Published: April 22, 2008 12:16 am            

Colts sign free agents as draft approaches, comment on Keit's arrest

INDIANAPOLIS — With only four days to go before the start of the annual National Football League player draft in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts wrapped up some free agent business Monday by signing its three remaining restricted free agents to new deals.

Although the financial terms and the length of each deal were not immediately known, the Colts announced that team officials had reached agreements with offensive guard Dylan Gandy, defensive tackle Darrell Reid and tight end Bryan Fletcher.

Gandy, a fourth-round selection in 2005 from Texas Tech, has started 14 games in three seasons. He started 11 games in 2006 when starter Ryan Lilja was out with an injury. He is expected to push for a starters role this spring, replacing former Colts offensive guard Jake Scott in the lineup.

Scott, who was an unrestricted free agent, signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans in March.

Reid, after making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2005, has started twice and played in 39 games, emerging last season as one of the Colts’ top special teams players. He started one of 16 regular-season games, making 14 tackles on defense and registering a half a sack.

The former University of Minnesota defensive end finished last season as the Colts’ leading special teams tackler with 22, including 21 solos, and he was named the AFC Special Teams Player-of-the-Week following a four-tackle game against the Houston Texans on December 23.

Fletcher, who signed with the Colts as a free agent in 2005 and is currently the No. 2 tight end behind starter Dallas Clark, has started 18 of 46 games in three seasons, catching 54 passes for 547 yards and five touchdowns. He started 12 games in 2005, and has caught 18 passes in each of his three seasons. The UCLA product had 143 yards receiving and no touchdowns last season.

• Colts comment on Keith's arrest — Backup running back Kenton Keith was arrested early Sunday morning after he refused to leave a westside Indianapolis nightclub. The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. at the Cloud 9 nightclub on West 38th Street.

Keith, who played his first season with Indianapolis in 2007 after beginning his professional career with Calgary of the Canadian Football League, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting law enforcement, public intoxication and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, as another man with him was 19. He was released Sunday after posting a $1,000 bond.

Team officials, meanwhile, issued a written statement about the arrest Monday morning.

“We are aware of the fact that there was an incident involving the arrest of Kenton Keith at a local nightclub this weekend. We have no confirmation on details at this point. Accordingly, we will make no specific comment with respect to this incident until we have more information," the release read.

“Any incident involving any players with law enforcement we view very seriously, and we will act accordingly.”

        

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