Published: April 29, 2008 11:31 pm            

Indianapolis signs 13 undrafted free agents to ’08 class

INDIANAPOLIS — Just two days after picking up nine players through the National Football League draft, the Indianapolis Colts put the finishing touches on their 2008 rookie class by signing 13 undrafted college free agents.

The Colts have had pretty good success in adding much needed depth through the post-draft free agent process in recent years, bringing in the likes of running back Dominic Rhodes, middle linebacker Gary Brackett and defensive tackle Ed Johnson.

Whether there will be any players of that quality in this year’s group remains to be seen, however.

Among those signed and announced on Tuesday included wide receivers Rudy Burgess (Arizona State), Charles Dillon (Washington State), and Samuel Giguere (Sherbrooke University, Canada); defensive tackles Dan Davis (Connecticut), Colin Ferrell (Kent State), and Eric Foster (Rutgers); defensive end Curtis Johnson (Clark College); cornerback Brandon Foster (Texas); safety Jamie Silva (Boston College); linebacker Jordan Senn (Portland State); offensive tackle Darren Marquez (Southern Illinois); running back Chad Simpson (Morgan State) and quarterback Adam Tafralis (San Jose State).

Johnson (a speed rusher in the mold of starting defensive end Robert Mathis), Silva, Brandon Foster and Eric Foster would appear to be the early players to keep an eye on at first glance. But team president Bill Polian opted not to make specific comments about any of the free agent signees, preferring instead to take a wait-and-see attitude as to how they do in this weekend’s rookie minicamp. All 22 first-year players will be taking part in a three-day session at the team’s West 56th Street headquarters beginning on Friday.

“What we’re trying to do is to make sure that we give them a thorough grounding in what we’re about, on and off the field. And to get them to a point where they’re able to come in and not compete right away in summer school, but at least know what they’re doing. Have a semblance of knowledge of what they’re doing. This is the real world. All that took place on draft day, and before that, is the fun world of the draft. This is now the real world of the National Football League and it doesn’t have to do with marketing and it doesn’t have to do with seminars on how to be a better person. All that stuff is fine and dandy at the appropriate time. But this is about competing for a job in the National Football League. And they’re all [draftees and free agents] equal. From [offensive guard and second-round draft choice] Mike Pollak down to the last guy that who was signed, and I suspect that was Giguere, they’re all equal. And they’re going to come in and they’re going to get coached the same way,” Polian said Tuesday.

“The same thing is expected of them. And they’ll be judged the same, the best 53 guys will make the team. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been drafted, what school you went to, how much money your parents have, who your agent is, how many trees were killed writing about you in the pre-draft analysis, what Mel Kiper or any other expert thinks about you. It’s all about what you do in this building, in the classroom, on the field, off the field, to measure up to the standards that the Colts have. For us, this is first time that we get them and get the opportunity to say to them, ‘Anything that happened before this, including your college career, doesn’t count. Now, it’s what you do here.’ And we make that very clear to them. Now its about winning a job in the National Football League and then performing on a winning level in the National Football League. And it starts this weekend.”

The 22 rookies will be joined at the minicamp by a handful of returning players who have yet to accrue a season of pension credit, such as former Indiana defensive end Ben Ishola. Ishola spent the 2007 season as an exempt player on the Colts’ practice squad.

“They sort of help and ease the transition because they’ve been through it before. That’s helpful,” Polian added. “[The minicamp] will be much more position specific. There will be very little team work.”

• Nothing new on Colvin, Rhodes — Polian said that he had nothing new to report concerning a potential signing of veteran free agent linebacker Roosevelt Colvin.

“No, nothing. We’re still looking over the issue,” he said.

And the possibility of the Colts bringing back running back Dominic Rhodes, who was released by the Oakland Raiders on Monday, has also not been discussed as of yet.

“We didn’t discuss it [Tuesday]. [Head coach] Tony [Dungy] didn’t mention it. I think we’re pretty full at the position to be truthful with you,” Polian said.

• Indiana, area college free agent signings — Here is a partial list of where Indiana college, University of Illinois and Gateway Conference players have signed to play in the NFL:



Illinois — DT Chris Norwell, New England; OT Akim Millington, New Orleans; SS Kevin Mitchell, Washington; LB J. Leaman, Minnesota; S Justin Harrison, Cleveland.

Notre Dame — LB John Brockington, Buffalo; RB Travis Thomas, Cleveland; LS J.J. Jansen, Green Bay.

Indiana — CB Leslie Majors, Chicago.

Purdue — LB Josh Ferguson, Green Bay; C Robbie Powell, Cleveland; WR Dorrian Bryant, Pittsburgh.

Eastern Illinois — WR Micah Rucker, Pittsburgh.

Illinois State — QB Luke Drone, Buffalo; C Isaiah Wiggins, Baltimore; OL Brandon Joyce, Minnesota.

Southern Illinois — QB Nick Hill, Chicago.

Western Kentucky — WR Curtis Hamilton, Chicago.

Hamilton Southeastern HS — TE Joe Reitz (Western Michigan basketball player), Baltimore.

Zionsville HS — QB Mark Nicolet (Hillsdale College), Detroit.

        

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