Joe Reitz

Joe Reitz Announces Retirement

Colts offensive lineman Joe Reitz announced his retirement on Tuesday. In seven NFL seasons, the veteran played in 73 games with 44 starts.

“I’m privileged to have had the opportunity to coach Joe for five seasons here in Indianapolis,” head coach Chuck Pagano said. “He stood out as a selfless player who was respected by his teammates in addition to being a tremendous family man.

“As a native of the Indianapolis area, Joe made an impact on the community he grew up in. He demonstrated how one should conduct himself on and off the field and all Hoosiers and Colts fans alike should be proud of the way he represented himself. We are thankful for Joe’s contributions to this organization and wish him the best moving forward.”

The Western Michigan product entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2008, and he proceeded to spend several years in the Ravens and Dolphins organizations. He caught on with his hometown Colts in 2010, and he subsequently spent seven seasons in Indianapolis.

Sunday Roundup: Browns, Whitworth, Brees

Dwayne Bowe is a healthy scratch for the Browns in Week 3, which, given Cleveland’s dearth of talent at wide receiver, speaks volumes about Bowe’s present ability. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com appears to believe that the team will cut ties with Bowe sooner rather than later, tweeting that the team will wait for GM Ray Farmer to return from suspension after next week’s game and then pull the plug on Bowe. Grossi’s ESPN colleagues Adam Caplan and Jeremy Fowler, however, disagree. Fowler tweets that the Browns will at least wait to see if Bowe can get himself into game shape, while Caplan tweets that, between the $9MM in guaranteed money the Browns invested in Bowe, combined with the team’s need at wideout, Bowe will have a little more time to prove himself.

Now let’s take a peek at a few more links from around the league:

  • Johnny Manziel may not be playing for the Browns this week, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, he continues to impress Cleveland brass with the strides he has made both on and off the field. The team will continue to roll with veteran Josh McCown for the time being, but if the Browns should begin to slip from the playoff picture, Manziel will get the chance to prove he is the team’s long-awaited solution under center.
  • Coley Harvey of ESPN.com believes the extension that the Bengals recently gave to Andrew Whitworth is a clear indication that the team does not see its window of opportunity closing, and that they will continue to be championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Although the team has not officially announced the extension, Harvey tweets that the announcement could come after today’s game against Baltimore.
  • Drew Brees‘ injury clouds his future with the Saints, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could free up $20MM in salary cap room by parting ways with Brees next year and beginning the rebuilding process. Of course, before that happens, the team would have to have a viable alternative under center; Luke McCown is not the answer, and rookie Garrett Grayson, needless to say, has a long way to go.
  • If Brees should end up looking for a new home next year, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says the Jets would likely be a strong contender for his services.
  • Chuck Pagano may be coaching his last season in Indianapolis, but he is apparently unafraid to make drastic changes to jump start his struggling club. As Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets, the Colts went with a new-look offensive line today, starting Jack Mewhort at left guard, Hugh Thornton at right guard, and Joe Reitz at right tackle. Free agent acquisition Todd Herremans, notably, moves to the bench.
  • During the 2009 draft, the Jaguars traded their seventh-round pick in that draft and their second-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s third-round pick in 2009. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, Jacksonville selected Derek Cox with that third-round pick, and the Pats parlayed their two choices into Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

 

Colts Re-Sign Joe Reitz

The Colts have ensured that offensive lineman Joe Reitz doesn’t hit the open market later today, announcing that they’ve reached an agreement on a new contract for him. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), it’s a three-year contract for Reitz, and can be worth up to $10MM, with a base value of just under $9MM.

Reitz, 29, has been a part-time player for the Colts over the last four seasons, starting 24 games during that stretch. The versatile lineman – and Indiana native – saw time at both guard spots and at right tackle for Indianapolis during the 2014 season, taking over as the club’s starting right tackle during the postseason.

It’s not clear yet whether Reitz will be penciled into a starting role for 2014, but he should have a chance to compete for playing time, and if he’s not a starter, he’ll almost certainly be the first lineman off the bench in the event of an injury.

Colts Re-Sign Joe Reitz

The Colts have re-signed restricted free agent Joe Reitz, who has accepted his RFA tender, reports Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Reitz, who played at both guard positions in 2013, should be in line for a salary of $1.431MM, the minimum RFA tender amount.

Reitz, 28, played 149 total offensive snaps for the Colts last season, playing primarily in a reserve role but also starting three games for the club. The reduced role seemed to suit Reitz — after recording a negative grade in 2011 and 2012 as a starter, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Western Michigan alum posted a +5.1 mark in 2013, providing above-average run and pass blocking.

In 2014, the versatile Reitz figures to provide depth at several spots on the offensive line for Indianapolis.

Contract Tenders: Saints, Colts, Cardinals

Players who have three years or less of NFL experience and no contract for 2014 continue to receive contract tenders from their current teams. For exclusive rights free agents, these tenders essentially represent the contracts they’ll be playing under in 2014, since ERFAs aren’t permitted to negotiate with any of the league’s other 31 teams. Restricted free agents, on the other hand, can accept these one-year contract offers, but will also have the freedom to negotiate with other suitors and perhaps sign an offer sheet once the free agent period begins.

Here are Thursday’s contract tenders from around the NFL:

  • The Saints have extended a $1.431MM tender offer to safety Rafael Bush, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Since Bush is a restricted free agent and went undrafted, New Orleans wouldn’t receive any draft compensation if the 26-year-old signs elsewhere.
  • The Colts extended tenders today to restricted free agents Josh Gordy and Joe Reitz, and to exclusive rights free agent Cam Johnson, says Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter). The two RFA tenders are expected to be worth $1.431MM, while Johnson’s tender will be worth the minimum.
  • Nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu received a tender from the Cardinals and has signed it, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Ta’amu, who is recovering from an ACL injury, was an exclusive rights free agent.
  • Earlier today, we passed along word of contract tenders made by the Bills and Browns.