Report: Colts agree to one year deal with Hakeem Nicks (merge)

[chrisfarley]

a bad signing, wow.  Grigson is surprising me with these washed up, has-been players for one-year deals. we need a player with some real teeth - demarcus ware.  someone that jumps off the page when you read it.  we haven't gotten ANYTHING like that since the terrible Trent Richardson deal, and that jumped off the page and then went right back on the page and the ink disappeared (like flights from Malaysia do).

[Crofan]

promising deal

[HarassedOffTheSite]

..these washed up, has-been players...

 

26 years old is over the hill now.

 

-_-

[AllYouNeedIsLuck]

Great deal. I have a feeling he'll rejuvenate with Luck as QB. I expect great things from the offense. Especially if the power running game can emerge

[Mr. Irrelevant]

I have a question regarding these 1 year deals:

 

What happens next year? Does Nicks enter unrestricted free agent right away, or do we have so time to work out an extension/new deal if he turns out doing great?

[trsean]

That whole Giants team had no heart last season. One of the most disappointing teams last year along with the Texans in my opinion. If Nicks can stay healthy he should be rejuvenated playing in Indy.

 

Eh, after starting 0-6 and finishing 7-3, I didnt feel heart was a problem - lack of depth after injuries and just some bad play.

 

It's a really safe/good deal for Indy, so if he can bounce back, that's cool.  But there's a reason he was so cheap. Guy just has been a ghost on the field since 2011.  

 

He wanted a prove it deal - he got one.  He had a prove it year last year, and didn't prove much at all.

[Balzer40]

What are you gonna do when they draft wr too?

I doubt they do for one thing, but even if they do its no big deal. Drafting one was never an issue for me. Were already gonna have to let somebody go so I'd be surprised to see them draft another one and have to let 2 go.

[SteelCityColt]

The trouble of having to socialise during FA... only saw the news but not had chance to jump on here till now.

 

I like the signing, but then I've liked Nicks as a player for a while, similar to the DHB deal except with a much bigger potential IMO. If it works out great, if it don't well what's been lost. 

 

Going to change a few things I'm sure, I really can't see us taking a WR in the 2nd now, even if one drops to us. I'm guessing the are focussing on the D side there, personally I'd like to see a LBer taken but a long way to go till then.

 

Good deal Grigs, keep it coming, been a good March for the Colts so far

[Maniq]

Really like this signing. But more importantly. Let's improve the trenches.

[MTC]

I have a question regarding these 1 year deals:

What happens next year? Does Nicks enter unrestricted free agent right away, or do we have so time to work out an extension/new deal if he turns out doing great?

We have time to extend his contract.

[PrincetonTiger]

We have time to extend his contract.

Agreed

[DalTXColtsFan]

Here's everything I need to know about Hakeem Nicks:

 

4 playoff games

4 TDs

28 catches

444 yards

 

that includes 10 catches for 109 yards against the Patriots in the Super Bowl

 

The dude can ball when it matters.  I'm glad he's a Colt.

[jskinnz]

a bad signing, wow.  Grigson is surprising me with these washed up, has-been players for one-year deals. we need a player with some real teeth - demarcus ware.  someone that jumps off the page when you read it.  we haven't gotten ANYTHING like that since the terrible Trent Richardson deal, and that jumped off the page and then went right back on the page and the ink disappeared (like flights from Malaysia do).

Dear God...

The number of ways this is just wrong is amazing. Makes me think you have to be trolling but then I have seen enough from you know that is not the case.

[NFLfan]

Good signing for the Colts. I hope Nicks will be healthy and will have a great year with the Colts. I had hoped that Nicks would re-sign with the Giants but it does not seem like GM Jerry Reese is signing any of his own free agents.

[el duderino]

very well done    at 3.5 mil actually cheaper than I thought. Think we´re set now with Nicks, Reggie, TY, Brazill, Da'Rick and Griff.

[ColtJ82]

26 years old is over the hill now.

 

-_-

And then he mentions Demarcus Ware.........lol

[Mr. Irrelevant]

We have time to extend his contract.

 

Thanks for the answer.

[bluebambi]

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I am not Brad Wells. I actually rip him all the time if you look at my posts. I just said earlier today his husband attacks you if you say something wrong. I don't know someone would say that about themselves.

I wast aware making a homosexual joke was a "rip" seems more of "ignorance to me.

[Coffeedrinker]

Terrible signing, IMO.  But he's a Colt now so, Welcome to the Colts Hakeem.

[Dustin]

Terrible signing, IMO.  But he's a Colt now so, Welcome to the Colts Hakeem.

 

Curious as to why you think. Do you mind elaborating? 

[Coffeedrinker]

Curious as to why you think. Do you mind elaborating? 

Because it was a signing to sign a name, not a player that will help take the Colts to the next level.  Nicks is a good WR, I don't have a problem with his skills, it's just that his skills are not something so much better than what the Colts currently have that it can be considered an upgrade.

 

I understand it is partly an insurance move in case Wayne does not come back 100%.  But, think about this; every receiver that ended the season on the Colts roster had more TD catches than Nicks did last year.  You have a team that claims it wants to be a running team, you have two 1000 yard receivers, two 50+ catch TEs and three other WRs that have proven they can play at the NFL level.  Adding another WR does nothing to improve on those areas.  Additionally, Grigson seems too reactionary to me for a GM.  It really cannot be part of the plan to sign a different WR every year to a one year deal.  I may be wrong, I don't have a problem admitting that, but things seem a lot like when Irsay was the GM of the Colts... kind of like... Let's try this and see if it works.

 

But like I said, he's a Colt now so when he does good things I will cheer and give him credit, when he does bad things I will give him credit for that as well, just like I do with all Colt players.

[austriancolt]

Great job! Nicks is a huge upgrade over DHB and we now a a really nice WR group. 

[HOZER]

"Carolina offered you 4.5"..... "tell them to shove it, Here's 3.5 and you sign right here pleasure doing business with you." *pull shades off and takes a bite out of his meatball sub*

This^ had me Rollin!!!!!!

[HOZER]

Great Signing IMO, cheap, and after watching his highlight video, very impressive resume!!!!! Shoot after watching how physical he is and and his ability to snag the ball right out the air I'm thinking he could play corner as well!!!!

Yeah he had bad year, but the Giants all-together stunk it up last year!

[BlueCollarColts]

Because it was a signing to sign a name, not a player that will help take the Colts to the next level.  Nicks is a good WR, I don't have a problem with his skills, it's just that his skills are not something so much better than what the Colts currently have that it can be considered an upgrade.

 

I understand it is partly an insurance move in case Wayne does not come back 100%.  But, think about this; every receiver that ended the season on the Colts roster had more TD catches than Nicks did last year.  You have a team that claims it wants to be a running team, you have two 1000 yard receivers, two 50+ catch TEs and three other WRs that have proven they can play at the NFL level.  Adding another WR does nothing to improve on those areas.  Additionally, Grigson seems too reactionary to me for a GM.  It really cannot be part of the plan to sign a different WR every year to a one year deal.  I may be wrong, I don't have a problem admitting that, but things seem a lot like when Irsay was the GM of the Colts... kind of like... Let's try this and see if it works.

 

But like I said, he's a Colt now so when he does good things I will cheer and give him credit, when he does bad things I will give him credit for that as well, just like I do with all Colt players.

Whoa whoa, wait a minute... are you saying you don't think Hakeem Nicks is much of an upgrade to DHB...

[#12]

Here's everything I need to know about Hakeem Nicks:

 

4 playoff games

4 TDs

28 catches

444 yards

 

that includes 10 catches for 109 yards against the Patriots in the Super Bowl

 

The dude can ball when it matters.  I'm glad he's a Colt.

 

If you're gonna take a chance, you do it on this, not ex-Raiders. 

 

I half wish they had signed him longer, because I have a feeling this is going to work out well.  If Nicks and Bradshaw stay healthy for 16 games, it would be huge for the team. 

[sweetsurrender]

Very good signing. Not sure why anyone would dislike it.

[Mameluc]

Werner is primarily going to play Rush backer, behind and alongside Mathis. Different position than Walden. But I do think we should draft someone -- Kyle Van Noy?? -- who can take over for Walden and provide more athleticism and pass rush at Sam. And if we do, then Walden becomes a logical release. But it won't be because he makes too much money. His contract is actually on the low end for veteran Sam backers in 3-4 defenses...

i think that was last year cause they didnt want to overwhelm and thought he could better just rushing hte passer but (maybe im worng) but i thought the idea was int he future to play opposite. Otherwise he will be a backup for the rest of his rookie deal.  he did so plenty of time opposite to mathis, not just on pass downs. But i know, at least last year the idea was to have him backing mathis up.

 

And i never implied anything about money, i dont think his $$ has to do with this.

[VaAllDay757]

Bye bye DHB

[ColtsBlueFL]

Nicks appears to be ready to shine in our system  Probably did the one year deal with us because-

 

Luck, and the ability to distribute the ball  vs.Panthers run first, run often scheme

WR weapons, draw off some coverage so he can work

Future big payday, if he signs now, hew will be at reduced pay.  He wants numbers, and a big contract because of it.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/03/15/nicks-gets-to-work-right-away-on-making-an-impact-for-colts/

[dw49]

Because it was a signing to sign a name, not a player that will help take the Colts to the next level.  Nicks is a good WR, I don't have a problem with his skills, it's just that his skills are not something so much better than what the Colts currently have that it can be considered an upgrade.

 

I understand it is partly an insurance move in case Wayne does not come back 100%.  But, think about this; every receiver that ended the season on the Colts roster had more TD catches than Nicks did last year.  You have a team that claims it wants to be a running team, you have two 1000 yard receivers, two 50+ catch TEs and three other WRs that have proven they can play at the NFL level.  Adding another WR does nothing to improve on those areas.  Additionally, Grigson seems too reactionary to me for a GM.  It really cannot be part of the plan to sign a different WR every year to a one year deal.  I may be wrong, I don't have a problem admitting that, but things seem a lot like when Irsay was the GM of the Colts... kind of like... Let's try this and see if it works.

 

But like I said, he's a Colt now so when he does good things I will cheer and give him credit, when he does bad things I will give him credit for that as well, just like I do with all Colt players.

 

 

 

Gosh... that's giving Nicks absolutely zero benefit of the doubt. He has played 5 years . Came right in and started as a rookie and had a very nice year. In fact had the same amount TD catches as a rookie as  Whalen , Brazil , DHB and Rogers did combined in 2013. That's another way to look at it.... He followed that year  with 2 great years. The last two years he was slowed by ankle and knee issues. The guy is 26 years old and passed the physical with flying colors. Just such a low risk high reward deal IMO. 

 

I think part of your equation would be that Brazil , Rogers and Whalen are going to improve. Many of those playoff ints were due to bad routes run by those three guys and there's just no guarantee that they will improve enough in 2014. That's forgetting about the fact that Wayne is coming off ACL surgery at 35 years of age. 3.5 mill is really peanuts to add depth like this . Think about it this way... you have 1 sure thing going into 2014 and that's Hilton. The rest all have question marls attached.

[Coffeedrinker]

No, I'm saying he doesn't provide much of an upgrade to the team because his skills are not something the Colts were greatly lacking on the current roster.  DHB is no longer on the team.

Whoa whoa, wait a minute... are you saying you don't think Hakeem Nicks is much of an upgrade to DHB...

[Coffeedrinker]

Gosh... that's giving Nicks absolutely zero benefit of the doubt. He has played 5 years . Came right in and started as a rookie and had a very nice year. In fact had the same amount TD catches as a rookie as  Whalen , Brazil , DHB and Rogers did combined in 2013. That's another way to look at it.... He followed that year  with 2 great years. The last two years he was slowed by ankle and knee issues. The guy is 26 years old and passed the physical with flying colors. Just such a low risk high reward deal IMO. 

 

I think part of your equation would be that Brazil , Rogers and Whalen are going to improve. Many of those playoff ints were due to bad routes run by those three guys and there's just no guarantee that they will improve enough in 2014. That's forgetting about the fact that Wayne is coming off ACL surgery at 35 years of age. 3.5 mill is really peanuts to add depth like this . Think about it this way... you have 1 sure thing going into 2014 and that's Hilton. The rest all have question marls attached.

One, many of the playoff INTs were not due to bad routes.  They were due to poor decisions by Luck. Not knocking Luck per se, he's young and learning.

 

As far as his comment about TDs, so you admit his play is digressing rather than improving.  Not good for a 26 year old receiver.

 

 To your last line, I disagree.  To me Wayne coming off ACL surgery is more of a sure thing than Nicks being able to add a something significant to the offense.  I think Nicks is a better signing than DHB and Avary, it's just a signing that was not needed by the Colts.

[NewEra]

One, many of the playoff INTs were not due to bad routes. They were due to poor decisions by Luck. Not knocking Luck per se, he's young and learning.

As far as his comment about TDs, so you admit his play is digressing rather than improving. Not good for a 26 year old receiver.

To your last line, I disagree. To me Wayne coming off ACL surgery is more of a sure thing than Nicks being able to add a something significant to the offense. I think Nicks is a better signing than DHB and Avary, it's just a signing that was not needed by the Colts.

Our offense never looked the same after Wayne went down. Having nicks around can only help. And it's not like we threw the bank at him.

[dw49]

One, many of the playoff INTs were not due to bad routes.  They were due to poor decisions by Luck. Not knocking Luck per se, he's young and learning.

 

As far as his comment about TDs, so you admit his play is digressing rather than improving.  Not good for a 26 year old receiver.

 

 To your last line, I disagree.  To me Wayne coming off ACL surgery is more of a sure thing than Nicks being able to add a something significant to the offense.  I think Nicks is a better signing than DHB and Avary, it's just a signing that was not needed by the Colts.

 

 

Uno. I thought one int was due to a really poor route by Rogers and the first one vs the Pats on that 3rd and short Brazil ran a pretty faulty route .But just my opinion and it really doesn't have a lot to do with this thread. Now if you think Brazil or Rogers are finished , reliable products .. that would be what's relevant in this discussion. 

 

Dos. Nicks battled injuries the past two seasons. That seems to be well documented . According to his doctors and ours , he is healthy again.

 

Tres. I never said a word about who was a "more sure thing" Wayne or Nicks. What I said is you have a 35 year old guy trying to come back from knee surgery and this , at least in my eyes , was a pretty cheap (3.5 mill) move to provide this kind of depth. 

 

I just thought you were being a little tough on Nicks and this signing is pretty cheap. But you are entitled to your opinion and we do have other holes (FS and O line) to fill yet. 

[Coffeedrinker]

Our offense never looked the same after Wayne went down. Having nicks around can only help. And it's not like we threw the bank at him.

And if the Colts had Nicks last year, the offense still would not have looked the same after Wayne went down.  There was a 4 game adjustment period but that is to be expected when a team loses a future HOF at any position, a little more so with a future HOF WR who is the security blanket of a young QB.

[YOUR GM]

And if the Colts had Nicks last year, the offense still would not have looked the same after Wayne went down. There was a 4 game adjustment period but that is to be expected when a team loses a future HOF at any position, a little more so with a future HOF WR who is the security blanket of a young QB.

I don't understand the impatience with our young receiving core. I think the addition of Nicks is only going to stunt the growth of one or more of our depth guys. Which will be a shame if we don't even end up retaining Nicks after this season

[Coffeedrinker]

Uno. I thought one int was due to a really poor route by Rogers and the first one vs the Pats on that 3rd and short Brazil ran a pretty faulty route .But just my opinion and it really doesn't have a lot to do with this thread. Now if you think Brazil or Rogers are finished , reliable products .. that would be what's relevant in this discussion. 

 

Dos. Nicks battled injuries the past two seasons. That seems to be well documented . According to his doctors and ours , he is healthy again.

 

Tres. I never said a word about who was a "more sure thing" Wayne or Nicks. What I said is you have a 35 year old guy trying to come back from knee surgery and this , at least in my eyes , was a pretty cheap (3.5 mill) move to provide this kind of depth. 

 

I just thought you were being a little tough on Nicks and this signing is pretty cheap. But you are entitled to your opinion and we do have other holes (FS and O line) to fill yet. 

No, I don't think Rogers, Whalen or Brazill are finished product by any mean.  And I don't think Grigs is a bad GM for signing Nicks (again it's more reactionary than I think a GM should be but that's because of the position signed not so much the player (I would have had the same reaction if he had signed Decker or Smith to similar contracts).  And nope he didn't break the bank.

[Coffeedrinker]

I don't understand the impatience with our young receiving core. I think the addition of Nicks is only going to stunt the growth of one or more of our depth guys. Which will be a shame if we don't even end up retaining Nicks after this season

Very well stated (other than a pet peeve of mine, corps not core) and very succinct and is a perfect reason why I don't think this is a good signing.

[SteelCityColt]

I don't understand the impatience with our young receiving core. I think the addition of Nicks is only going to stunt the growth of one or more of our depth guys. Which will be a shame if we don't even end up retaining Nicks after this season

 

I think that there is 3 possible outcomes here. One Nicks comes in, sucks to the level of DHB and is let go. What do we lose? Mostly likely some early season reps for the likes of Brazill but again if it's akin to DHB if Brazill/Rogers are showing enough they should push their way up to depth chart. Note I said should, Samson is still a fresh scar in my mind.

 

2. Nicks comes in, lights it up as he has the ability too, we re-extend mid-season for sensible money. Everyone's a winner.

 

3. The worse in my mind is no.2 happens and then Nicks goes somewhere else. 

 

I agree it wasn't the position of biggest need, but it was a good price for a WR, who when 100%, is very very dangerous. I guess I'm biased somewhat as I'm really not sold on Brazill.