INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts on Monday announced that they have tendered three restricted free agents, and also tendered their two exclusive rights free agents.
The restricted free agents tendered were:
» Center/guard Evan Boehm
» Safety Matthias Farley
» Wide receiver Chester Rogers
The two exclusive rights free agents tendered were:
» Wide receiver Marcus Johnson
» Long snapper Luke Rhodes
By placing tenders on Boehm, Farley and Rogers, the Colts are essentially giving each player a one-year contract offer to return to the team in 2019. Restricted free agents — or players whose contracts have expired and have fewer than four tenured years in the league — may sign an "offer sheet" with any other team, but the Colts would have seven days to match any outside offer they receive.
If the Colts do not match the offer, compensation will be awarded in the form of draft picks from the player's new team. The round and quantity of picks would be determined by the "qualifying offer" made by the Colts. If an RFA is tendered a minimum qualifying offer, the compensation is the equivalent of the round in which that player was originally selected. If that player was originally a rookie free agent, no compensation is awarded.
The qualifying offers for Boehm, Farley and Rogers weren't announced.
Boehm, who will be 26 by Week 1, was signed to the Colts' active roster from the Los Angeles Rams' practice squad last October, and played a critical role as the team's backup center with starter Ryan Kelly dealing with various injuries throughout the season. Boehm appeared in 11 total games with four starts in 2018, while also appearing in both of the Colts' postseason contests, contributing on offense and special teams.
Farley, who will be 27 by Week 1, was off to a solid start in his third year with the team in 2018 before suffering a season-ending wrist injury Week 5 against the Patriots. He played in five games with one start, collecting 17 tackles (10 solo), one forced fumble, one interception, four passes defensed and two special teams stops. Farley has 116 tackles (4.0 for a loss), three interceptions, 11 passes defensed, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 14 special teams stops in 37 career games in Indy.
Rogers, 25, put in a career year as a receiver and as the Colts' punter returner in 2018. In 16 games with 10 starts, he logged 53 receptions for 485 yards and two touchdowns — all career highs — while also returning 23 punts for 215 yards (9.3 yards per return), including a career-long 51-yard punt return Week 11 against the Titans. In three seasons with the Colts, Rogers has caught 95 passes for 1,042 yards and three touchdowns, and he has also returned 46 punts for a 9.0-yard average.
As exclusive rights free agents, meanwhile, both Johnson and Rhodes face a clearer path to be back with the Colts in 2019. The team had a league-imposed deadline of 4 p.m. ET Wednesday to extend offers to both players, or else they'd become unrestricted free agents.
Exclusive rights free agents are players whose contracts have expired and have two or fewer tenured years in the league.
Johnson, who will be 25 by Week 1, was acquired by the Colts in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks just before the start of the regular season last year, and would appear in five games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury Week 6 against the New York Jets. In all, he logged six receptions for 102 yards and his first-career touchdown, a 34-yard reception earlier in that Jets contest.
Rhodes, 26, meanwhile, turned in another solid year in just his second season of long snapping for the Colts in 2018. The former linebacker appeared in all 16 regular season and two postseason contests and also collected a career-best four special teams tackles in coverage.
