Getty ImagesThe Indianapolis Colts will be a very different team in 2012.
In addition to Andrew Luck taking over at quarterback and Peyton Manning playing elsewhere, the Colts will have a whole lot of holes to fill with the news that they have released Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai and Melvin Bullitt.
That report came from Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star, just moments after the report that longtime defensive captain Gary Brackett had been cut. Also coming out today was news that the Colts would like to trade Dwight Freeney.
Just as there’s been talk that Reggie Wayne and Manning could be a package deal, speculation can immediately commence that Clark or Addai could be targets of whatever team signs Manning.
UPDATE: Quarterback Curtis Painter was also released. “These players all made tremendous contributions to the organization and will forever be members of the Colts family,” owner Jim Irsay said in a team statement. “It’s always difficult to make these decisions which the nature of the salary cap requires. Their legacies with the Colts will be forever remembered by the organization, fans and Indianapolis community. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”
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If a team can afford it, you’d think Dallas Clark will follow Manning.
smart
probably an exciting time to be a colts fan. how will they color this blank canvas?
Maybe trading the #1 pick for several draft choices is a better way to go for the Colts than taking a QB that will have no one to play, let alone win with.
Wow, couldn’t they have traded them and got even just a lil something for em
Dallas, Reggie and Peyton will meet up somewhere to try and recreate the Colts of old.
At least the owner admitted they were rebuilding.
With the first pick of the 2013 draft the Indianapolis Colts select…
Sad week for Colts fans. All these players were great men
Manning may very well require Addai come along if the team he signs with doesn’t have a RB that pass blocks as well.
At this rate they’re literally going to have to fill every single position on the roster it seems…
Wow, that is about all I can say.
The expectations for Luck are way too high, especially with the lack of talent on the team he’s about to take over.
If your last name is Bullitt, why would you name your kid Melvin? Talk about a missed opportunity.
Good move. All aging players on the downside…none of these guys contributed last year due to injuries!
Idiots will chime in with the Colts will suck next year but this along with the Manning and Freeney release and will free up 50mil in cap space for the 2013 season. They will have a lot of dead cap money this year but then can build properly around Luck with both draft pics and free agents…
2012: 3-13
2015: 12-4
Guess they arent planning on competing for the next 4-5 years.
They’d better hold onto somebody or else Andrew Luck is going to pull a John Elway and tell them he won’t play there.
Curtis Painter gone too!!!
Wow.
With this wholesale “house cleaning”, what makes Irsay think Luck will even WANT to be a part of this team????
How ironic if Luck pulls an Eli or an Elway, while Peyton ends up WITH Elway!!!!
No surprise, each either has become or has been injury prone. If your going to start over and rebuild then there is no reason to keep these type of players. I thank them for all they have done but, it’s obvious the times are changing in Indianapolis. I would have been more shocked had they kept these players.
Wow, just WOW.
Breaking News: Colts Overreact to Bad Season, Cut Everyone on Team
I’ll say it … the Miami Colts. Get your season tickets now.
Wow. How come these guys werent unloaded for some draft picks last year? Wayne, Garcon, Clark, Addai, Bracket. What poor management.
Broncos could use a TE also
Does anyone really believe that Manning would make a decision based on someone signing Joey Addai or a 33 year old Wayne. Give him a little more credit.
When they said rebuild they meant it. Not many key players left for Andrew Luck. Wow! Maybe wherever Peyton lands, he can have some added comfort with some buddies. As he’s currently visiting in Denver, he may not yet be aware of what has happened. But his cellphone will surely be a buzzin!
Good grief! Irsay has lost his mind.
You must be high to think another team wants Joseph Addai.
Welcome to the skeleton that used to be the mighty Colts.
Might wanna change that last name, Andrew.
Clark can come right to Chicago.
Heck, next they’ll cut Andrew Luck. Irsay has gone coo coo for Cocoa Puffs.
Well, if you are going to say you are rebuilding then you might as well follow through with it. Look for Indy to be picking in the top 10 for the next 3 years…
…also look for them to be playoff regulars in years 2015-2025.
I’ve been saying it all day. Irsay be stuntin like his daddy. I think L.A. just got a new football team.
Bill Belichick should sign Peyton Manning to be New England’s quarterback for the next five years. Then trade Tom Brady away to Kansas City and get some picks. Draft Justin Blackmon WR, David Wilson, Jr. RB, Harrison Smith FS, and Nick Perry OLB/DE. Sign Reggie Wayne to be opposite of Justin Blackmon, on top of the dual TE threat of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. There you go, a New England dynasty of the ’10s.
Dallas Clark is pretty beat up. He missed 5 games last year and missed 10 games in 2010.
If they keep cutting guys, maybe Andrew won’t be so quick to sign on. He certainly will be starting fresh. Will be very interesting to see what they do in the draft (cheaper) and what free agents they land. Grigson is a head chopper for sure. Pretty soon there will be no one left. Funny I haven’t seen Painter or Orlovsky get the boot yet.
Yup… gotta keep the 3rd and long PI play going.
Way to go Ryan Grigson!
So, you’re saying theirs nothing to stop the Patriots from getting back to the Super Bowl? Is that it?
Oh no! Not Curtis Painter! Colts are screwed.
Trade for DE Dwight Freeney as well, Bill.
In other news…The Indianapolis Colts enjoy having the #1 overall pick in the draft.
Wow. Rebuild much?
Jets fans love Curtis Painter, its because of him they made the playoffs
Absolutely
Cleaning House. I won’t even recognize this team next year. But hey, atleast we are freeing up some serious coin and can go out and get some playmakers.
Peyton Manning
Dallas Clark
Reggie Wayne
Dwight Freeney
Those names combined used to strike fear in people when they visited Indianapolis…now, what?
Colts have successfully made it to the bottom of the food chain! Luck will have no offense at all! I love it lol
Oh yeah, cut Todd Heap, plug in D.Clark to AZ as well.
Oliver Luck just called Archie Manning for advice on how to avoid this nightmare. There’s rebuilding and then there’s this SMU death penalty-style approach.
dey goin suck big time
A Manning may be throwing to Clark in 2012…it just might not be Peyton.
Miami Should just get wayne, manning, and clark, and those three should make the deal work for the team. With Brandon Marshall, reggie bush and Daniel Thomas, Jake Long… That’s strong. Assuming Peyton can throw and doesn’t break when he get’s hit, given.
The Bears should definitely scoop up Clark to make amends for trading Greg Olsen and getting almost nothing out of it.
Wayne, Brackett, & Clark will join Manning in Miami
Peyton Manning
Dallas Clark
Reggie Wayne
Pierre Garcon
Gary Brackett
Joseph Addai
Melvin Bullet
Dwight Freeney (Trying to trade)
The colts have lost more talent in the last week than My Bills have had in the last decade
Some team is going to get Manning, Wayne, and Clark. Addai isn’t that good.
Jim Irsay accidentally cut himself too leaving only the water boy to rebuild the colts.
Dallas Clark.
Peyton Manning.
Gary Brackett.
Joseph Addai.
Melvin Bullitt.
Dwight Freeney.
Curtis Painter…
“These players all made tremendous contributions to the organization…”
I can name one player on that list that definitely didn’t…
And nothing of value was lost.
Looks like the team with the highest cap room to make room for all these guys will get Manning.
They cut Painter???
What is Irsay THINKING??
Luck threw to TE all day in college smart to get rid of a good one
Gonna miss Dallas….big time.
Addai cant stay healthy, im ok with that.
Based on all this…it is quite possible the Colts might actually struggle next year to surpass the stupendous 2-14 they just put on the board.
I would have to say that for the forseeable future “The Horseshoe” will not come first – it will be coming in last. Sorry Colts fans.
I wonder if all these clear-outs would be taking place if the Polians were still “in charge” in Indy.
Then again, maybe they wanted to start from scratch too.
One could almost start an offensive team with castaway Colts. Peyton, Saturday, addai, Wayne, Garcon, Clark, and whomever is next.
I think Irsay has gone mad
Can someone please send a straight-jacket to Colts Headquarters???
0-16 coming.
Seriously, the Colts have no playmakers left, this is gonna be an ugly, ugly season.
I’m sorry- cut whoever else you want, but I draw the line at Curtis Painter.
Irsay has also announced plans to blow up Monument Circle and launch an air strike on Eli Lilly headquarters.
What a joke of a franchise the Colts are. They had one lucky year but other than that it was a decade run defined by beating up bad teams in the regular season and choking in the playoffs.
Irsay: “It’s always difficult to make these decisions which the nature of the salary cap requires. ”
—
Now getting Painter out should’ve been done ages ago. But what the hell? Was the salary cap lowered to $50 million?
talk about a house cleaning
Casey Anthony….thanks for proving what a buffoon you truly are.
Keep up the good work, slice.
Makes you wonder why they bothered re-signing Mathis and wasted the franchise tag in the process. How long before Bethea is shown the door too?
Irsay seems determined to get to 0-16
one Lucky year.
What about the year they went and lost to the bounty hunters?
Again, nice work, Casey.
Drawing the line at Curtis Painter?
HA HA….LOVE IT!
Since when is cutting overpaid players who mostly didn’t play at all last year because injuries a bad move?
Painter is the biggest piece to the puzzle, sign him and and you have Manning and the rest of the guys guaranteed…LOL.
i love how owners hide behind the salary cap. it has very little to do with the cap and a lot to do with Irsay feeling the guys are past their prime or aren’t worth a damn (Painter). So why not just come out and say so?
Could Miami or Denver actually afford Manning, Wayne and Clark?
Denver does make sense. Manning won’t have to throw as much because the Broncos can actually run the ball. Broncos could be a scary team next season if half of this works out!
Is there anyone left on the team??
2012 Season Opener…
Starting at Wide Receiver…..Jiiiiiiimmmmm Irsay
Staring at Center……Jiiiiiimmmm Irsay
Starting at Running Back……Jjiiiiiimmmmm Irsay
Thank God they still have Kerry Collins at least!
There is no reason to think that Luck can do it all by himself and it looks as thought that’s exactly what he’ll have to do.
These players aren’t close to what their price tag is. No loss here. Carry on. Nothing here too see folks
I have always thought it would be cool to see a team clean house.. and Irsay has not only cleaned house but the basement too…. Will be interesting to see this team in 3 years.
Lol…I remember Dallas Clark comparing Curtis Painter to a “delicate flower” ,after that interview I knew the season was over
Dear Season ticket holders,
Please make your payment ASAP and don’t forget about the two preseason games.
Thanx
Mr.Irsay
why the hell would you not trade some of these guys? get some draft picks or something in return.
Well, I think we know the Colts draft strategy. Luck at #1, Fleener at #34 and probably Nick Toon at #65. And, to be honest, that could be a very deadly trio in a short amount of time. As for Freeney, I would hope the Bills make an offer, and ship over Moats, Merriman, Donald Jones/Marcus Easly and our 4th rd pick. To me, thats a win-win. The Colts pick up 3-4 personell and young players, for an aging vet that fills a need for the Bills.
Jim Irsay’s to do list:
Release Peyton – Check
Release all of our star players – Check
Get some lunch – Check
Get some dinner – Check
Call Andrew Luck – Uhhh, no Answer…
Move team in the middle of the night to a new city – CHECK CHECK CHECK
Any smart team that wants Manning will seriously look into also considering Wayne, Garcon, Clark and even Saturday.
caseyanthonymunoz says:
Mar 9, 2012 5:30 PM
What a joke of a franchise the Colts are. They had one lucky year but other than that it was a decade run defined by beating up bad teams in the regular season and choking in the playoffs.
__
You mean like the Pats post-Spygate?
Yikes. Last man standing, turn out the lights. Still, the Colts should finish 3rd. In the Big 12.
Look on the bright side Colts fans, you dont have to watch your team go 12-4 in the regular season, making you think they are good, only to go one and done in the playoffs for a few more years…
I think these moves speak more to the Colts desire to re-invent themselves with Luck, or who knows maybe RB III? No matter how good the Colts new quarterback will be, there would have been the thought that he would be doing it with Peyton’s team, not his. Remember the undercurrent of animosity between Barber and Eli the first few years of Eli’s career? Not on Eli’s part, but Tiki’s. It appears the Colts are going all in on this draft pick. I’m not sure if they will be successful, but you have to have some admiration for their determination.
ok, their defense could be ugly, but i think replacing Dallas Clark is now heading in the direction of a guy named Coby Fleener if he’s on the board.
i think irsay fell off the wagon again. relapse. wow dude. have a drink on me.
With all this cap space they cud instantly have a great team if they go out and sign some great veterans. Looking at manning, Clark, Wayne, etc. …..oh, wait…….
With the 1st pick in the 2013, 2014,2015,…2025 draft the Colts select the first robot to ever play a professional sport.
Irsay seems to be acting like a suicidal guy giving everything away. Next, he will petition the league to change the logo and team colors.
Wow even Dallas Clark? This is stupid.
To all those disagreeing with my statement that Joe Addai may be the best bet to follow Manning, you’re a fool to think he doesn’t appreciate one of the best pass blocking RB’s in the league.
And I get a strong feeling the Colt’s are going to make a run at some of the biggest names in free agency. Can anybody say Vincent Jackson, Mario Williams, Cortland Finnegan, et al?
Yeah, keep giving me the thumbs down and see how right I am in a few weeks.
Def have #1 pick next yr also
What a bunch of idiots making fun and being critical of the Colts. ‘Oh they will have the #1 pick for the next 5 years’, blah, blah. Sure I think Irsay’s tweets are stupid!
Do you guys have any idea what re-building means? Why do the Colts have the #1 pick? Because they Sucked without the great Manning. Did they win with all of these other player’s? So what is the loss. Did anyone think that with drafting Andrew Luck that the Colts were going to the Super Bowl next year? In the NFL, with 2 or 3 years of good drafts and free agent moves many teams with new Coaches and Front offices can turn thigs around.
Just like in my home town, too many folks that think they know more than the experianced football guys. This is not Irsay making these moves now, they have a new GM who is making the talent evaluations.
The colts were 2-14 last year with all those players. Now they have a rookie QB and no other players. 0-16 is in the bag.
Couldn’t have happened to a better franchise. Hope you rot Irsay
the Colts are the equivalent of a crazy bag lady
It might be easier to post who is actually left on the Colts’ roster
@touchdownroddywhite
The Colts won’t be able to afford any big name free agents this year. Even though they cut all of those guys all of there money is now dead money. All of those guys are still going to eat up their cap this year. Next year they’ll be able to make some moves but they won’t be able to afford a Mario williams, V-Jax or Courtland Finnegan this year, so they’ll probably havea top 3 draft pick next year too.
Not Curtis Painter!!
Hey Giants….Go Get Dallas Clark!
I think the Colts are moving to LA
Doesn’t take long to clean house and build back up and become a powerhouse, The Cowboys got rid of Tom Landry and everyone not named Michael Irvin…. For the next decade they dominated and won 3 superbowls.
Packers cut a ton of Mike Sherman’s players and loaded up on the draft building thing… they won superbowl 45 and went 15-2 last year…
Lions were 0-16 in 2008, they were in the playoffs in 2011….
Sounds like Indy is going back to the old Baltimore Colts plan of winning.
yes, that 3rd rate bum curtis painter is finally eliminated from an NFL roster thank GOD, that pathetic clown shouldn’t be allowed to even attend NFL games in the stands, he should be required to stay at least 20 miles from any NFL stadium for the rest of his life
As a Bucs fan I feel your pain Colts fans, even when you know that the players time is up, cutting all the fan favorites at once is never good. I just hope Luck dosent pull an Elway on you.
Are they already making a play for 1 in 2013?
Tears are coming down my face right now
Well, I guess the Colts fans do love their jerseys, and since there’s going to be a switch to Nike anyway, they might as well change every part of it…
Maybe this year their PR staff won’t object to giving Pat McAfee that big banner if he wins the contest again since he is now the team’s star…
thankheavenfornumberseven says:
Mar 9, 2012 5:12 PM
They’d better hold onto somebody or else Andrew Luck is going to pull a John Elway and tell them he won’t play there.
————————–
Its pulling an Eli Manning. Elway used baseball as his out.
THAT is a serious house cleaning going on in Indy….
This is exactly what the Colts needed to do. Three years from now they could be contending again. If they had kept these players these same players would be completely useless in 3 years without winning anything in the interim. This year they may win one or two less games without these players. Small price to pay for getting your salary cap in line and being able to rebuild.
@TSizzleBallSoHard
I think the Colts could easily sign a guy like V-Jax to a low front end contract with a spread out guarantee that pays out big in years 2 and 3 for instance. Cortland Finnegan would probably take the job pro bono just for the chance to stick it to the Titans a couple times a year(joking). This team is planning for the long term and I think if they can sell some of the top free agents on that fact, both success wise and financially, they have a shot at grabbing some big names. I understand the ramifications of what they’re doing but they’re positioning themselves to hand out a few big contracts and grab guys that can help them avoid a trifecta of 2-14 seasons…
Shut up with the LA talk. Buffoons.
RG3 has to be so happy he’s not going first. This is a mess.
Ya, all the Colts fans at home games (both of the them) will be wearing throw back jerseys.
It’s going to be hilarious to watch Colts fans poop themselves when the Colts take RGIII in the draft. Luck to Washington, so he can be close to his parents.
I think the whole ex-colts should come as a package deal (perhaps Miami or AZ)!
Much like my Lions did after their infamous 0-16 season the Colts are cleaning out the deadwood. They won all of 2 games with these guys, so really how invaluable are they? Most had poor seasons last year and/or were injured and are in the twilights of their careers. You want to have young guys that can grow with Luck and play together for the next 3-4 years.
These are good long term moves. Colts will suck next year again but this is about building a winner in 2014 and beyond.
Sad to see Peyton go, but it’s nice to see a team know win to clean house. Pretty sure the fans will be able to cope with 1 or two losing seasons after 10+ great ones. Most of these guys were oft/injured anyways. Addai sucks, Clark looked lost last year without Peyton and Tamme has emerged as a very reliable option the past two years. They should have a ton of money and roster space to work with and will have a very good team soon.
i understand letting go of Addai, i could even understand saying bye to Brackett, but to Clark, nope, dont understand. you may lose Garcon!! you will lose Wayne, why basically have no WR talent!!?? they better go crazy in free agency and get a TE and WR because if they dont then they better hope that Jeffery or Fleener falls in their laps
Their legacies with the Colts will be forever remembered by the organization, fans and Indianapolis community.
Really….Painter will have a legacy?
Ha…..
Just like a scene from the movie “Invincible”, public open tryouts in Indy to be a Colt.