New Era, the official on-field headwear of the National Football League, is teaming up with the NFL to launch the Back to Football Photo Day contest. So what this means is that Coltsfans will now have the chance to join the ranks of Andrew Luck to also become THE face of the Colts.
The contest, which is live atwww.speakwithyourcap.comor through New Era’s Facebook page(https://www.facebook.com/neweracaps?fref=ts) will require Colts faithfuls tosubmit photos of themselves showcasing how you personally “speak with your cap.” Whether you wear your cap sideways, backwards or flexed at the brim, show how you are bringing your own style to the game.
32 fans (1 per team) will ultimately be chosen and win a complimentary trip to New York City for two. The winners will enjoy a four-day VIP experience and will be professionally styled in their favorite team’s looks for a New Era photo shoot that may be used for a year-long advertisement and promotional campaign.
The Colts were looking to boost the defense with their first pick of the NFL Draft, and did so with the selection of Florida St. DE Bjorn Werner.
Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Werner enjoyed American football growing up and joined a club team before moving to the United States as a high school exchange student, playing two seasons and emerging as a top recruit.
He has developed his football knowledge and technique substantially the past five years, flashing a top football IQ and instincts. Werner has the frame and athleticism to win with flashes of speed or power, although he needs to improve his motor for all four quarters.
He has proven to be much more than just a pass rusher, showing much better awareness against the run and at the line of scrimmage to swat passes down. He’s has the potential to be an impact starting strong-side DE in a four-man front.
Jim Irsay is in Phoenix for the NFL owners meetings, and he got the Twitter-following portion of his fan base worked up late Saturday, Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star reports.
This much is clear, unless Irsay is just flat-out yanking everyone’s chain: a wide receiver is about to be added to the roster.
After revealing the team had been working on a deal to add yet another player to the roster, he narrowed it down.
“Colt Fans,hint—–it’s a Wide Receiver!!,’’ Irsay wrote.
Yep, narrowed it down.
Of course, all that did was further stoke the speculation.
The New York Giants’ Victor Cruz? Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald? Miami’s Davone Bess? Seattle’s Doug Baldwin?
Let’s continue to speculate. Baldwin lacks the pizzazz of Fitzgerald and Cruz, even Bess. But there are dots to connect. The Seahawks signed him as an undrafted rookie in 2011. That’s after he played at Stanford with Andrew Luck and for Pep Hamilton.
But something’s up. Here’s Irsay’s tweet that got things hoppin’: “ColtFans, we already past the cap cash wise/ we’re working on a deal, 1 we’ve been workin on for 5 days/ we’re very,very close 2 making it work.’’
Longtime Colts center Jeff Saturday returned to the organization for one day Thursday to hold a presser to announce his retirement.
Saturday played 13 seasons with the Colts before one season with the Packers in 2012.
“The years I spent with the Colts were truly remarkable and I am honored to be able to retire as a member of one of the classiest organizations in the NFL,” Saturday said in a statement on Tuesday. “I also want to thank Green Bay for the opportunity to compete as a member of the Packers last season. During my time in Indianapolis, I made tremendous relationships with numerous teammates, coaches and staff within the organization.”
Saturday won a Super Bowl with the Colts in the 2006-07 season. He joined the Packers on a two-year deal in 2012.
In an interview with ESPN on Monday, Saturday explained why retiring as a member of the Colts meant so much to him.
“We watched that city evolve from a basketball and racing town to truly a football town,” Saturday said of his tenure with the Indianapolis.
And in explaining how that conference-swapping snap came to be at the Pro Bowl, Saturday said simply, “[Peyton's] got a lot more pull than I do.”
Dwight Freeney expected to receive an offer from the Colts and finish his career in Indianapolis, Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star reports.
“I’ll be honest with you, I was surprised the way it happened,” Freeney said in a telephone interview today with the Indianapolis Star. “I figured they would offer me something low and I would just accept it, go the last few years and retire a Colt and that would be it.
That didn’t happen.”
Freeney was out of town and informed of the team’s decision in a conference call with owner Jim Irsay, general manager Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano.
He admitted he was disappointed by their news.
“I won’t say there’s bitterness because I understand the business side of it,” said Freeney, who turned 33 Tuesday. “Jim took a chance on me and I have to be grateful for that. I’ve had a long career in Indy, longer than most people in one place.
“I just thought they would offer me something, but they didn’t. So I guess I’m a little disappointed.”
+Explodes out of stance and across the line of scrimmage, is able to catch the OT often before he is set
+Coils in his stance prior to the snap
+Shows a lot of balance in his rush, is able to rush with speed and power without getting out of control
+Generates a lot of power out of his leg drive
+Stays low out of his stance and gains leverage on contact
+First step is among the quickest I’ve seen all year
+Well-built athlete with long arms and filled out frame
+Closes on the QB like a freight train, like a bull seeing red he finds another gear and erases the distance
-Not a freak physical athlete like a Dion Jordan
-Top end speed is only just above average
-Straight line pass rusher who looks stiff in the hips
Moore is the best pass rusher in this class, in fact you know what I’ll take that one step further he’s the best defender in this draft class. No he’s not a freak athlete like Clowney, Mingo, or J. Jones. Nor is he a tackling machine like some of the best LB’s in the country, but what Moore did this year was special.
He moved down from the 34 OLB spot to the 43 DE spot which most people probably think is easy given how much we easily interchange those positions when it comes to players but it wasn’t just about Moore changing positions. It was how he changed his game, he went from a pass rush OLB to a DE who was the complete package. A force to be reckon with when trying to either run or pass along. All year long teams struggled to figure out how to block Moore.
Moore had only three games all year where he didn’t register a sack and only two games where he didn’t register a tackle for loss. In both of those games Moore was yanked early in the 2nd half due to blowouts. Moore has everything you want in a DE prospect; size, speed, power, and technical ability.
Moore is a very gifted athlete who may transition better as a outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive system rather than a traditional defensive end. His ability to stack at the point of attack against the run while also providing edge pressure as a pass rusher would be an ideal fit as a stand up outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. He has played the position at Texas A&M and had some success early in his career posting 40 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles in his freshman season.
He had a tremendous 2012 season statistically playing the defensive end position racking up 80 tackles, 12.5 sacks, and 20 tackles for a loss playing in the Southeastern Conference. The 80 overall tackles and 20 tackles for a loss was very impressive to me. It shows he is very solid pursuing the run and has a knack for getting into the backfield and making plays. Moore is definitely a solid first round prospect and if he gets into the right system he could be a consistent playmaker.
The 6’4″, 250-pound athletic freak of nature led the Aggies in solo tackles (54), total tackles (80), tackles for loss (20.0) and sacks (12.5). Those last two numbers were good enough to rank him in the top five in the entire country.
Moore, who recorded 24.0 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks during his first two seasons in College Station, didn’t enter the year with much buzz. But after establishing himself as one of the most feared, versatile and unblockable defensive players in the nation, the buzz surrounding the junior couldn’t be, um, buzzier.
Von Miller was the last great defensive end from Texas A&M and Damontre Moore is ready to follow in his footsteps.
Moore, a 6’4″, 250-pound speed demon, had a terrific season this year. He had 12.5 sacks and was consistently in the opposing backfield.
Moore had big games against quality competition, including three sacks against Florida.
He’s the next great defensive end and should be a top-five pick. Many teams will be interested in his services and whoever gets him will be better off for it.
“Sadly, Dwight and Horseshoe parting ways,” team owner Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter after the team confirmed the moves.
Last year, the Colts released four-time MVP Peyton Manning in early March. A few days later, they cut running back Joseph Addai, linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Melvin Bullitt and tight end Dallas Clark.
Right tackle Ryan Diem retired and a handful of players including receiver Pierre Garcon and center Jeff Saturday left in free agency. It looked like the Colts might also lose Pro Bowlers Robert Mathis and Reggie Wayne, too, but Indy re-signed both players and both again made the Pro Bowl team in 2012.
Freeney turns 33 next week, has seen his sacks totals decline each of the past three years, counted more than $17 million against the cap last season.
“Few people have meant as much to the success of the Indianapolis Colts as Dwight Freeney,” Irsay said in a statement. “He has been a dominant player, which is all the more impressive considering his size for his position, and he has won a lot of games for this franchise. Dwight was an artist, a joy to watch, and the dedication he put toward his craft was a rare quality. We will miss him, but look forward to his future induction into the Hall of Fame and Colts Ring of Honor.”
May 15th, 2013 
Matt Loede 
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