2010 Colts Free Agents

The 2010 season looks as though it will be uncapped. This will be the first time the NFL will have an uncapped season since 1993. Personaly, I don't like it, but I don't decide these things. Along with an uncapped season comes a bunch of new and confusing rules and regulations reguarding the Free Agency market. Luckily for the Colts, these changes should't have any negative effects. If the Colts play things right, they should actually help the Colts.

The Colts have 2 unrestricted free agents in Gary Brackett and Matt Stover. Gary Brackett is the one the Colts MUST try to keep. Bill Polian has already mentioned that keeping Brackett is a top priority for the Colts. If the Colts can negotiate a deal with Brackett this should be his final contract of his great NFL career. Brackett will retire a Colt and will go down as one of the best to suit up in Blue and White.

There are 3 different types of free agents. Restricted Free Agents, Unrestricted Free Agents, and Exclusive-Rights Free Agents. I will try to help readers understand the 3 a little more.


A restricted free agent is a player who has completed 3 seasons and whose contract has expired. The player has the right to negotiate contracts with other teams during the free agency period. If the player is offered a contract with another team, his old team has the first right of refusal, which is where the old team has 7 days to match the offer and retain the player, or refuse to match the offer and allow the other player to sign with another team.

There is an upside to having restricted free agents rather than inrestricted free agents. If a team refuses to match the offer the new teams contract, then the old team is compensated with draft picks

Unrestricted free agents are exactly that. Free Agents who can sign with any team at any time with no regulations.

Exlusive-rights free agents are players who have completed a maximum of 2 seasons and whose contract has expired. These players can not negotiate with other teams and if they refuse to sign with their current team, then they forfeit their right to play. Basically, they quit.

A list of Colts free agents-
Restricted: Hank Baskett, Antoine Bethea, Melvin Bullitt, Dan Federkeil, Aaron Francisco, Tyjuan Hagler, Marlin Jackson, Tim Jennings, Charlie Johnson, Freddie Keiaho, T.J Rushing.

Unrestricted: Gary Brackett, Matt Stover.

Exclusive-Rights- Antoniio Johson, Dan Muir, Mike Toudouze

Colts come up short in Super Bowl 44; Saints 30 Colts 17

This is a tough one. Not at all what any of us Colts fans expected. The Colts out gained the Saints in total offense through the ground and through the air. But the Saints fought back and made the plays when they needed to the most. Despite what you hear, see, or read in the media Manning DID NOT choke the game away. Anyone who tells you differently needs to be ignored because it's simply not true.

Manning threw for 333 total yards and a touchdown. But the defense could not hold the Saints offense in check. The Colts defense was playing very loose trying to avoid the big play down field and were not taking any risks. And against a team like the Saints you have to play tighter defense or they will eat you up with short yard passes all game long. Because the defense was not getting the job done it put the pressure on Manning to try to make something happen down 24-17 with just over 5:00 of clock left. When this happens, the chances of turnovers gets higher and guess what? That's exactly what happened. On a pass intended for Reggie Wayne, Saints DB, Tracy Porter, made an excellent jump on Wayne's route and picked Peyton off. Porter ran the interception to the house for a touchdown, all but sealing the Saints victory.

Saints QB Drew Brees had a fantastic game despite the Saints run game being shut down. Brees finished with 288 yards and 2 touchdowns. Saints head coach Sean Payton out coached Colts coach Jim Caldwell. The onside kick to start the second half took balls of steel and Payton showed he had them. The Saints recovered and took a possession away from the Colts. If you wanna beat the Indianapolis Colts, you MUST keep Manning on the sideline and that's exactly what the Saints did.

Congratulations to the Super Bowl 44 champs New Orleans Saints. The team had a heck of year. This city hasn't had a championship in its 42 years of existence. But Colts fans fear not. This Colts team is only going to get better next year and after seeing how good they were this year should scare rest of the NFL.