Matt Hasselbeck Moving On
Matt Hasselbeck carried the clipboard for Andrew Luck for three years, but this last season, the 40-year-old had to jump in when Luck went down with injuries, guiding the Horseshoe to 5 wins in 8 starts before he too went down with injuries. Matt was very popular with Colts fans and was a mentor to Luck. Last Sunday the Colts’ front office let him know that they were moving on without him and keeping 28 year old Josh Freeman as the backup. Matt tweeted Indianapolis and Colts fans a very heartfelt and poetic goodbye. Matt is a class act and been a very positive influence on the team and the fans. We wish him continued success and thank him for his contributions to the Colts.
Two free agent signings from last season, wide receiver Andre Johnson, and linebacker Trent Cole have been officially released. They didn’t make much of a contribution to the team. Runningback Ahmed Bradshaw is also gone. There will be more.
Is Peyton Really Retiring?
Over last weekend, someone in the Denver Bronco’s front office reported that Peyton Manning would announce his retirement sometime this weekend. The Broncos have already said that Manning is not a part of their 2016 plans and that they are busy trying to resign Brock Osweiler to a long term contract. On Monday, Manning representatives said that Peyton is still weighing his options and hasn’t yet decided on retirement. The story is that they are still trying to find a team that would be willing to pick up his costly contract.
Colt Tight End Contracts and Other Concerns
Colt tight ends Colby Fleener and Dwayne Allen have both played out their contracts. The word is that the Colts want to resign Fleenor but are willing to let Allen walk. The talks with Fleener’s agent have not produced any results but that isn’t usual at this stage of the game. Fleener has already turned down a $6 million raise. It may be June before the issue is settled. The Colts don’t have a lot of salary cap money to play with. They have already said that Andrew Luck’s new contract would be “shocking.” With that deal done, the chances of the Colts picking up some big name high priced free agent seem fairly remote. The Colts will most likely look for some bargain priced talent to add to the roster as they did last year.
Team Weekly View Racing is Gone?
Last May, the Weekly View was one of the sponsors of the #98 Dalara Honda driven by rookie Gabby Chavez of Columbia for the Brian Herta Racing Team. Chavez finished 16th and was named Rookie of the Year. Going into the 2016 season Herta listed Gabby as his driver for the 100th running of the 500. However, a week ago it was announced that Herta’s team had merged with Andretti Autosports and rookie Alexander Rossi would be the driver. Rossi is 24 years old and is from Nevada City, California. He is born in the good ole U.S. of A. and has a background as a Formula 1 test driver and drove in 5 F1 races in 2014 and 15 as a reserve driver. Gabby Chavez has fallen off the map, but as the saying goes, fame is fleeting.
As far as sponsorship opportunities go, I’m hoping that another deal will be dome with Brian Herta. The View wants to be involved with the historic 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, and if not Herta’s car then perhaps another.
The NFL Combine
The NFL Combine is over and it was the linemen, both offensive and defensive, who made the biggest impression. Half the teams in the league have offensive tackle needs, including the Colts. There were at least six offensive tackles that made big impressions on pro scouts. The Tennessee Titans have the first pick in the draft and have indicated a strong interest in Mississippi offense tackle Laremy Tunsil. Tunsil aced the combine and most likely cemented his place as the draft’s top pick. California quarterback Jared Goff was the most impressive quarterback and the Cleveland Browns are very interested in taking him with the second pick. Florida St. cornerback Jalen Ramsey put on a show and will more than likely be a top five pick. Pass rushers Joey Bosa of Ohio State and Deforest Buckner of Oregon look to be the best in defensive end/rush linebacker group. This year’s crop of wide receivers didn’t excite scouts as the groups from the previous two years had done. There are a few noteworthy runningbacks in this year’s draft but so far only Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott has shown first round consideration.
As I said, there are some really exciting offensive tackle prospects available, not the least of which is Indiana offensive tackle Jason Spriggs. Spriggs had the fastest 40 yard dash time among offensive lineman and showed agility and strength in all the drills. He also displayed good football instinct, knowing where to be to help make a play. He will probably wind up a first round pick. He would look great with a horseshoe on his helmet.
snicewanger@yahoo.com