Roster

The Indianapolis Colts have signed tight end Kyle Miller. Miller was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars before last season, but he was waived prior to the start of the regular season. The four-year letterman at Division III power Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio, had 62 receptions for 872 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior.

To get down to the league-mandated 53-man roster, the Ravens parted ways with the following players: DT Nader Abdallah, FB Jason Cook, TE Davon Drew, LB Tony Fein, WR Yamon Figurs, WR Jayson Foster, K Graham Gano, S K.J. Gerard, WR Justin Harper, CB Evan Oglesby, RB Cedric Peerman, OT Joe Reitz, WR Eron Riley, TE Isaac Smolko, LB William VanDeSteeg and WR Ernie Wheelwright. DT Will Johnson reached an injury settlement with the team and also was jettisoned.

Notable Saints players let go on Saturday include: TE Tyler Lorenzen, WR Montez Billings, LB Dwight Roberson, DT Dexter Larimore, QB Sean Canfield, WR Andy Tanner, CB Terrail Lambert, LB Nate Bussey, WR Jarred Fayson, TE Michael Higgins, TE Tory Humphrey, S Chris Reis, CB Trumaine McBride, CB Quincy Butler, LB Clint Ingram, RB Chris Taylor and S Pierson Prioleau.

In what should be a surprise to no one, the Colts drafted Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. That means receiver Reggie Wayne will have a new quarterback this year.

Indianapolis promoted RB Darren Evans from its practice squad Saturday after placing WR Blair White on season-ending injured reserve. Evans was added to the active roster in early October before being released prior to the Colts' contest in Week 7.

Colts DL Ricardo Mathews was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday. He took the roster spot of Eric Foster, who was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury suffered on Monday night.

The Colts drafted Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard with a late pick in Round 5 of the NFL Draft. At 5-foot-11 and 219 pounds, Ballard is considered a power rusher who can work between the tackles. He ran for 1,189 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior in 2011. Ballard, who struggled at times as a senior against top-flight run defenses, knows that he has a lot of work to do when he gets to Indy. "I can still get better," he said when asked about his pass blocking skills. "At Mississippi State, they said that if you couldn't protect the quarterback, you couldn't play."

Colts DT Fili Moala suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter of the Browns game in Week 2 and did not return. There is no update as of yet as to whether he will be able to play in Sunday night's home game with Pittsburgh.

Colts DB Chris Rucker totaled 11 tackles (six solo) and one fumble recovery Week 15 against the Titans.

Tim Fugger, selected 214th overall by the Colts in the seventh round of Saturday's draft, was projected to be a late-round pick by most scouts. Fugger displayed good speed for a defensive end, running a 4.64 in the 40 during his on-campus Pro Day. He is expected to move to an outside linebacking role in the team's new hybrid 3-4 defensive alignment. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as as a senior. Fugger registered 7.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2011. He started 13 games at DE for the Commodores and had a pair of sacks against Arkansas.

Indianapolis placed WR Blair White on injured reserve Saturday with a knee injury. White suffered the injury during Week 8 at Tennessee and was unable to play last Sunday against Atlanta. The Colts signed RB Darren Evans from the practice squad to take his spot on the roster.

Knee - IR. Out for the season

The Colts signed S Jermale Hines to the active roster Wednesday.

The Bears waived five players on Monday in an effort to meet Tuesday's 80-player roster limit. The players waived included: LB Tanner Antle, C J.C. Brignone, DL Vernon Gholston, DL Tank Tyler and QB Trevor Vittatoe.

The Colts appear to be close to picking up a much needed addition to the team's 3-4 defense -- a nose tackle. According to the Indianapolis Star, Indy officials are finalizing details to add Brandon McKinney, who played for the Ravens the last four years.

The Colts promoted DB Mike Holmes from the practice squad to the active roster on Tuesday.

The Eagles announced that they cut four players on Friday. Among the casualties were defensive tackle Marlon Favorite, running back Derrick Locke, linebacker Brandon Peguese and wide receiver Terrance Turner.

Colts DB Joe Lefeged had one solo tackle and a fourth-quarter interception against Baltimore in Week 14. "We were in cover-2 man coverage, and I was just reading the QB's eyes and I got a good break on the ball. It was a little bit overthrown, and I just made the play on it," Lefeged said.

Colts fullback Ryan Mahaffey, who was signed during the Week 11 bye, left in the third quarter Week 12 against the Panthers with a concussion. He had a 5-yard catch before leaving.

The Indianapolis Star reported Sunday that the Colts came to an agreement to re-sign DL Antonio Johnson. The Mississippi State product recorded 26 tackles last season with 1/2 of a sack.

Colts DB David Caldwell, who has hardly been a factor statistically this season, actually led the team with 11 tackles, including four solo, against the Jaguars in Week 10.

The Colts selected small, speedy receiver T.Y. Hilton in the third round of the NFL draft. Hilton caught 72 passes for 1,038 yards and seven touchdowns last season at Florida International. He can return punts and kicks.

Colts LB Kavell Conner totaled seven tackles (five solo) and one fumble recovery Week 14 against the Ravens. Conner now has 91 tackles in 13 games.

Colts defensive end Jerry Hughes struck out in his rookie season. This year, he's striking back. Indianapolis' 2010 first-round draft pick has come to training camp with a stronger body, more knowledge of the defensive system and a new perspective on pro football thanks to the advice from his older teammates. "They say you have to be a pitcher, not a thrower," Hughes said Monday. "Right now I've got three pitches I'm working on, so I've added depth in my repertoire."

Colts coach Chuck Pagano said from the NFL Annual Meeting that he thinks running back Donald Brown could be the team's primary ball carrier in 2012. Brown is essentially the best option they have on the roster right now after he ran for 645 yards on 134 carries (4.8 avg.) and five touchdowns last year, all of which were career-highs. "Donald's a real bright guy and he's got some home-run capabilities in him," Pagano said. "He's strong, he's quick to hit the hole, he puts his foot in the ground, he's decisive and all those types of things." When asked if Brown could be a 30- to 40-snap kind of player, Pagano said, "Yeah I do, and I think he'd tell you the same thing. He's more than capable of doing that, absolutely."

Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish, who was taken with the 253rd and final pick of the draft, didn't just get a title and a vacation as this year's Mr. Irrelevant. He got a chance to play for his favorite NFL team and potentially be a backup for Andrew Luck. Harnish set 30 school records at Northern Illinois, was a two-time all-Mid-American Conference selection, a three-time academic all-league choice and was chosen as the league's MVP. He led the Huskies to the league title and their fourth straight bowl game in 2011. He finished his career with 8,944 yards passing, completed 61.9 percent of his passes with 68 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He also ran for 2,238 yards and 24 TDs and his 11,927 yards in total offense rank third all-time in league history. "It is relevant because otherwise you wouldn't burn a pick on somebody," Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said. "This person we took had tremendous success in the Mid-American Conference. He's got ability, and he was higher on our board than where we took him."

The Colts placed DL Drake Nevis on injured reserve on Tuesday. He was limited to just five games this season due to a back injury.

Low back - IR. Out for the season

New Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians told the official team website that he plans on giving rookie quarterback Andrew Luck a lot of lee-way with the team's new offense. Arians will let Luck come up with the playbook terminology to keep him comfortable and keep the system simple. He also plans to be aggressive in teaching the plays, giving Luck a lot to process again and again until he learns it. That process seemed to work for two of his former pupils -- Peyton Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. "I think you have to keep the game simple. Let them play in Technicolor," said Arians. "Quarterbacks have to see a picture when they call a play, and you keep it as simple as possible for them. The ones like (Andrew Luck), Peyton (Manning), Ben (Roethlisberger) and those guys, they are like piranhas. They eat information and gobble it up, and then you let them run with it."

In a swap of three-year veterans who entered the NFL as undrafted free agents, the Broncos traded cornerback Cassius Vaughn to the Colts on Wednesday for fullback Chris Gronkowski. Chris becomes the second Gronkowski brother to play for the Broncos; tight end Dan Gronkowski was with the team in 2010.

Ankle - IR. Out for the season

Ravens DL Cory Redding totaled five solo tackles and one sack in Week 14 against the Colts. Redding now has 3 1/2 sacks in his last three games.

The Colts have officially announced that they have claimed LB Zac Diles from Tampa Bay, waived TE Mike McNeill and placed CBs Jerraud Powers and Terrence Johnson on IR. Diles is an outside linebacker.

Forearm - IR. Out for the season

In what should be a surprise to no one, the Colts drafted Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. That means receiver Austin Collie will have a new passer this year.

Colts fifth-round draft choice Josh Chapman of Alabama (6-foot-1, 316 pounds) is a defensive lineman who played through a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee as a senior. He recorded 23 total tackles with 3 1/2 tackles for loss and one sack. Chapman did not play in the Senior Bowl due to his injuries.

Knee - Questionable for start of training camp

The Jets traded quarterback Drew Stanton to the Colts for undisclosed compensation on Friday. Stanton had requested a trade following Tim Tebow's arrival in New York.

The Colts made the following cuts on Saturday: DB Al Afalava, WR Chris Brooks, DE John Chick, LB Chris Colasanti, TE Tyson DeVree, DT John Gill, WR David Gilreath, DB Michael Hamlin, DT Tommie Harris, RB Javarris James, DB Brandon King, DT Ricardo Mathews, TE Michael Matthews, WR Larrone Moore, LB Kerry Neal, DT Ollie Ogbu, QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Taj Smith, LB Nate Triplett, LB Vuna Tuihalamaka and WR Marshall Williams.

Robert Mathis agreed to a long-term deal with the Colts shortly after the team placed the franchise tag on the Pro-Bowl defensive end. The Indianapolis Star reported the terms at four years and $36 million. It includes a $15 million signing bonus. Mathis will earn $17 million in the first year and $24 million over the first two. "Still Bleedin BLUE!!!" Mathis posted on his Twitter account, according to The Sports Xchange.

The Colts added DB John Destin to the practice squad Thursday. Destin is a rookie who played collegiately at Tulsa.

Colts coach Jim Caqdwell told reporters on Monday that DB Kevin Thomas is expected to remain in the starting lineup moving forward. Thomas, who made his first career start in Week 7 against the Saints, finished with 10 tackles in the 62-7 loss.

Colts LB A.J. Edds left Thursday's game versus the Texans with an ankle injury and did not return to the contest. He did not record a tackle in the contest.

The Indianapolis Star reports that the Colts trimmed their roster on Sunday on the way to getting to the final 53. Among the cuts were RB Devin Moore, S Chip Vaughn and QB Mike Hartline. The team also waived/injured LB Cody Glenn and S Mike Newton.

The Colts have signed safety Tom Zbikowski, according to the Caroll County Times. The three-year contract he signed is for just under $5.5 million with a signing bonus just over $1 million. Zbikowski will re-unite with former coordinator Chuck Pagano, who is now the Colts head coach.

LB Marques Murrell and WR Jeremy Ross were released on Tuesday to get the Patriots to the 80-man roster limit.

The Broncos added free agent WR Quan Cosby on Tuesday. Cosby was released by the Bengals on the final cut day of the preseason.

Colts DB Antoine Bethea was active in Week 16 vs. the Texans. He is dealing with a knee injury.

According to thesidelineview.com, wide receiver Donnie Avery signed with the Colts on Friday. Avery reportedly had a handful of teams interested in his services this year.

After drafting Stanford tight end Coby Fleener in Round 2, the Colts took Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen with their third-round pick. Allen earned the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end as a junior, totaling 48 catches for 577 yards and eight touchdowns. And like so many great Fantasy tight ends, he's a former basketball standout.

The Indianapolis Star reports that Colts running back Delone Carter is on the mend from thumb surgery this offseason. He is expected to be ready for training camp.

Thumb - Probable for start of 2012 training camp

The Bears finished off their cuts on the way to getting down to the final 53 players on the active roster on Saturday. Among the casualties were RB Harvey Unga, LB J.T. Thomas, S Anthony Walters, LB Patrick Trahan, TE Andre Smith DT Jordan Miller, FB Robert Hughes, WR Kris Adams and DT Marcus Harrison.

With the Colts opting not to trade veteran Dwight Freeney thus far this offseason, signs point to him staying with the only club he's ever known. That means an expensive salary for him this season, and it also means a position change. With the Colts moving to a 3-4 base defense, the team is going to ask Freeney to play as an outside linebacker. “For me, it's just getting familiar with all those nuances,” he told SiriusXM NFL Radio. "My line of sight, walking around (pre-snap), dropping into coverage -- I'm doing those things. It's going to take a little time at the beginning to get used to and as comfortable as I have been having my hand in the ground (at end) and being in one position."

The Browns let go of the following players Saturday: QB Jarrett Brown, FB Tyler Clutts, LB Archie Donald, RB Quinn Porter, DL Brian Sanford, LB Brian Smith and WR Rod Windsor.

Indianapolis drafted Ohio University wide receiver LaVon Brazill with a sixth-round pick. The 5-foot-11, 191-pound receiver was the MVP of the Idaho Potato Bowl game and was a second-team all-Mid-American Conference choice in 2011. He missed playing time as a junior due to injuries but rebounded with a strong senior season at Ohio University, catching 74 passes for 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Colts TE Justin Snow did not make a catch in the Week 17 loss at snowy Buffalo.

Stanford tight end Coby Fleener will join his quarterback in Indianapolis. Andrew Luck, who started under center for the Cardinal and threw early and often to Fleener, will continue to do so after the Colts drafted the tight end in Round 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft. In 2011, Fleener averaged 19.6 yards per reception with 10 touchdown receptions, which followed up an eight-touchdown campaign in 2010. CBSSports.com asked Colts coach Chuck Pagano about Fleener earlier this offseason, and he loved him. "Six-foot-six and 250 pounds and runs 4.5," Pagano said of Fleener. "I think anybody would be excited to have a guy like that playing for you on the offensive side of the ball. He's a mismatch in the pass game, he'll fight you in the run game. He comes from a pro style offense but you spread those guys out and I know this coming off the AFC Championship Game, you've got to try to defend and cover guys like Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski and it's a nightmare. ... He's definitely got the skill set, the size and the numbers to certainly be a viable guy for anybody in this league."

Colts DB Jerraud Powers will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his left elbow in Week 13 against the Patriots.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri booted four field goals on Thursday night against the Texans. He connected from 23, 32, 47 and 31 yards. Vinatieri also hit a his only extra-point attempt. The Colts won the game, 19-16.

Indianapolis signed LB Scott Lutrus from St. Louis' practice squad on Tuesday.

The Steelers released 21 players on Friday, reducing their roster to 58 players. The 21 players released included linebackers Baraka Atkins, Mario Harvey, Chris McCoy and Mortty Ivy, defensive lineman Corbin Bryant, defensive backs Brett Greenwood, Macho Harris, Donovan Warren and Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, running backs James Johnson and John Clay, offensive linemen Colin Miller, Kyle Jolly, John Malecki, Trevis Turner and Keith Williams, wide receivers Armand Robinson, Wes Lyons and Tyler Grisham, tight end Jamie McCoy and kicker Swayze Waters.

The Colts signed DB Brandon King off the Dolphins practice squad on Tuesday.

The Colts claimed running back Deji Karim off waivers from the Jaguars. Karim was cut on April 27.

Colts LB Pat Angerer had his first career interception Week 15 against the Titans. He finished with 12 tackles (seven solo), two pass defenses and one forced fumble.