Colts owner Jim Irsay shed some light on the team’s plan for the offseason on Wednesday by mentioning that they plan on prioritizing free agents Robert Mathis and Pierre Garcon, via Terre Haute Tribune-Star.
“I think we can [sign Mathis],” said Irsay. “We have the [franchise] tag if we don’t, but I think we’ll get something done.”
There’s already been a number of changes to the Colts organization in recent weeks and one of the biggest moves was landing new head coach Chuck Pagano from Baltimore. Reports have indicated that the Colts have hired former Chargers defensive coordinator Greg Manusky to run their defense. Both men are known for employing a 3-4 defense which could have an impact on their decisions to retain players like Mathis. Irsay is a pretty credible source so if he says they want to keep him, it’s usually a safe bet.
As for Garcon, Irsay mentions that they would like to sign him to a long-term deal.
“We’d like to have Pierre back for sure. We want to get something done along those lines. You could tag either Robert or [Garcon], but the goal would be to get something done sooner than later on those guys.”
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
I can’t see them signing Garcon, I just don’t think they have the cap room to do everything the need to if they resign him..They have some serious holes, and as long as they have Wayne they don’t need Pierre..I think he would be a better fit in New York..
Keep in mind that Peyton Manning’s large salary will most likely be coming off the books so they’ll be able to save around $16 million by taking Andrew Luck alone. Kerry Collins, Reggie Wayne and Ryan Diem will all be free agents which will give them another $16 million to work with. They should have the money to keep both and address some other issues but it will be interesting to see how much money they’re willing to pay Mathis and Garcon.