One of the keys to the offseason for the Colts was to improve the offensive line. Whilst the signing of Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus provides an upgrade over Winston Justice, the interior of the line provided the most concern.

And whilst the media regularly linked the team with moves for Buffalo Bills guard Andy Levitre and Louis Vasquez of the Chargers, General Manager Ryan Grigson chose not to pursue the bigger names on the market and instead moved for New England Patriots guard Donald Thomas.

A 27-year old lineman formerly of the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, Thomas started just 7 games for the Patriots in 2012, mostly serving as a backup to Logan Mankins. However, Thomas impressed during his limited playing time, and Pro Football Focus graded Thomas at +10.2 for the 2012 season, ranking him as the 4^th best interior lineman available in free agency – above Vasquez.

The contract seems friendly too – 4 years at $14m is probably one of the more frugal moves the Colts made this week, particularly for someone who played well at both left and right guard.

From watching the footage of Patriots games, Thomas is a good pass protector, but also has the ability to drive linemen back to open up running lanes. It's these abilities that make him incredibly useful at both guard positions.

The first two plays are from the game against the Colts, with Thomas usually up against Fili Moala. The first play shown looks at his run blocking, and the particular play featured shows him at left guard.

Good morning, Colts fans.  Today, we'll take a quick look at three of the Colts recent free agent signees as they talk about what brought them to Indianapolis and what to expect from each of them.  As usual, all quotes are courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts Public Relations Department. 

(Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)

LB Erik Walden

Erik Walden is a natural 3-4 outside linebacker (OLB).  He is known more for solid tackling and good pursuit than pass rushing, and he can drop into coverage and keep up with tight ends.  If Walden holds on to a starting job, that will allow Robert Mathis to move over to the right OLB, or “rush” linebacker position.  There, he won’t be asked to spend as much time in pass coverage, where he struggled last year, despite snagging his first career interception.

Walden will play primarily as the left OLB, or strong side linebacker.  When Mathis played on that side, the strong safety or an inside linebacker often had to cover the opposing tight end or running back on pass plays because Mathis had very little coverage experience.  With Walden on the strong side, Pagano will have another coverage option, occasionally freeing up the safety to provide help over the top and cover deep (or blitz, for that matter).  This will also free Robert Mathis up to take his relentless pass rush to the quarterback’s blind side.

Free Agency is 3 days old, the Colts have spent plenty of dough, Colts Authority takes a look at the big deals that will shape the NFL landscape! Live, at 8pm ET, March 14th, 2013. Join us!

December 30, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers nose tackle Ricky Jean Francois (95) sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Brian Hoyer (6) during the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Cardinals 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
 

Shortly after 3:00 PM Eastern Time, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that the Colts had signed former 49ers Defensive Lineman Ricky Jean-Francois (6-3, 295, 26 years old) to a four year, $22 million deal.  Francois is listed as a defensive tackle, but has played both tackle and end for San Francisco, where both 3-4 ends are listed as tackles. 

According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Colts were competing with the Titans, Saints, and Philadelphia, which was Francois’s first free agent visit.  Some believed the versatile lineman would finish his free agent rounds before signing anywhere, but alas, the Colts won out before he could leave Indy. 

One of the earlier Colts moves on Tuesday evening was to sign former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Greg Toler to start the rebuild of the defensive backfield - a unit which descended to atrocious levels of play last year. He signed a 3-year, $15m deal to in theory join Vontae Davis as a starter. In keeping with our rundown on the Colts acquisitions thus far, here's the lowdown on Greg Toler.

An initial look at Toler doesn't yield a great deal of information - his 6'0, 193lb frame is fairly typical for the position, though he'll undoubtedly provide a clear length/reach upgrade on the now-departed Jerraud Powers (ironically enough, to Arizona). This was one of my primary issues with Powers - he couldn't easily match up with receivers in excess of 6'2 and expect to win in man coverage - Toler provides a more physical presence.

I've chosen three plays to highlight Toler's game - I know it's a small sample size. The fact is that his highlights (5 career INTs) weren't particularly helpful in terms of camera angles and the plays themselves being bad quarterbacking as opposed to great work on the back end.

I'll start with the most recent play I've chosen from Toler - taken from the Cardinals vs. Lions game in Week 15 of 2012. It's a 4th and 2 from the ARZ 2.

Firstly - context. It's a 4th and 2 with less than 6 minutes to go in a 2 score game. Toler is lined up at RCB opposite Kris Durham, Matthew Stafford's own version of Brandon Stokley. It's straight man coverage across the board.

Dec. 2, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets free safety LaRon Landry (30) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts have inked a four-year contract with Pro-Bowl Safety LaRon Landry (6-0, 220 pounds, 28 years old).  The New York Jets had wanted to retain the 28-year-old tackle machine but couldn’t find a way to fit him under the salary cap.  Landry’s deal is worth a reported $24 million with $14 million guaranteed according to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora), who reported the deal on Twitter around 11:30 Wednesday night.  Mr. Grigson, it appears, has been working late. 

With Landry, Indianapolis has vastly upgraded the safety position without breaking the bank.  Landry has made a name for himself as both a solid tackler and a punishing hitter.  He is at his best against the run but can get out and cover well for such a big guy.  

I had this whole waves vs. ripples analogy ready to go but then I saw that Indy Star had already beaten me to the punch.  In all seriousness, I know that many of us expected some big marquee names to be inked yesterday, what with the veritable treasure trove of money we had burning a hole in Irsay’s man cave (and our eccentric owner’s tweets about suitcases full of 100 million dollars did little to lessen that expectation), but I think it’s notable and, dare I say, laudable even that Ryan Grigson practiced what he has been preaching all week and didn’t spend money just to spend it. 

While our flush cohorts, Cleveland and Miami, were handing out 8 figure salaries like bong hits at Woodstock, Grigson kept a level head and made some solid under-the-radar signings that will both help this team get better and not cripple the franchise should one or more of them not pan out (I admit, I don’t understand paying Erik Walden $16 million, but that’s someone else’s problem).

He could have swung for the fences, and no one but Pete Prisco and Nate Dunlevy would have criticized him for it. With nearly $50-million in cap space, more holes than a swiss cheese factory, and an owner willing to throw his 2012 Executive of the Year Award in the face of any doubter, Ryan Grigson had the figurative blank check in his hands.

But instead of signing the top-rated free agents, relying on getting 1 or 2 big-ticket names to patch those holes, Grigson relied on his scouting department to find pieces he felt fit his team's needs, without breaking the bank.

Dec. 2, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Arizona Cardinals cornerback Greg Toler (28) knocks the ball away from New York Jets wide receiver Chaz Schilens (85) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

According to reports from CBS Sports, ESPN, and the Baltimore Sun (yep), the Indianapolis Colts have come to an agreement with former Arizona Cardinals cornerback Greg Toler.  The contract is reportedly a three-year $15 million dollar deal, according to the Baltimore Sun. 

Toler is 28 years old, 6-0, 192 pounds, and played a lot at the nickel spot in Arizona, where he had 27 tackles and 2 interceptions last season.  He was originally drafted in the fourth round in 2009 out of St. Paul's College in Virginia, and, according his Wikipedia page, he was the first player from his alma mater ever to be selected in the NFL Draft. 

Toler actually earned the starting job in his second year in Arizona before tearing his ACL, which caused him to miss the following season (2011).  He came back and played twelve games, starting two, last year, but the Cardinals did not re-sign him. 

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

While big names such as Phil Loadholt and Andy Levitre signed with other teams the Colts quietly picked up a quality offensive lineman in former Detroit Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus, according to ESPN. At 6-7, 325 pounds, Cherilus is a mauler, a strong, physical tackle known for blocking with a bit of a mean streak.  Indy wanted to get bigger and stronger up front, and it looks like they are well on their way. 

Drafted 17^th overall in 2008, Cherilus has started 71 NFL games for the Lions. If he remains at right tackle, the Colts will have an offensive line book-ended by Boston College graduates, though he and Costanzo did not play there at the same time.  (Correction- 3/16/13: Cherilus and Costanzo were teammates during Costanzo's freshman year)

Cherilus should fit in well with the Colts' team culture in that he is heavily involved in charity and community events. According to Wikipedia, his foundation is active in Haiti, where he was born, and he is active around the city of Detroit, holding football camps and working with the homeless population there. Cherilus has also raised funds for children with disabilities in the Boston area.  Anyone who lives in or near Indianapolis knows how active the Colts players are in the community, and their newest addition should mesh very well with that philosophy. 

At the time this was published, the terms of the deal were not yet available.  Keep stopping by Colts Authority this week for a more in-depth look at each of the team's major signings. 

In the meantime, here are some quick links to learn more about our newest Colt:

ESPN's Paul Kuharsky: Colts get more physical up front with Cherilus

Cherilus's Wikipedia page

Cherilus's NFL Draft profile from 2008

Gosder Cherilus Foundation