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Colts Sign New Center, Lose Critical Lineman in Free Agency Mock Draft

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Colts Sign New Center, Lose Critical Lineman in Free Agency Mock Draft


The Indianapolis Colts elected to largely disregard the exterior free agent market last offseason, only sealing the deal on two newcomers, both of whom were backups. However, this year, they almost have no choice but to get more active. General manager Chris Ballard has vowed to, at least.

The Colts have several in-house free agents who make more sense to leave this year rather than return, and some of the holes will likely need to be plugged with outside players on the market.

The big NFL free agency boom begins next week, and Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports decided to make a cool exercise out of it, applying the ever-popular NFL mock draft model to that of free agency. “(We) imagined where some of the best available veterans would end up if all 32 teams were allowed to ‘sign’ them — not in order of lowest NFL standing, like the draft, but rather in projected salary cap space,” Benjamin explained.

In this mock, Colts’ starting right guard Will Fries comes off the board to the Minnesota Vikings with the seventh overall pick. While Fries is arguably the Colts’ top free agent this year, he is expected to garner plenty of attention on the market

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Because the draft order in this projection is based on salary cap space, the Colts picked 18th, and Benjamin gave them Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman.

“A new center won’t fix their clear lack of reliability at quarterback,” Benjamin wrote. “But Dalman has flashed rock-steady stuff, and at 26, he could be a long-term replacement for the aging Ryan Kelly.”

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Dalman (6’3″, 305, 26 years old) is one of the top interior linemen in the free agent market and is said to be a priority for Atlanta to bring back.

Since being drafted by the Falcons in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, he has steadily improved into an above-average NFL center. Dalman became a starter in 2022 and has since has started the last 40 games he’s appeared in. He has graded well, ranking 15th among NFL centers in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, third in 2023, and tied for 13th in 2024.

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While Dalman — the son of former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Chris Dalman — seems like a low-risk signing, there is an issue to note, as Drew Dalman missed 11 games the last two years due to ankle injuries.

The need for a player like Dalman opens up as Colts free-agent center Ryan Kelly is set to potentially leave next week. Backups Danny Pinter and Wesley French are free agents as well. The Colts do have 2024 rookie Tanor Bortolini to fall back on as the starter if they choose, but Benjamin slates a direct veteran-for-veteran replacement in this scenario.

The new league year and subsequent “beginning” to free agency arrives next week. NFL teams may begin negotiating contracts with outside players beginning at 12:00 p.m. E.T. on Monday, March 10 until 3:59 p.m. E.T. on Wednesday, March 12. At 4:00 p.m. E.T., teams can officially begin signing new players.

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INDOT says Clear Path 465 nears major milestone with final bridge beams

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INDOT says Clear Path 465 nears major milestone with final bridge beams


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Department of Transportation says the Clear Path 465 project is nearing one of its last major milestones.

On Monday, the state agency announced that 10 bridge beams for construction work are scheduled to be delivered and set this week. It marks the final beams required and the 14th bridge on the project.

The beams will be installed for a bridge on I-69, northbound, over 82nd Street. Drivers should expect closures from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. through early next week as crews complete the overhead work.

  • Wednesday, April 15 & Thursday, April 16
    • 82nd Street is closed in both directions under I-69
  • Friday, April 17 – Monday, April 20
    • Eastbound 82nd Street closed under I-69
  • Tuesday, April 21 – Thursday, April 23
    • Westbound 82nd Street is closed under I-69.

Scheduled work is pending weather conditions in the area.

The mainline portion of Clear Path is still expected to finish this spring. INDOT says drivers should expect traffic shifts on I-465. The shifts will open the interstate to three lanes in each direction.

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Crews will install noise barriers and other final touches later this year. When that step is completed, I-465 will open to four lanes from the White River to Fall Creek.



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Pike Township leaders plan to address issues with N Zone bar after weekend shootout

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Pike Township leaders plan to address issues with N Zone bar after weekend shootout


INDIANAPOLIS — A shootout at a troubled bar near 86th Street and Michigan Road sent two people to nearby St. Vincent Hospital early Sunday morning and has now prompted a review by IMPD’s Nuisance and Abatement Unit. 

Police were dispatched to N Zone Bar and Grill shortly before 2 a.m. after a security guard called 911 and reported the shootout between a man at the bar and a person in a car in the parking lot. 

Photo of the N Zone Bar and Grill in Indianapolis captured by a FOX59/CBS4 crew on April 13, 2026.

Later that morning, two different people walked into St. Vincent Hospital on the north side of Indianapolis with gunshot wounds. The victims who checked into the hospital Sunday morning are believed to have been involved in the shooting.

“No one is immune, things are going to jump off in different areas,” Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson said. “But I would say (I’m) concern(ed).”

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That concern from Johnson stems from the fact that the bar has been the subject of several complaints from people who live in the area, including homeowners associations. Those people have been reporting a host of issues at the establishment. 

“Late-night fights, break-outs,” Johnson said. “To the left of that area, you have apartments that have been there in this community forever, and then you have a housing addition directly across the street.”

A neighboring business told FOX59/CBS4 they were not surprised to hear another incident had occurred given the bar’s past. 

Just recently, video circulated on social media of a large brawl between several women in the parking lot of the bar. Reports made by IMPD show numerous calls to the location in recent years for things like gun crimes and fights. 

In May 2022, a man was shot and critically wounded outside the bar. The establishment was shut down following that incident after officials discovered it did not have the proper permits. 

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Johnson said the fire department has been called to the bar at least 20 times since it opened, which she believes is a lot for a business like that. 

“If you have too many complaints, you know what happens with those types of situations where residents will complain,” Johnson said. “Zoning and making reports on that that go downtown, and sometimes, you’re served papers that you may not be a business anymore.”

Johnson said she doesn’t want to see that happen and hopes to intervene so things don’t reach that level with N Zone. She said her next step will be reaching out for a conversation with the bar’s owners to try and give some best practices for them moving forward. 

The facility appeared to be closed Sunday and Monday. 

Police have not publicly announced if they identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest during their investigation of Sunday morning’s shooting.

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IMPD said its nuisance and abatement team is aware of the location and working to determine if any enforcement action should be taken. 



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Indianapolis Colts Under Fire Following Daniel Jones Decision

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Indianapolis Colts Under Fire Following Daniel Jones Decision



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Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts in action against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2026 NFL offseason needing to make a decision about the future of quarterback Daniel Jones.

After signing Jones last offseason to a one-year deal in free agency, the Colts liked what they saw from him in 2025. Unfortunately, his season came to an end early after he went down with a torn Achilles.

Before suffering that injury, Jones played in 13 games. He completed 68 percent of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while also running for 164 yards and five more touchdowns.

Jones was a free agent entering the offseason. Indianapolis moved quickly to lock him in. The Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a massive two-year, $88 million contract.

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Whether or not the move will pay off remains to be seen. It’s a big risk for Indianapolis, but Jones showed the potential of being a legitimate franchise quarterback before the injury occurred.


Colts Under Fire After Huge Daniel Jones Contract Decision

Chris Ballard and the Colts may be confident in Jones’ ability to be their starter moving forward. Not everyone agrees with the contract the team gave him.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has named the move as one of the worst of the NFL offseason.

“Maybe Jones will be ready for Week 1 despite the severity of the injury. Maybe he can repeat last year’s success despite his struggles in New York. Maybe he’s the next Sam Darnold,” Davenport wrote.

“Or maybe the Colts should have let Jones play out the 2026 season on the transition tag while they saw how all those ‘maybes’ played out.”

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Last season, Jones faced a lot of doubt as well. After his rocky tenure with the New York Giants, no one could be blamed for having reservations about the quarterback. However, after the way he played in 2025, Indianapolis feels good about its decision.


Indianapolis Has Had a Wild NFL Offseason So Far

Outside of the Jones move, the Colts have been very busy this offseason.

Along with re-signing Jones, the team also brought back wide receiver Alec Pierce. In order to make that move happen, they had to pay out a four-year deal worth $114 million.

Plenty of other moves have been made as well. Indianapolis traded star linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and added pieces like defensive end Arden Key, defensive end Micheal Clemons, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, among others.

Most recently, the Colts have been hit with a trade request from cornerback Kenny Moore.

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Only time will tell how the team’s offseason moves pan out. Indianapolis has taken some risk this offseason and still has holes to fill. However, the Colts looked like one of the best teams in the NFL during the first half of the 2025 season and may not be far off from Super Bowl contention.

Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey





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