There is almost nothing that happens to the Indianapolis Colts that isnt a direct cause of, or has a direct effect on, Andrew Luck. The third-year quarterback has more than lived up to the expectations left by his predecessor Peyton Manning and his early success is only raising the bar each season. Lucks 8,196 passing yards are the most for a quarterback through his first two NFL seasons and his 22 wins are second all-time behind another third-year quarterback, Seattles Russell Wilson. After bringing a two-win team to 11 wins in his first season and winning the AFC South in his sophomore year, is it third times a charm for Luck and the Colts in 2014? That is still to be determined. What can be said for sure is he is one year older and the conductor of what could be one of the leagues most dangerous wide receiver trios in 2014. At the tender age of 35, Reggie Wayne is ready to reclaim his place as the Colts No. 1 receiver just 10 and a half months after tearing his ACL. “I feel like I kind of left them hanging a little bit last year, so I want to be back out there with my teammates,” he said at the end of June. Wayne had one of his most prolific seasons in 2012 – Lucks rkie year – catching 106 passes for 1,355 yards, but managed just seven games last season due to the career-threatening injury. Its hard to believe Wayne will be in the physical shape he was as a ripe 24-year-old, but the happy and hungry six-time Pro Bowler believes he has some gas left in the tank. “This has probably been the healthiest Ive been probably since 02,” Wayne said. “One blessing I do take out of last year is maybe it was time for me to kind of let my body heal a little bit…and Ive done that.” But Wayne isnt the only veteran itching to return to form in blue and white. Six-year receiver Hakeem Nicks joined the Colts as an unrestricted free agent a week after hinting a desire to move to Indianapolis in March. “I would be dangerous with a quarterback like Andrew Luck," Nicks told ESPN.com. Nicks spent the first six years of his career with the New York Giants, collecting consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 2010 and 2011 as well as catching 10 passes for 109 yards in the Giants Super Bowl XLVI triumph over the New England Patriots in February 2012. At 6-ft-1, Nicks will likely be most dangerous as a red zone target, where the Colts connected on just 56 per cent of their opportunities in 2013. Two seasoned receivers expected to attract a fair amount of attention from opposing defences will open drs for another third-year superstar, T.Y. Hilton. The more likely scenario for the electrifying Hilton is that he opens up space for the rest of the pass attack. “Weve got some new things that we want to do,” T.Y. Hilton told JMV on ESPN 1070 The Fan two weeks before the start of training camp. “Right now we are just getting everyone caught up to pace… we are going to be 100 miles per hour with the playbk.” Hilton has already racked up a stunning 10 100-yard receiving games in his first two seasons, tied for second most in NFL history. His 1,083 yards in 2013 were 475 more than the Colts next leading receiver, tight end Coby Fleener. Hiltons 82 receptions were also 30 more than Fleeners 52. The Miami native also established himself as a lethal deep threat last season with seven catches of more than thirty yards and three of 50 or more, including a 73-yard touchdown in Week 5 against the Seahawks. Like Luck, Hilton doesnt intend on slowing down. “It has been incredible,” Hilton said at his inaugural childrens ftball summer camp on July 12. “Im just enjoying the ride. Enjoying the moment. Thats what its all about, and Im still learning.” For the second half of the 2013 campaign – after Waynes season-ending injury – Luck was throwing to receivers with a grand total of zero 1,000-yard campaigns, including a sophomore Hilton. In 2014, should Hilton, Nicks and Wayne be in the starting lineup in the season opener on Sept. 7 against the Denver Broncos, Luck will begin his quest for ftballs ultimate prize with 11 combined 1,000-yard seasons on the résumés of his top three wide receivers. Bombs away! GROUND AND POUND When the Colts traded away their 2014 first-round pick for Trent Richardson two games into last season, it can be safe to say they were hoping for the player who was once considered one of the NFLs top running back prospects in recent memory. They were hoping for the player who collected 950 yards and 11 touchdowns in his rkie season in 2012. What they got was a shadow of Richardsons potential. His 157 carries in 14 games in Indianapolis netted a measly 2.9 yards per carry and three touchdowns. By comparison, Luck ran for four touchdowns. "It was ambitious to think that he could come in -- What was it? -- Week 3 or 4 last year, and pick it up to hit the ground running,” Colts offensive crdinator Pep Hamilton said during the teams off-season workouts in mid-July. “It was one of those situations where the defence knew when we put him in the game that more than likely we were running the ftball and they were packing the box. He was faced with some tremendously tough lks, but hell be better in 2014." Or so they hope. TIGHT SHIP In addition to an obviously talented group of wide receivers, the Colts have another offensive dimension in third-year tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. Allen, who played 32 snaps last season before suffering a season-ending hip injury, is hoping to return to his rkie form where he caught 45 passes for 521 yards and a touchdown in 2012. The Colts, and tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts, see Allens return as a new beginning. “Getting him back is like getting a brand new player,” Roberts said, via the teams website on July 10. “His skillset allows us to protect it up, or throw it or run it when we see the advantage.” In Fleener, the Colts have a growing product that caught 52 passes for 608 yards and four touchdowns in his sophomore season. The is 6-ft-6, 244 lbs. Lemont, Illinois native doubled his receptions, yards and touchdowns over the first two years of his pro career and is poised to go even higher. OLD GUARD DOG Robert Mathis, a six-time Pro Bowler, is a beacon of consistency. The outside linebacker, and oldest member of the Colts defence, has missed 13 regular-season games since he first broke into the NFL in 2003. However, coming off one of the best seasons of his career in which he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles, the 33-year-old will be forced to miss four more to start the 2014 season after using a fertility drug banned by the NFL due to its performance-enhancing properties. The Colts will have to make do without the heart and soul of their defence for four games, but the club certainly isnt concerned about Mathis when he returns. "He only knows one speed," Colts GM Ryan Grigson told the Indy Star in June. "Theres never any throttling back, no matter what. He always sets the tone and the precedent out there, how you do this, how you work, how you practice.” "Hes a guy who doesnt miss." Jason Williams Magic Jersey . Hamelin overcame a weak start to win bronze in the 500-metre race behind winner Wu Dajing of China and American J.R. Celski on Saturday at the world short track speed skating championship. D.J. Augustin Jersey . 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Zimmermann became the National Leagues first 16-game winner, pitching seven solid innings to lead the Washington Nationals past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 Wednesday night.It was 1pm in Sunderland and 8am in Toronto on Friday when the two clubs came together to finally announce the deal that was broken earlier this week. At that stage, we knew that one signing depended on another yet still question marks remained about the details. Now we have our answer. On a day that Toronto FC became even more American, they were involved in a gd old-fashioned North American-style trade. It wasnt quite All for One. This time it was One for One. That was the answer I lked for during the press conference at the Air Canada Centre on Friday to announce the signing of Jozy Altidore. Reports early this week suggested the club received a league record fee for Defoe, in the region of $11 million. On Friday, I asked Tim Bezbatchenko if that was true. We are not permitted to disclose the terms of the transfer. What I can say is this did involve an exchange of players and a valuation that was reciprocal, confirmed the general manager. In the end, things became much clearer in Sunderland. It was all about a swap and dependent on him going in the opposite direction, confirmed the clubs Sporting Director Lee Congerton. That allowed us to bring Jermain to Sunderland. In reality, it has been a complete swap deal, no money involved, which we are delighted with. So not quite $11 million then. No wonder he was delighted. He wasnt alone. A complete Twitter search for Lee Congerton shows just how happy Sunderland fans are with the move. Lee Congerton should become a hostage negotiator with talents like that wrote one. Others included The Merlin Award for magic this year goes to Lee Congerton, Jesus turned water into wine and Congerton turned Altidore into Defoe and I wonder if Congerton can swap Danny Graham for Alexis Sanchez. It is clear Sunderland fans are delighted with the move. Toronto FC were also all smiles Friday. Head Coach Greg Vanney went out of his way to speak about how important it is that the three DPs on the club can combine, work together and, above all else, be the three best players on the club. All excellent points. Vanney should be pleased. After all, he now has a fully committed player from day one who can make his team better. That was how low the bar was set last season with Defoe. And yet on the day he moves away from the club for gd, his shadow still lms large. Social media reaction to the news the deal was a swap was mixed, with some believing it doesnt matter at all whether the club/league got money in return. No major organization or sports league will have people lining up to feel sorry for them if they lose money so they arent wrong in that area but there is a significant reason why no fee is a bigger story than people are making out. Jozy Altidores worth. And Jermain Defoes worth. And in Math terms – Jozy – Jermain = 0. The fact that no money was exchanged leaves people to only speculate what the two clubs believe the players are worth. We must remember that both players were sold to their previous clubs for around six million pounds (just over $9m US). Altidore in July 2013, Defoe in January 2014. For different reasons, both have seen their values drop since. Yet, as early as August, it was reported across the United Kingdom that QPR offered Toronto FC a similar amount in terms of a transfer fee than the one they paid Tottenham. Since then, the player and the club publicly aand privately struggled to be on the same page and it was clear the world knew that Toronto FC wanted rid of Defoe.dddddddddddd Despite holding onto a depreciating asset, they found many clubs in line who were interested. Leicester lked, QPR said he was t expensive and Hull City admitted they were interested. Alan Pardew, new manager of Crystal Palace, said he threw their hat in the ring to get Defoe this month but found out they were t late. Congerton confirmed negotiations between the two clubs were happening in December. Toronto FC opted against selling Defoe for a fee to a Premier League club and instead chose to just take Altidore in return. Why? The hope is they believe he can more than deliver on what he will be paid. However, no one can think that the two players are worth the same at this stage in their careers. Defoe, now 32, is coming off multiple injuries, but is a proven goalscorer in the richest league in the game, where teams like Sunderland are finding it very difficult to get goalscorers. Thats why they gave him three-and-a-half year contract. Altidore scored one goal in over 40 appearances at the same level. So, why does all this matter? Firstly, now that we know Defoe has been exchanged for Altidore, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the American international. The club has not only decided to pay wages to the player that are above market value but also given up an asset that the ftballing world would all agree was worth much more. Those who believe an Americans premium talents should return to MLS can make a legitimate case for why they should be paid more than anywhere else in the world to play here but they cannot make a case as to why clubs should pay more money in a transfer fee than they are worth. Not only is it bad business practice but it also places a player into a financial threshold that isnt matched by their play on the pitch. It is also shows European leagues that Major League Soccer, a league that is telling its players in negotiations that it is losing money, is willing to pay above market value for American players. Perhaps that was the reason Bezbatchenko chose not to fully answer the question on whether he got a fee for Defoe but if he had said it was a straight swap we believe Jozy will be worth much more to us than Jermain in this league at least we would have an answer to his reasons. He will have made people spit out their drinks (again) on the streets of England but at least he will have been able to tell people that they got an excellent return on Defoe; something he may have said privately to MLSE board members. Thats what he is hopeful of now. By swapping the players, instead of selling Defoe to another Premier League club and then buying Altidore for less from Sunderland, he has been able to hide the large transfer fee lost on Defoe to Spurs. And that is why the Defoe sale still lingers. It could have been understandable for the club to wash their hands with the disgruntled Englishman and move him on for less and learn their lesson but by chsing this option, the comparisons will continue. For Toronto FC, that may turn out to be fine if Altidore delivers and scores goals for a playoff-bound team but from a large pl of players that are available across the world, it is interesting they chose one who just so happens to play for a team where they could stash Defoe away for gd. ' ' '