Colts first UFA WR Devin Funchess
 

Tom Pelissero‏Verified account @TomPelissero

The #Colts are signing former #Panthers WR Devin Funchess to a one-year deal, source said.

:cool:

Chris Mortensen‏Verified account @mortreport

Devin Funchess will sign a 1-year deal worth $13 million with the @Colts, per sources.

:eek:

Ballard *did* something!!! :D

That really feels like Ballard trying to hit the rolling average. Does this mean they're out on Tyrell Williams?

Good move, in my opinion. I mentioned him as someone I wanted the Colts to go after months ago.

Heck of a RZ target who is coming off a pretty average year, but look no further than Cam stinking it up.

$13M is the maximum value (with incentives). Base value unknown per Pro Football Talk:

https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/...52590701424640

I was thinking 13 million is a lot for Funchess but if there are a lot of performance incentives, he might be worth it.

$10 per $3 in incentives

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https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/20...t-d-k-metcalf/

Nice little interview with Rich Eisen.

The more I looked at Williams, the less of a fit he seemed to be at the price it would take. The Colts need a physical short to medium range receiver. Williams is big, but he’s a deep threat and not consistent at beating the jam and making the short contested grab.

Funchess is limited but he fills a need. We should trust Reich to use him well in specific situations like he did with Ebron last year.

I’m actually pissed at myself for not seeing this one beforehand. Funchess is an obvious fit for what Reich wants to do. Expect some more RPOs next year with Funchess running slants. Probably more back shoulder throws against man coverage as well.

Hot take: I think this is going to work out so well that the Colts re-sign Funchess next year to a long-term deal (unless Ballard hits on a similar WR in the mid to late rounds of this draft).

We were probably never in.

Funchess isn't a player I know much about, but for Ballard to sign him the first day of free agency must mean the Colts think highly of him.

Would have liked to have seen an option year or two tacked on to the end of this deal, so we could keep him if he works out well. He's 6' 4" and 230 lbs, so he's definitely got size, but his production has only been so-so thus far.

That might have been Ballard’s preference, but it doesn’t really matter. Colts have the cap room to extend him if they choose to do so. That’s the benefit of not going crazy on a slew of free agents.

He can't be worse than Grant.

Hope you didn't jinx him

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So highly he only rates a one year deal. I disliked the grant signing and I dislike this one. Ballard doesn’t see him as a fix, he sees him as a place holder. If he performs well he’ll be priced out of the colts range with Ballard. And if not he’ll go the way of Grant. Either way the chance of him being on the team for more than a year are slim. Place holder.

I have so many questions.

Is Ebron just a placeholder as well since Ballard didn’t give him 4-5 years? Why couldn’t Ballard extend Funchess next year? How does a 6’4” receiver who commanded $10-13MM compare to a 6’0” receiver who commanded $5MM?

This does reek of the whole Donnie Avery/DHB/Hakeem Nicks/Andre Johnson/Ryan Grant inability to find a WR2 alongside Hilton.

Grant in 2017 With WAS: 45 catches, 573 yards, 4 TD

Funchess in 2018 with CAR: 44 catches, 549 yards, 4 TD

:eek:

Please...just stop! That is what I'm hoping that this doesn't reek of!

Ballard and Reich just got their Alshon Jeffrey. Colts and Orioles, you have my permission to bump this at various points this season.

You're reading all of this based solely on the fact that its a one year deal? How do you know it was the Colts that proposed the deal? Maybe Funchess wanted a year away from the Panthers to show what he's capable of. Your argument on this was better with Grant. This is the first day of possible negotiations, after all, so its not like Funchess was floundering on the free agent market without a destination and had to accept the Colts proposal. I find it hard to believe that Ballard would sign a guy for $10-13M as a placeholder.

Funchess is no Alshon Jeffrey

Hope we draft a guy early. This dude isn’t an answer to any question I have

Yes, obviously he wanted to play with Andy.

AJ Brown.

Meh, he is only 24, but he wasn't that great with Carolina. I think Luck is a better thrower than Cam and his numbers should go up some. 10 mill is a little high, but one year. Seems like a stop gap till one of the draft picks develop. I wonder if we will spend two picks on receivers again this year.

Funchess will get 60 catches, 800 yards, and 5 TDs next year, which is what Jeffrey has averaged over the last 4 seasons.

http://coltfreaks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38649

Some people may want to re-read this thread before coming down so hard against this signing...

Was Ebron on a one year contract?

Can Ballard extend him? Yes. Will he? Doubtful. If he performs he’ll be out of Ballard’s range. Young players that take one year deals are trying to leverage it into a bigger payday. And we know that Ballard isn’t it to paying top dollar. He’s a place holder for fixing it through the draft.

How about my last question, Mr. Ebron’s Signing is “Meh?”

I don’t want to hear anything anymore about how Ballard doesn’t overpay. This is a weird contract. Funchess has not earned the right to potentially $13 million. I hope he does well. But I won’t be surprised if Deon Cain outplays him for WR2 and this looks like a bad signing by the end of the season.

https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/devin-...s-player-stats

Had 7 drops last season and a 56% catch percentage. My main complaint is he is a bit slow and doesn't separate well. With that size he should muscle some guys for the ball.

Funchess had 7 drops in 79 targets (Ebron 7 in 85) and has a catch percentage 15 points less than Ebron.

Theoretically he’s the perfect compliment to Hilton. Speed on one side, big bodied possession guy on the other.

We’ll have to wait and see how it works out but I like this move.

Damn. People are seriously upset because it is only a one year deal? You'd be happier with what 3/39? The guy makes some money, we get a big target (think he and Ebron will pose some redzone match up issues?) and everybody gets flexibility going forward. It's not earth shattering but it is a nice signing. Team should be better for it.

My annoyance is that if Ballard IS going to suddenly start spending that there are uses of $13M that have higher upside than Funchess.

If Deon Cain is the 2nd coming of Jerry Rice like you’ve said, then paying Funchess $13MM and him not winning WR2 isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Jerry Rice wishes he was as good as Deon Cain