Colts continue their recruitment drive with arrival of former Raiders star.
The Indianapolis Colts have reached an agreement with wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, as reported by NFL.com.
The deal is reportedly a one-year contract, that will see the 26 year-old receive a $1.5m signing bonus in a deal worth $3m.
Heyward-Bey was drafted as a No.7 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders back in 2009, and has 140 receptions for 2,071 yards and 11 touchdowns since.
In 2012, he started 14 games and had 41 receptions for 606 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
Furthermore over the past four seasons he has impressively led the Raiders in receptions and yards receiving, while finishing second in touchdowns to Denarius Moore (12).
However, despite the gradual improvements being made to his game he was released by the Raiders this off-season, and had visited the Colts last week with a view to becoming their third wide receiver to join Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton.
There was also interest from the Detroit Lions, and despite admitting that a move would be appealing, he has ultimately decided to join the Colts which has gone down well with the franchise hierarchy.
“We feel great about acquiring a talented player in Darrius Heyward-Bey,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in an official statement released by the Colts.
“He’s big, strong and shows toughness in traffic and after the catch. He’s got elite finishing speed that’s as good as there is in the NFL.
“With this staff, this team and overall culture we’re building here in Indy, we felt strongly that he was the right player and person at the wide receiver position for us moving forward,” he added.
Heyward-Bey now has a fantastic opportunity to ignite his NFL career in an offensive set-up that should suit his skills. The move also represents a chance to pair up with one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in the form of Andrew Luck.
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