Update: Quenton Nelson Fifth Year Option extended.

[DougDew]

17 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Now that this is done....    I'm now expecting that sometime between the first week in May and the first week in September,  we will officially extend Q,  Leonard,  Smith and even Hines.

 

There won't be nearly as much signing bonus given out,  somehow we've gotten really good at convincing players to take little to no signing bonus.    Don't know how we do it,  but we convinced Buckner not to on an $84m deal.    So, we're good.

But we do guarantee large chunks of the contract,  and that's what these 4 players are going to want.    Large chunks to be guaranteed,  especially due to injury.    PLayers want the guaranteed money.    It would be a tremendous boost to the locker room to sign the core-4 to long term deals.    It shows that when you ball out for the Colts,  we show them the money!   

 

 

As you may remember, I was not a huge fan of Hines.  Still am not, but he has picked up his game now that he's being used correctly and not strictly like a backup RB.  If we had a better backup RB, I think we'd see less of him up the middle on short yardage plays.

 

Nevertheless, I'm not sure Ballard would extend him.  He might be one of those draft low, develop and highlight, then let walk for a compensation pick type of player that can be replaced by a rookie or cheaper player.  I think Ballard's decision not to pick up Hooker's option and not to extend Mack last year was with the idea they would get nice contracts elsewhere and earn us some comp picks.

 

There are many college RBs that could probably replace Hines.  Even our own Harris shows signs of being a speedy gadget type of player.

 

We'll see.