The Indianapolis Colts have made a trade with the New York Jets and acquired quarterback Drew Stanton and a seventh round selection (seventh pick in the round) in the 2012 NFL Draft in exchange for a sixth round pick (17th pick in the round, which was acquired by the Colts in addition to offensive lineman Winston Justice in a trade with Philadelphia). The Colts also agreed to terms with wide receiver Donnie Avery.
Stanton, 6-3, 230 pounds, has competed in 12 career NFL games with four starts, all with the Detroit Lions (2008-10). He was a second round draft choice of the Lions in 2007. Following his tenure in Detroit, Stanton joined the Jets as an unrestricted free agent on March 16, 2012.
"Drew is a big, athletic and strong armed quarterback that has the intangible package we are looking for at the position," said General Manager Ryan Grigson. "He is a young, but seasoned quarterback that has won games in this league and we look forward to seeing him contribute to this team and our collective vision for the future. Drew is a great acquisition for the Colts and we are happy he's a member of this team."
Stanton has completed 104-of-187 career passes (55.6 percent) for 1,158 yards, five touchdowns and nine interceptions. He won two of three contests as a starter for the Lions in 2010 and totaled 780 passing yards and four touchdowns. Earlier that season, he saw action against the New York Giants (10/17) and totaled 222 passing yards and one touchdown on an 87-yard completion.
Stanton was a standout quarterback at Michigan State. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2004 and was the MVP of the Senior Bowl in 2007. In his collegiate career, Stanton completed 543-of-846 passes for 6,524 yards, 42 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,512 yards and 15 scores.
Avery, 5-11, 184 pounds, has seen action in 39 games (28 starts) in three NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams (2008-09) and Tennessee Titans (2011). He was originally selected by the Rams in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. Avery has compiled 103 career receptions for 1,308 yards (12.7 avg.) and nine touchdowns and has contributed with 14 rushes for 99 yards and one touchdown.
"Donnie is a very fast wide receiver who has had a productive past," said Grigson. "He is an excellent fit for our offense and will help shape our receiving core moving forward."
As a rookie with the Rams, Avery appeared in 15 games (12 starts) and posted career highs in receptions (53) and receiving yards (647) while adding three touchdowns. The following year, he started all 16 contests and totaled 47 receptions for 589 yards (12.5 avg.) and a career-high five touchdowns. Avery spent the 2011 campaign with the Titans, where he played in eight games and finished with three receptions for 45 yards (15.0 avg.) and one score.
Avery played collegiately at Houston, where he became the fourth player in school history to amass over 4,000 all-purpose yards (4,213) while ranking fourth in school history with 210 receptions. He is only the third player in school history to gain over 3,000 receiving yards (3,289).
