Published: February 28, 2009 12:31 am         

Colts may be searching for LBs

INDIANAPOLIS — With the Indianapolis Colts confirming that Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday had agreed to a new three-year deal, the team also acknowledged that linebacker will most likely be a position of interest in the upcoming NFL draft.

The Colts opted not to offer a one-year $1 million contract tender to weak-side linebacker Freddy Keiaho, who became a restricted free agent at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Keiaho, who started 25 of 39 games for Indianapolis since being selected in the third round of the 2006 draft, is now free to sign with another NFL team.

Another outside linebacker, Tyjuan Hagler, is an unrestricted free agent and was not offered a contract. He can sign with another team. Hagler has played in 10 of 30 possible games for the Colts after being a fifth-round draft choice in 2005. His progress has been slowed by numerous injuries that have kept him out of the defensive lineup for the past three seasons.

Middle linebacker Gary Brackett, who is rehabbing from a lower right leg injury that sidelined him for the final four games of the 2008 regular season as well as the playoff game with San Diego, will be back along with strong-side linebacker Clint Session.

A pair of rookies from last year, Philip Wheeler and Jordan Senn, also return. Wheeler was a third-round draft choice last spring, while Senn was an undrafted free agent.

Joining Hagler as an unrestricted free agent are running back Dominic Rhodes, punter Hunter Smith, safety Matt Giordano, cornerback Keiwan Ratliff, defensive tackle/end Darrell Reid and defensive end Josh Thomas. Indianapolis did, however, offer one-year contract tenders to linebacker Buster Davis (exclusive-rights free agent), defensive tackle Daniel Muir ($460,000, exclusive-rights free agent), running back Lance Ball ($310,000, exclusive-rights free agent) and offensive guard/tackle Daniel Federkeil (restricted free agent).

Smith has most likely suited up for his last game with Indianapolis. A seventh-round draft choice in 1999, the Notre Dame graduate has played in 160 games and has a 43.4-yard average on 577 total punts. He had 193 career punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

Rhodes, though, may eventually return to the Colts. But he’ll take a long look at what kind of offers he may receive during the free agency period.



• Off-season roster additions confirmed — Former Indiana State tight Jamie Petrowski is one of 11 players who have been signed to Indianapolis’ 2009 off-season roster.

Petrowski, who spent most of 2008 on the Colts’ practice squad, joins linebacker Rufus Alexander, safety Brannon Condren, punter Mike Dragosavich, cornerback Brandon Foster, wide receiver San Giguere, offensive tackle Corey Hillard, cornerback Travis Key, linebacker Michael Okwo, wide receiver Taj Smith and cornerback Brandon Sumrall.

Alexander, Condren, Foster, Giguere, Hillard, Smith and Sumrall all spent time on Indianapolis’ practice squad last season.

Dragosavich, meanwhile, was claimed off waivers by Indianapolis earlier this month. An undrafted free agent who signed with the New England Patriots last season, he also spent time on the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad in 2008. He attended North Dakota State.

Key, who played collegiately at Michigan State, saw work with the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers as an undrafted rookie last season. Okwo, meanwhile, is a former third-round draft pick by the Chicago Bears in 2007 out of Stanford. He spent the past two seasons with the Bears before being signed by the Colts earlier this year.