ANDERSON — Ryan Grigson, the Indianapolis Colts first-year general manager, admits to having more than a few butterflies as the Colts wrap up preparations for the team’s preseason opener with the St. Louis Rams. Grigson, who has spent the last nine years serving in a variety of front-office and scouting positions with the Philadelphia Eagles, will be watching his own team take the field for the first time Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. Hired as the Colts’ general manager on Jan. 11, replacing Bill and Chris Polian, Grigson is one of several new faces in the team's front office and on the coaching staff. “It’s excitement. There’s always the fear of the unknown, so to speak,” he admitted Friday. “I feel confident that, at this point, I know that we’ll come out and play hard. “I have butterflies. I’m not going to lie. We’ve come such a long way in this whole process. To actually see the product on the field against another team, a different color jersey, is exciting. I can’t fake that.” There’s been a near complete culture change in Indianapolis since Grigson took over the reins of the franchise seven months ago. Longtime veterans, such as quarterback Peyton Manning and tight end Dallas Clark, have moved on to Denver and Tampa Bay, respectively. Former head coach Jim Caldwell is now the Baltimore Ravens’ quarterbacks coach. Chuck Pagano, the Ravens’ ex-defensive coordinator, is now the Colts head coach. With Manning moving on, Indianapolis selected former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first pick in last April’s National Football League draft. And that wasn’t the only change. There are approximately 50 players on the Colts’ training camp roster who weren’t with the team at the end of the 2011 season. Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay gave Grigson the responsibility of rebuilding a franchise that had made 10 straight post-season appearances under Bill Polian’s guidance. The Colts, however, suffered a dramatic slip last year as the team finished with a 2-14 record. That mark tied the Rams for the league’s worst. “I’m not really following anybody’s template [in restructuring the team]. I’m really just kind of keeping it simple. I will always explore anything that makes us better,” Grigson said. “And I think my actions speak to that. We need to keep doing that. Again, my job is to build this team with the help of my staff and the imput of my coaches. And that’s what I intend to do.” The Colts’ revival depends largely on the maturation of Luck, who has been impressive during the first two weeks of training camp. “He really is what we thought he was. We just have to get him in front of some other folks and see how he responds,” Grigson said. “The one thing that you can tell from his body language, from how he reacts on the field, from how he does things, he’s his harshest critic. Nobody is going to able to push his buttons as hard as he pushes his own buttons. That’s evidence that he wants to be great. He wants to make every completion. He wants to complete every pass. And that’s good to see.” The focus now is on this weekend’s game with the Rams. Indianapolis’ first-team offense is tentatively scheduled to be on the field for 20 to 25 plays, although offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has hinted that could change. “I’m so looking towards Sunday, just to see everybody come together and do things. The offensive line. The defensive line. See how they play and see how we do against the run. There’s a lot of little things in the back of my mind,” Grigson said. “I’m looking forward to see. But it’s still brand new. It’s just a blank piece of paper and we’re just filling every line in as we go here day by day.” Redding update -- Defensive end Cory Redding did not practice Friday and will be a game-time decision for Sunday's game with St. Louis. Redding hurt his left elbow during Thursday's workout in Indianapolis. He wore a wrap on the elbow Friday. "Cory is probably right now a game-time decision. His results came back positive on the elbow, so we held him out again [Friday]. We'll wait and see how he feels [today] and then make a game-time decision on him," Pagano said. The coach's designation of positive was a bit confusing, so he elaborated. "Any time there's a plus, when it's a positive, that's good. When that MRI comes back and there's nothing structurally wrong, then it's always positive," he said, reiterating that there was no structural damage to Redding's elbow. Ricardo Mathews, a seventh-round draft pick in 2010, is expected to start in Redding's place Sunday. Chapman, Ijalana -- Grigson offered a few comments Friday on the status of rookie nose tackle Josh Chapman and second-year offensive guard Ben Ijalana. Chapman suffered a knee injury as a senior at Alabama last season but played out the year. He underwent surgery in January and has yet to take part in a practice with the Colts. He was a fifth-round pick in April. “He’s a tough one because he works so hard. He’s so determined, and I don’t think there’s a player in the NFL that is hurting more that he’s not on the field," the general manager said. "This is a true football guy. He’s a true competitor. He works his tail off day in and day out. To me, he’s such a determined guy. He’ll be out there probably sooner than later.” Ijalana, meanwhile, missed most of his rookie season last year with a knee injury. He also underwent two hip surgeries in the offseason. A second-round pick last year, he re-injured the knee during a non-contact drill the first few days of this year's training camp. “Ben was a great athlete. It’s a tremendous loss for the organization. We’re going to get him through this rehab here and hopefully we’re still in the infancy of his whole deal," Grigson said. "But it’s really unfortunate. I talk with him and hope that he maintains a positive attitude and does his rehab. Hopefully he gets back out on the field at some point.” Today's schedule -- The Colts will have a short workout this morning to go over a few last-minute details prior to the St. Louis game, which has been declared a sellout. It will be televised locally and on affiliated stations around the state. "The day before a game, you come in and review everything from [Friday's] practice. Watch the tape and then we'll come out and do a dry run on pre-game routine. We haven't done any of that stuff yet," Pagano explained. "We'll have a walkthrough on that so when we get to stadium [Sunday] it will actually look like we know what we're doing. We'll have a dry run and then we'll do a mock game to run through a lot of situations. The last tune up. And then we'll play [on Sunday]."
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.
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Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
The Indianapolis Colts welcomed 37 players to the start of the team’s rookie mini camp Friday at the West 56th Street headquarters.
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway. -
Werner at top of game
Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.
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Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6-foot-3, 266-pound defensive lineman can also play left outside linebacker.
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Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available. -
Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft
The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2013 NFL Draft with some definite plans.
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Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14
Veteran defensive end Cory Redding is a big fan — literally and figuratively — of Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
Redding, who has become one of the Colts’ lockerroom leaders after just one season with the team, thinks he has some reasonable expectations of Indianapolis’ former No. 1 draft pick. -
Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck
Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft. -
Colts sign nose tackle
Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012). -
Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
“We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.” -
Colts likely done signing free agents, for now
With the possible exception of adding a few lesser-priced players, the Indianapolis Colts’ big-time foray into the veteran free-agent marketplace is pretty much done.
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Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit
After adding five veteran free agent players to the Indianapolis Colts roster on Tuesday, general manager Ryan Grigson plucked two more plums late Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit. -
Colts introduce free-agent signees
What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
“I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media. -
Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts were a busy team on the opening day of the National Football League’s veteran free agent market, which got underway at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards. -
Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt
The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.
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Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday
Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will make his retirement from the National Football League official on Thursday.
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Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
“He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks. -
Colts GM enjoying time at combine
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson makes no bones about it. He enjoys watching prospective football players strut their stuff.
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Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft
According to most National Football League draft observers, this year’s crop of prospects is deep with quality offensive and defensive linemen.
Among the offensive line candidates who have been showcasing their talents at the National Football Scouting Combine, which began in earnest Thursday and wraps up on Tuesday, the spotlight has been on the offensive tackles. Offensive left tackles in particular. -
Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. -
Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round. -
Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts
The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.
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Colts’ new offensive coordinator will offer variety
Quarterback Andrew Luck running the Pistol offense? Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton lining up in the Wildcat?
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Colts moving on to the off season
Moving on. That’s the immediate plans for the Indianapolis Colts as they head into the off season.
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Baltimore ends Indy’s playoff run early
The Baltimore Ravens want one long final ride for Ray Lewis. Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Colts, they now face a more imposing challenge.
Next up, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. -
Switching sides: Colts-Ravens matchup includes old friends on new teams
Just as Baltimore Ravens players and coaches will be seeing some old friends returning to M&T Bank Stadium today, several Indianapolis Colts veterans will also have an opportunity to renew acquaintances with a familiar face.
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Pagano prepares Colts for tough crowd in Baltimore
As a former resident of Baltimore, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano knows all about the hard feelings that still run strong about the move of the Colts franchise to Indianapolis in 1984.
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Pagano marvels at Colt’s progress
In the minutes after last Sunday’s win over AFC South champion Houston, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano marveled at how the 2012 season has progressed for his team.
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