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| 1445 Beiträge - Hardcoreposter
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INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts started and finished Tuesdays free agent binge by re-signing their own key players. In between, they added defensive lineman Arthur Jones -- and it may be just the start. On a busy first day of free agency for the big-spending Colts, the emphasis was clear: They need to get better on defence. "He is a rare talent at 25 years of age who is still ascending as a player," general manager Ryan Grigson said in a statement announcing the deal with Davis. "We are excited to see him reach new heights in his career and help us attain our ultimate goal." For the Colts, the splashy grand entrance into free agency is becoming an annual affair. Last year, Indianapolis signed five high-priced unrestricted free agents on Day 1. On Tuesday, they focused on keeping their own players, agreeing to a two-year deal with longtime kicker Adam Vinatieri in the morning and a four-year deal with Davis in the afternoon before re-signing running back Ahmad Bradshaw. But Indy couldnt even wait that long to get started. Last Thursday, the Colts signed former Browns linebacker DQwell Jackson to a four-year deal. The next day, they re-signed punter Pat McAfee to a new five-year deal. On Monday, the Colts announced they had re-signed two more of their own free agents, defensive end Fili Moala and linebacker Justin Hickman. Then came word of Vinatieris deal, which virtually assures the best clutch kicker in league history will remain the oldest player in the league in 2014 and 2015 and could make him a Colt for life. The 41-year-old Vinatieri said other teams were interested though the Colts were his first choice. "For me, as long as my bodys feeling healthy and I can continue to kick at a high level, I dont see why I cant continue to play on. I know Morten (Andersen) played until he was 47. I think Gary (Anderson) played until he was 46. I know Im 41 but in that sense, theres a handful of years left, not just two." Davis felt much the same way. After Miami traded Davis to Indy just before the 2012 season opener, the former first-round pick emerged as the Colts top cover cornerback. Most outsiders figured that with the price of cornerbacks rising considerably after Sam Shields signed a big deal with Green Bay and Brent Grimes signed a big deal with Miami, Davis was as good as gone if he didnt re-sign before the free agent market opened Tuesday afternoon. Not so. "My agent informed me that the Colts came in and we had an offer that we accepted," Davis said. "In reality, I didnt want to leave the Colts. I listened to other teams, but I wanted to get back (to Indy), so we made it work." Financial terms of the four deals were not immediately available. Indy also signed Jones, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive end, who played his first two seasons in Baltimore when Colts coach Chuck Pagano was an assistant with the Ravens. Last season, Jones started a career high 13 games, finished with a career best 53 tackles and had four sacks. Hes big enough to play inside or outside in the Colts 3-4 front, but the Colts wanted Jones for more than just versatility. "He is an outstanding producer down after down versus the run and pass," Grigson said. "Hes a guy who plays at a championship level week after week and lays it on the line every time he steps out on the field. He is a great fit for our team." Jones is expected to undergo a team physical Wednesday. Bradshaw was off to a promising start last season after recovering from a foot injury, which led to his departure from the Giants. He rushed for 186 yards and two scores before injuring his neck in Week 3 against San Francisco in September. Bradshaw never returned from that injury and finished the season on injured reserve. Whats next for a team that started the day roughly $36 million under the $133 million salary cap is anybodys guess. The Colts are still looking to solidify their offensive line, especially after releasing starting centre Samson Satele late last week to save about $4 million. They could still use another pass rusher to help NFL sacks champion Robert Mathis; are likely still seeking a receiver to help Andrew Luck; and might now need a safety after losing two-time Pro Bowler Antoine Bethea to San Francisco. But what Indianapolis does have is stability. "If there wasnt a business side in football, I would still choose to go back to the Colts," Davis said. "When you go to the Colts, man, its something you hold with you for the rest of your life." Paul McQuistan Youth Jersey . Headlining the 27 players were first-round NHL draftees Rasmus Ristolainen and Teuvo Teravainen. Both players are returnees from the 2013 Finnish World Junior team. Miles Austin Jersey . This week they discuss Phoenix Coyotes fans treatment of Gary Bettman, MLSEs government handout, Jeffrey Loria and two legacy CFL stars. http://www.shopjerseysbrowns.com/Womens-Travis-Benjamin-Auth entic-Jersey/ . Moskalski, a fourth-year physical education and recreation student from Edmonton, collected four points in two games as the Pandas kicked off conference play with a pair of road wins over Canada West champion Manitoba. Joel Bitonio Womens Jersey .J. -- If people were looking for Richard Sherman to get the weeklong hype for the Super Bowl started with another rant, the Seattle cornerback disappointed them. John Greco Jersey . The incident happened during Barcelonas 3-2 win at Villarreal on April 27th when Alves, who is black, picked up the banana thrown by 26-year-old David Campayo Lleo, bit off a piece and then discarded it.Ontario and British Columbia are the traditional lacrosse hotbeds in Canada, but the best professional indoor team in the country right now calls Alberta home. The undefeated Edmonton Rush improved to 5-0 over the weekend, the only National Lacrosse League team yet to taste defeat so far this season. In fact, the Rush are the only Canadian club with a winning record as Toronto (2-3), Calgary (2-3) and Vancouver (2-5) all lag behind Edmonton. "Its early still and you dont want to get too high or too excited but were playing well," said Rush head coach and general manager Derek Keenan. "Its a process of maturity." Edmontons defence was been exceptional so far, led by Kyle Rubisch. "Hes a bulldog," Keenan said of the two-time reigning NLL defenceman of the year. "He takes away opponents space, he picks off passes and hes a beast when the ball is on the turf. His gap closure is scary good. Guys think they have a step on him or an opportunity to get by him and hes in their face and theyre on their butt. "Hes a shut-down guy. Hes got great vision and good hands, too. He fits our system so well. Hes a good team guy. Were lucky to have him." Meanwhile, Chris Corbeil was named captain when Jimmy Quinlan moved behind the bench as an assistant coach this year. "I loved the kid when I watched him play in junior and I continued to watch him when he was in Buffalo," added Keenan. "Hes a real quality person, a great teammate, and hes super fit. He sets an example on the floor both in games and practices. And hes young, too. "Thats the M.O. of our whole group. Were a young group, but pretty experienced for a team so young -- a lot of Canadian championships (in summer lacrosse), a lot of experience in big-game situations." Rubisch, Corbeil and Brett Mydske were good enough to be on Canadas team that won the most recent world indoor championship. "Weve got all three of them on our back end and theyre three of the best in the business," said Keenan. The whole defence-transition corps has been together for three years now, with the addition this year of Nik Bilic, and that continuity has resulted in a league-best 7.8 goals-against average. Top-notch goaltending is a must in lacrosse and Aaron Bold, who gets most of the starts, and Brodie MacDonald supply it for the Rush. "Hes been awesome," Keenan said of Bold. "Hes made big saves at key times. Last game, Rochester tied the score late and he made two big saves on Dan Dawson in the closing minute of regulation time. Hes really raised the level of his game." Up front, second-year forwards Mark Matthews, who was 2013 rookie of the year after being the No. 1 overall draft pick, and Curtis Knight are maturing impressively in the pro game. The former Whitby, Ont., junior teammates share the team goal scoring lead with 12 each. It was Matthews who scored the overtime winner in a thrilling 8-7 home triumph last Saturday over two-time defending champion Rochester. At six-foot-five, hes a superstar in the making. "Hes got a great passion for the game," said Keenan.dddddddddddd. "One thing about him Ive found different from so-called premier players is that hes willing to do a lot of the dirty work, too. A lot of his big plays in games are without the ball. Hes willing to do that. I look at (Buffalo forward) John Tavares who is 45 but who can still play because hes changed his game 10 times. You can constantly try to get better, and Mark is willing to do that." Add it all up and it is clear to see that Keenan has been putting a complete package on the green carpet. "Its my fifth year in Edmonton and weve had ups and downs," he said. "This is the first year you feel such positive vibes. You hear people talking about us. Everybody loves a winner. Winning consistently was a problem for us in the past. We were 2-6 at home last season. That was a problem. This season were 3-0 at home so far. You can feel a different kind of vibe in the city -- that theres some belief in us. Again, its early in the season, but theres progress there." Average attendance in Rexall Place is 7,695 through three home games, which is less than what owner Bruce Urban needs to break even. So, everybody in the Rush organization is hoping the winning ways will fill more seats. "We play an exciting brand of lacrosse people should want to see," said Keenan. "Bruce is a committed owner. Weve worked together on finding the right formula and we seem to be getting there. "The tempo of play is so fast these days. We dont designate one or two or three guys as transition players to move the ball quickly up the floor. We expect our entire defence group to contribute that way because we think they are capable of that. Skill levels across the league are phenomenal now and we fit that mould well." Edmonton began NLL play in 2006 but it wasnt until 2010 that the Rush won more games than it lost. Last years 9-7 record was the teams second .500-plus showing, although the 2012 lineup managed to get as far as the title game despite a 6-10 regular season. Winning the Champions Cup that year would have been a colossal upset. Now, Keenans crew looks more ready than most other NLL teams to push Rochester off the top of the heap. Rush players are from either Ontario or B.C. except for defenceman John Lintz, a local who attends the University of Alberta, and faceoff specialist Jeremy Thompson, who is a First Nations player from upstate New York. A home playoff date for the first time in franchise history seems likely come spring. "Weve established a fan base and, to get more people out to games, they just need to see some results," said Lintz. "Getting a home playoff date would be amazing. If we get that, it would really cement us in the eyes of a lot of fans." The West Division leaders play in Philadelphia on Saturday and at Minnesota on Feb. 15. They are at home against Toronto on Feb. 28 and against Vancouver on March 8. A March 14 game in Calgary precedes a March 21 home game against the Buffalo Bandits (5-1), who currently hold down first place in the East Division. ' ' '
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| Beitrag vom 13.10.2014 - 04:19 |
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