB/$4.5 RB.
--WR Brad Pyatt: Not tendered as RFA/Rams; $432,500/1 yr, $7,500 SB).
--S Gerome Sapp: Traded Ravens.
--LB David Thornton: UFA Titans; $22M/5 yrs, $8.5M SB.
--DT Larry Tripplett: UFA Bills; $18M/5 yrs, $5.5M SB.
--PK Mike Vanderjagt: UFA Cowboys; $5.5M/3 yrs, $2.5M SB.
--WR Troy Walters: UFA Cardinals; terms unknown.
--DT Josh Williams (released).
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