Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - MONEY TALKS: Indianapolis Colts' Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce, Arden Key Speak After Signing Contracts

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Colts handed out a lot of money in free agency this week, and now those players have spoken out for the first time since signing. Let's get to it. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. All right, welcome to Locked on. Colts, part of the Locked on podcast network. Now the number one sports podcast network out there. Today's show is brought to you by Bandul. Fandall is giving you a way to turn your energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parley profit boost. Head to fandle.com to get started.

Starting point is 00:00:45 Hello, everybody. I am Jake Arthur, the Indianapolis Colts beat writer for Roundtable Sports. And today we are talking all about Colts free agency. We're going to continue that today. But in the last couple days, we finally started to hear from some of those players. We spoke to Alec Pierce, the facility yesterday. Daniel Jones at the facility today. Arden Key will also bring that to you as well.

Starting point is 00:01:08 And then Colby Wooden has spoken as well. So we'll speak to Michael Clemens at some point as well. So we're starting to hear from some of these guys that are resigning or joining the team. And rather than me summarize all that for you and give you the bullet points, I figured why not just actually bring those players to you? So as you guys know, if you follow the channel on YouTube, I pretty much record any of these interviews that I'm present for. So today I've got for you, Daniel Jones media availability,

Starting point is 00:01:40 Alec Pierce's media availability, as well as Arden Keyes. Now, Jones and Pierce both spoke for over 15 minutes. So I'm bringing in just the first five minutes. And then that way, if you want to go to our channel over on YouTube, you can check out the interviews in their entirety. The Arden Key was about five minutes and changed. So I've got his whole thing in here for you. So without further ado, let's go ahead and take you to Daniel Jones,

Starting point is 00:02:07 who just signed a two-year deal worth $88 million, including $60 million-plus guaranteed. And it can be worth up to $100 million overall, if all goes well, for Jones and the Colts. So let's go ahead and shift this over to Daniel right now. Did anything about this process, was anything about this process different from before, unique or difficult or anything like that? Yeah, I'd say it's a little different, just being the second time, obviously, the situation is a little different. But, you know, I thought it was good, and I wanted to be here, you know, made that clear to my agents and everybody. And, you know, I'm glad it worked out. You know, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone involved, to my agents, to Chris Ballard, Mike Bloom, and the team here.

Starting point is 00:03:00 and then obviously grateful to the EursA family and this organization for believing in me and giving me a chance, you know, give me a chance last year to come in here and then certainly this year. So I'm excited and thrilled to be back. This is a special place with, you know, really, really good people who care about football,

Starting point is 00:03:20 care about winning, care about the players. So, yeah, grateful to the Eursa family, grateful to this organization, and excited to get back. to work. We got the transition to that was there ever you thought in your mind that you could leave anything? Yeah, I think you certainly have to consider the situation and what it means and and you know how it could all play out. I think so you know that was discussed but always in the context of I you know I want to be here and I made you know like I said I made that clear to my

Starting point is 00:03:57 my agents and you know I made that clear the Colts as well and any communication I had with them so I'm glad it worked out and I'm thrilled to be back when you want to be here and the Colts want you here and then it takes a little time is that get frustrating at all as a player because I know obviously your agents are handling negotiation but does it feel like a long time to you or yeah I mean yeah I think it's a process you know I think the first time I kind of went to this I was probably a little bit more involved than I was now and you know learned something through that. I think this time I didn't want to be as involved. I can let my you know my agents and and those guys directed and certainly communicated but you know trust them to find the best situation and let it play out. So, you know, I focus on what I need to do, focus on my rehab and making sure I'm progressing every day and then let them handle that situation.

Starting point is 00:05:02 Was that something you kind of learned the first time around that you didn't really want to be all that involved with it? I think so, yeah. I think, yeah, I think, you know, there's a business side of the sport and the game and, you know, let the professionals do that, you know, their job and focus on playing football. all focused on in my situation rehabbing and making sure I'm doing what I need to do. So, yeah, I think that's something I probably learned the first. I don't know. Daniel, just a year ago to the day, you were signing here, not going with the future with hold, if you're even going to win the job, and then you go out and have the success you get.

Starting point is 00:05:39 You just describe your state of mind a year ago up until today when you've known what else transpired in that time. Yeah, yeah, a very different situation for sure. and yeah NFL, you know, playing quarterback in the NFL, you know, you see a lot, experience a lot of different things and learn a lot. So, you know, just try to learn through all those experiences. And I obviously rather be in this situation than where I was a year ago. But like I said, earlier, I'm grateful for the opportunity to come in here and compete last year. And for Chris Ballard and his group leaving me for Shane. all the coaches giving me a chance.

Starting point is 00:06:22 And then, yeah, very grateful and appreciate it with that opportunity. And, you know, I think you've got to continue to improve. And you're always proving it. You're always competing and trying to improve other players. I don't think that approach changes at all. Daniel, just one more thing on the negotiation. You obviously have the injury, and those things always complicate these matters. I mean, how did you contextualize that?

Starting point is 00:06:50 And do you think that was something that had to be confronted or dealt with, you know, during this process? Yeah, you know, I can see, you know, it's real, you know, part of the process. And I understand the team has to take that into account. I'm very confident in, you know, being back to 100% and ready to go and working every day to do that. I have really good people helping me get there. Yeah, I'm very, very confident in that. But I understand it's a consideration for the team, and they have to take that too into account.

Starting point is 00:07:30 All right. So as we heard from Jones there, it was always the Colts in the front of his mind. That's where he always wanted to wind up. That sounds like there was maybe a little bit of uncertainty when it comes to the use of the transition tag and how that would affect him. So from what we've heard from Alec Pierce before,

Starting point is 00:07:49 which we'll get to in a moment as well as Daniel Jones now. It sounds like the transition tag was something that maybe wasn't super anticipated. And I don't want to say unwelcome, but maybe through people for a loop a little bit. Because Pierce has also said he didn't really know what much of that meant and what to think of it when Jones got transition tagged. Because, of course, Pierce really wanted quarterback's stability and to know that Jones was going to be here for, multiple years. So that's great for, for peers, great for Daniel. Daniel also in the extended version of the interview, you'll hear him say that he is confident. Like, his goal is to be ready for week one and he's confident that he'll get there. He's, he's along, he's ahead of his schedule,

Starting point is 00:08:37 or he's on schedule and his recovery and everything has been going pretty well there. So again, head to YouTube for the entire 15 plus minute press conference with Daniel. And here in a moment, we will get you over to talking to Alec Pierce. College basketball is nonstop. Big games, tight spreads, momentum swings every single night. From early tip-offs to late-night West Coast shootouts, there's always action on the board. And now Fandall is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parlay profit boost.

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Starting point is 00:09:44 Fandull. Play your game. All right. And welcome back every dayers. Today we are bringing you, I guess, kind of a little unique episode for us. We don't always do this. So the Colts, their two biggest objectives in free agency this offseason, re-signed Daniel Jones, re-sign Alec Pierce. And we just played for you the first five minutes of Daniel Jones press conference.

Starting point is 00:10:10 Again, over on our YouTube, you can catch the entire thing. I got the same thing here for you for Alec Pierce. Again, his went over 15 minutes as well. So we're just going to bring you the first five so we don't have an hour-long episode for you. So again, Alec Pierce, like just a few. minutes into the legal tampering period opening up on Monday signs. And a mega deal is announced that he has signed with the Colts. Four years, $116 million, including $80 million in guarantees. It is the richest free agent contract for a wide receiver in NFL history and the Colts

Starting point is 00:10:49 investing in their own with this one. They, of course, did not want to let Alec Pierce get out the door. Again, a little uncertainty there. because just about every other team in the NFL should have some level of interest in Alec Pierce. So his market was going to be quite hot, but as you'll hear from him here, Indy, again, was always at the top of his mind. And he had relayed to his representation that he didn't want to go anywhere. So here we will play for you, Alec Pierce. Are you surprised you're here? No, I'm not surprised with you.

Starting point is 00:11:22 I almost did that yet. Not very close, I'd say. I knew at the bottom of my heart this is where I wanted to be. And I knew just kind of from the communication. I mean, my agents were really doing most of the communicating right with the cults and stuff like that. But they kept telling me, like, they said, we're not going to let you get out of Indy. Like, we want you to be a cult. So I knew they wanted me here and I wanted to be here.

Starting point is 00:11:47 So it was an easy decision. Why was that so important for you to stay here? obviously we've seen your progression in the last four years what you did with the other relationships built there why was that important to stay around here too? Yeah, it's important because I think I believe I believe what we have going on here. I believe in our team. I believe in the players we have in place you know I think last year or last year in the beginning of the season just you know that first half of the season I think we truly had something special going and I know we didn't finish the way

Starting point is 00:12:21 we want to finish but I think. I'm able to look back to that and look at how we were playing and know like we can be we can be the best in the phone. I look at when you talked last week about wanting a bigger role within the offense and what they've been leaving that opens things up more for you so it's a two-fold question one what you learned from Pitt about being like the number one guy and then how much you think you can be the number one guy yeah um you know learned so much from Pitt I you know it was a it was truly great to be a teammates with him he's a great guy that you know he took me under his wing really being, you know, like when I was a rookie, you know, he's just in his third year,

Starting point is 00:12:59 but he was always kind of like that vet presence, even at such a young age. So he's just such a mature player, I'd say, in that sense. And it was great to learn, you know, how to be a leader, how to be a captain, how to lead the room, how to, you know, basically just kind of show everything or show everybody, like, the way, you know, the way of the NFL and what you got to do to be successful. So, you know, I'm incredibly appreciative of having him as a lot of the way. a teammate, not only a teammate, such a great friend, you know, and I'm excited for him in Pittsburgh. I think that's going to be a great opportunity for him there. And he ended up in a

Starting point is 00:13:32 great organization, so I'm excited for him in his future. But yeah, no, and then he said being the number one. You know, that's something I know I can do. I believe in it. And, you know, the opportunities now it's there for me to take it. So, you know, that's going to be something that I knew was going to come with getting this type of contract. And that was the probably the basic thing I was excited about was, you know, not necessarily like, like, you know, the money and all that's great, but I know with that comes like the opportunities and like the chances to get more balls thrown to you and just affect the game and more. Yeah. Well, the challenge beat for you and the coaching staff to increase the volume, which is going to happen, but still have that big play, you know, capability in your game because sometimes it's hard to jump on the two. Yeah, I think you can still have the big play capability. Obviously, like, the big, you're going to increase the volume and the number of big plays probably won't go up. You know, you're going to go, if you go from 47 catches to 80 catches, you're not just going to be, you're not going to be a 21 yards per catch guy at 80 catches.

Starting point is 00:14:44 I mean, could be, but that's, that, that would, might break a record right there. So just knowing that, like, people always ask me about the yards per catch thing. They're like, oh, is this important to you? And to me, I was always like, not necessarily because I would rather have, I would take, you know, more catches and more yards all day than having, you know, less catches and getting a higher yards per catch. Because obviously every catch, you catch a slant for six yards on third and three. That's going to bring that number down.

Starting point is 00:15:16 But that's a huge playing in the game. So that's the type of stuff I know that's a take. on and become you know just do things like that to help the team win it's going to be big it's really like you Bridget was poking his head in here what has his support and direction meant to your development yes sorry who did you say reggie oh reggie yeah no reggie's been great you know from just from day one he's always been in my corner and he's always had my back uh i know if things aren't weren't always going as smoothly as they could have been for me here um And he's stuck by with me this whole journey.

Starting point is 00:15:53 And he's been great for me. You know, I think not only like the on the field stuff and the technique and the obvious things that he's going to be working on, but just like the mentality and being able to get through things, because he really walked me through, like, his career. And it's kind of like shockingly similar, like our numbers and stuff just through the first few years. But because, you know, he always had Marvin in the room.

Starting point is 00:16:17 And he really wasn't, you know, he was kind of, sitting back in the shadows a little bit. Obviously, he started playing great ball, but he was never really that number one option. So he kind of understood and kind of told me like, hey, like, just be patient. You know, you just got to keep proving, like, your worth, your value, showing him that you can do more things, you know, just keep building on that. So I think that's been something that he's been great, just not only as a coach for me, but really a mentor and kind of helping out my career. Alec Pierce, a newly very, very rich man.

Starting point is 00:16:51 He saw the theme there, really focused on Pierce's contract indicating that he needs to see a higher volume and targets. And the Colts are already obviously committing to that. We know they needed to do something with Michael Pittman Jr.'s contract because the $29 million, they needed to either extend him and restructure and figure something out there or, you know, when we kind of all came to the realization that Pierce was going to have to take a bigger role, how do you get that with all the mouths defeating that offense? It made Michael Pittman Jr. expendable.

Starting point is 00:17:26 So that's been kind of the theme here is Pierce is going to have to take a much larger role and see a higher volume of targets. He's not just going to be this big play threat, getting the nine routes and the posts and all the deep crossers and stuff. We're going to have to see the mundane from him. Like he mentioned, converting on a slant route, a six-yard slant route on third and three, for example, that doesn't really get much juice flowing in the stat sheet, but it's a critical first down. And it's six yards instead of 25 or 30 yards, but, you know, it's very, very valuable. And that's the kind of stuff we're probably going to be seeing from Pierce here moving forward. So coming up, guys, we're going to have one more of these for you. one of the more interesting names, the Colts of Sign,

Starting point is 00:18:12 the first guy they brought in from the outside, defensive end, Arden Key. Now, he's been in the AFC South, playing against the Colts for the last four years with the Jaguars and most recently with the Titans. So he already has been observing the Colts pretty up close for a while. And it looks like he really likes what he sees being now a member of the team, having gone up against Shane Sykin and now, you know,

Starting point is 00:18:38 Daniel Jones. and Alec Pierce, and as you're going to hear, stopping Jonathan Taylor is a lot more difficult for opponents than we even probably appreciate. So here in a moment, we will bring you Arden Key. It's tax time, but for a lot of us, the old way of doing taxes is a lot. Trying to book an appointment, that's not the most convenient. You're sitting in a waiting room with a big stack of papers that you can hardly hold on to, emailing back and forth, wondering if they really actually get your situation. But this year, you're getting a major upgrade.

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Starting point is 00:19:42 head to turbotax.com slash local to find a store near you and book your appointment. All right, guys. So let's go ahead and catch you up real quick. So we talked to Daniel Jones today. I guess it was Thursday. We talked to Alec Pierce on Wednesday. And now we're going to bring to you Arden Key, who we also spoke with on Thursday. So he signed a two-year deal with the Colts worth up to $20 million and $11 million total in guarantees.

Starting point is 00:20:13 We don't have the exact figures yet, like what is cap hits going to be or how that, you know, it's up to 20 million. So what is it really? Is it like 16, 17, 18 million? We don't know that's yet to come out. But still, it seems like a decent price, 11 million over two years for a guy, I believe he's 29. He's got 30 and a half career sacks. Something kind of enlightening that he says was, you know, I remember him coming out of LSU into the league. He was a pretty highly touted, excitable prospect.

Starting point is 00:20:43 like people were really excited about him. His frame and his athleticism were really enticing, but it took him a while to catch on. And he said, you know, just his, as a rookie, his time with the Raiders, he was immature and didn't treat it seriously enough. But when he got released by the Raiders, it really kind of turned a light on for him. You saw him really start to turn a corner like with the San Francisco 49ers,

Starting point is 00:21:09 and of course with the Jaguars and the Titans. So now, hopefully, the Colts might get at minimum what he has been able to give the Titans and the Jaguars, but hey, maybe he turns it up another notch. Ideally, he would be like your third or fourth rusher. I think the Colts still need another starter over him, opposite of Laotu Latum. But, I mean, that's the whatever they do next is not his fault. You know, they need to keep adding more firepower to the pass rush room to let him kind of

Starting point is 00:21:43 have this better concentration of snaps that he does take. But regardless, it does sound like the Colts are getting at least a good character guy in Key, who is interested in leadership and has been there and done that. So without further ado, let's go ahead and bring you Arden Key. Hey, Arden, congrats on coming to Indy. Two-part question, did you have interest from other teams? And if you did, what made the Colts put them over the top? Yes, I did.

Starting point is 00:22:11 And it was everything that did last year. I mean, if it wasn't for injuries, we'll be talking a whole different story right now. They were very close, and I felt like that I definitely could come in and bring them over the hump. What do you think you can bring to this team from a defensive standpoint? Energy. Just being a vet in this league for eight years, being with some great guys, being with some great defensive ends that I played with. Yeah, great legendary guys that I played with. with and everything that I learned from them, I can teach to the young guys and to the older guys as well.

Starting point is 00:22:51 Jake. Hey, Arden, welcome to Indy. How are you doing, Jake? Yeah, so you've been in the AFC South for a while now. It looks like you're going on tour with them, but seeing this team from afar for, you know, you're playing them twice a year, what's your perception of them from like an opponent and then now seeing like Lou Anarumo's defense? How do you think you could fit into that?

Starting point is 00:23:13 Well, since I'm on the defensive side, I pay more attention to coach's offensive side. And, oh, every time we had to play against them, it was one of those old-school type football games. One of those, they're going to run it down your throat. And if they can't and they know they can run it, they're going to continue to run it. And if you guys want to pass rush, you have to earn the right to pass rush going against Indy.

Starting point is 00:23:39 You have to put them in second and longs, third and long, you got to put them behind the sticks. all those things, but it was coming against Indy, you had to stop that run. And if you didn't stop the run, you had a long day, and I had a long day playing against Indy. It happens.

Starting point is 00:23:59 What, when you see Louana Rumo's defense, so it's kind of a versatile thing, especially you see defensive ends dropping into coverage a lot and stuff. What do you, how do you think you fit into that? Oh, I love it. I love it. I've been studying his defense in Cincinnati, I played against that defense.

Starting point is 00:24:16 When I was at San Fran, I saw a lot of things that he do with the defense with, you never know who's going to be rushing. You might have a guy come up and you think he's rushing and he's dropping out of there. He's a great defense of mind, my coach. Joel. How would you describe your style as a pass rusher, pardon? Pass rush a jack of all trades, really, because I always say Vanessa. I finesse, I finesse, but I do have a lot of power in my game.

Starting point is 00:24:50 And I power a lot in the beginning and then start off with the finesse moves and things of that sort. So that's how I would describe myself as pass rush. Stephen? Hey, Arden. So, I mean, there are some young guys on this defensive line, but also some bets, I guess a mixture. I mean, do you feel like there's a leadership role that you can play as well? Oh, for sure. year eight going on year nine

Starting point is 00:25:16 definitely leadership role but I'm just coming in being me I'm coming in being the guy that I am, the energy guy I'm a positive guy I'm just coming in doing what I do by also teaching the younger guys. You know the young guys

Starting point is 00:25:32 asking anything, whatever they ask me, I'm going to have an answer to them and if I don't then I'm going to send them to the direction to get that answer. I have a lot of resources in this lead. It's as far as defense line that's playing right now to call him and, hey, how would you do this set? How would you rush this set? How would you do X, Y, Z?

Starting point is 00:25:53 So if I don't know it, then I'll definitely find out the answer to give back to him. And then we'll do our last question from Joel. What do you think was the key for you kind of finding your place in the NFL? Because your first couple years kind of bounced around a couple teams, that kind of thing. What do you think was your key? Oh, mature. That's all it was. just maturing.

Starting point is 00:26:15 If you looked at the history of my numbers, the first three years with the Raiders or just my whole time with the Raiders, it was nasty. It was like, what are you doing? Why are you even in the NFL? But as I said, I had to mature, grow up and learn how to be a professional. Learning there's a time and place when to do the fun stuff. But at the end of the day, you are an NFL player,

Starting point is 00:26:40 and your job is to go out there and perform the best that you can on Sunday. And if you can't, then they'll find somebody else. And luckily, me getting released from the Raiders had woke me up to, okay, you need to do, you need to mature and be a pro in this league. We'll actually do one more before wrapping. James, go ahead. I like to ask guys, this is I don't want to take it for granted, but, you know, you've been at this for a while. It's a hard league to earn another contract.

Starting point is 00:27:10 you had a moment to reflect and kind of just appreciate everything you went through from, you know, Georgia as a kid till now it's grown in. Oh, yeah, definitely, definitely go back. I do that, not even with the contract. I do that at the end of every year. Just looking back how I can get better, what I've done throughout the year. Just these past couple years, I've been in the process of learning a lot. Some things that I didn't know going into the, before that,

Starting point is 00:27:40 But now going through that, there's a lot of stuff I know now. And if the younger kids ask for something, then I can definitely get them answer to the mental side of everything. Yes, I don't know about you, but I was really impressive what we heard from Key. I already can't wait to talk to him after games. I think he's going to be kind of a go-to guy. Someone who sounds like they're going to keep it real, whether it's going well or not going as well. but yeah he he seems to be like someone who again he's very self-aware and i always appreciate that and a player so all right guys i hope you enjoyed this special uh episode where we actually brought

Starting point is 00:28:22 the players to you uh hopefully we can do that a little more often you know as this year develops and as we you know i go to the facility more and more as o tas kick up the offseason program and all that stuff so um always like to kind of give you guys that special i guess behind the scenes type of look. So that is it for us today. Thanks again for tuning in to Locked on Colts. We'll be back honestly later tonight with the squad show. We got a lot of stuff to catch up on with Derek, Zach Allen, and myself. Make sure you subscribe to the show. If you don't already to get all of the latest episodes, follow at Lockdown Colts at Jake Arthur, NFL, and at Zach Kicks 2 on social media. And remember if you never miss an episode

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Starting point is 00:29:32 And it's always lively over there, especially right now, with all the news and rumors flying around with free agency. So we would love to have you on there. Now that the show is ending, go ahead and hop right over there. There's going to be a link in the show notes, but you could also just go to locked on colts.supercast.com to join.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - MONEY TALKS: Indianapolis Colts' Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce, Arden Key Speak After Signing Contracts

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