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Indianapolis Colts a great fit for both Frank Gore, Andre Johnson

ByFederico Ferrari|

It looks like it’s finally happening. The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly about to land two veteran but still valuable free agents, Frank Gore and Andre Johnson. Someone called this a “re-U-nion”  because of the multiple connections between Gore, Johnson, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and the University of Miami.

Multiple reports have stated that both deals could be closed in the next few hours:

Frank Gore‘s offseason has been messy: he was reportedly going to sign with Chip Kelly’s Eagles but the contract was never inked and Gore decided to pull out of the deal yesterday. It was a strange turn of events and Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee tweeted out a possible explanation:

This is the perfect match for both sides: Gore gets one last shot at a ring before calling it quits while the Colts get an experienced and respected back that can lift some pressure off Andrew Luck’s shoulders. Not to mention how well Gore could school a young running back, should the Colts draft one in May – and yeah, they totally should do that.

Dec 29, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Gore will be 32 years old when the season begins but he has been consistent throughout his whole career and I believe he still has at least two years of good production left in the tank. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round (65th overall) of the 2005 NFL draft and failed to rush for more than 1000 yards only once since 2006 (in 2010, when he only played in 11 games).

As I wrote earlier Gore played college ball in Miami, where current Colts head coach Chuck Pagano used to serve as the secondary coach/special teams coordinator in his second stint with the Hurricanes in 1995-2000.

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Andre Johnson, another product of the University of Miami, will take on Reggie Wayne’s role in the Colts offense. Replacing a veteran player with another veteran player is not always a good idea but in this case we’re talking about two future Hall of Famers.

The long-time Texan has been a stud wide receiver for many years in the league and he never had the chance to play with a competent quarterback. To say that Andrew Luck is an upgrade for him could be an understatement.

Johnson was the 3rd overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft and he has been playing for the Houston Texans ever since. Even at this stage of his career he was still able to catch 306 passes for 3941 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last three years.

Johnson is not a deep threat anymore, of course, but he has incredible hands and can make all the catches even in tight coverage thanks to his experience and the undeniable natural talent that the 33-year old still possesses. He could easily become Andrew Luck’s security blanket, a valid No. 2 receiver (the Hakeem Hicks experiment didn’t go too well) that can be trusted and is respected by opposing corners.

If the Colts will sign both players general manager Ryan Grigson deserves credit for working away from the spotlights and still getting the job done but now it’s time for the Indianapolis Colts to focus on the defensive side of the ball.

Next: Colts: Vince Wilfork or Terrance Knighton?

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