©Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
The Indianapolis Colts continue to harvest the remnants of the 2013 Cleveland Browns. Not only did the Colts make the infamous trade for RB – Trent Richardson last season, but they also recently brought in their former head coach as an assistant. Now Indianapolis has added one of Cleveland’s best players from recent seasons, by bringing in LB – D’Qwell Jackson.
The Browns released Jackson last month, in order to avoid having to pay him an extra $4 million in contract bonuses. The Colts have reportedly signed the 8-year veteran to a 4-year, $22 million contract, with $11 million guaranteed. As was reported by Naptown’s Finest recently, this could be a huge boost for the Colts’ suspect defense.
Jackson will most likely be playing alongside LB – Jerrell Freeman, who has led the team in tackles over the past two seasons. With the Browns, Jackson had 141 tackles last season, and has broken 100 combined tackles five times. The addition of Jackson may also lead towards the departure of LB – Pat Angerer, who was not franchised tagged, and will reportedly be open to test the waters in NFL free agency.
The Colts didn’t waste any time in acquiring a piece that they obviously felt was necessary for their defense. Jackson also had interest in the Miami Dolphins, but must have seen a brighter future with Indianapolis. The price may have been high, but Jackson’s production with a mediocre team cannot be denied. This addition may lessen the Colts’ interests and activity in free agency, but they may have already been able to scoop up exactly what they were looking for.