INDIANAPOLIS -- If anyone needed a reminder of the Indianapolis Colts' philosophy of building a franchise, owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay provided it Wednesday.The Colts are not -- repeat: not -- a free-agency oriented team.
At least not other team's free agents.
With the Colts several weeks into the 2011 offseason, Irsay addressed the team's offseason approach on his Twitter feed Wednesday, essentially saying Indianapolis won't change the direction that has helped win seven of the last eight AFC South titles.
"Working 2 shape the 2011 roster," Irsay tweeted. "If there would have been a (salary) cap last year we would have been millions over it,so future planning is critical."
As he has said before, Irsay also tweeted that while the NFL owners and NFL Players Association have yet to agree on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams must plan as if a CBA for 2011 and beyond will include a salary cap.
"You have to assume in your roster planning,a cap will return with new CBA, so you don't want 2 get in a bind by not planning for the future," he tweeted.
The Colts long have taken a low-key approach to free agency, typically drafting and developing players, then re-signing what they consider "core" players to long-term, high-priced contracts. As such, they rarely have signed high-priced free agents from other teams.
He cited the signing of Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon -- one of the only times in the last decade the team has signed a high-priced, high-profile veteran -- as an example of the free-agency risks the Colts typically avoid.
"In 2005 when we jumped hard into free agency by signing C Simon we were 13 million cash over cap and it nearly derailed our future teams," he tweeted. "We sign selective free agents from other teams but most $$ is spent on keeping r own free agents.
"Look at the Steelers losing (Plaxico Burress) and (Santonio Holmes) ...if u win everyone forgets."
Pittsburgh has lost wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes in recent seasons, and qualified for the Super Bowl from the AFC this season.
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