INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts have decided who to take with the No. 1 draft pick.
They’re just not planning to let the secret out until April 26.
After months of speculation, scouting and scrutinizing, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson finally told reporters Wednesday that the Colts have a plan for their their first No. 1 overall selection in14 years.
“We’ve known for a little while. We’ve done all our due diligence,” Grigson said during a 30-minute news conference. “Unless there’s an unforeseen problem or something like that, we know what we’re doing.”
Team owner Jim Irsay repeatedly has said the team will choose Peyton Manning’s successor, presumably either Stanford’s Andrew Luck or Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winner. If the Colts take Luck, the Washington Redskins are expected to take Griffin with the second pick next Thursday night.
Luck was expected to go No. 1 in 2011 before opting to return to school. His resume looks like an exact replica of Manning’s - both stayed in school one year longer than expected, both finished as Heisman Trophy runner-ups and both had fathers who played quarterback in the NFL.
While the Colts sent a larger contingent of scouts to Griffin’s pro day in Texas than Luck’s pro day at Stanford, Luck had a personal workout for the Colts and traveled to Indianapolis for a personal interview. Griffin was advised by his agent to do neither and, apparently, it wasn’t the only reason Griffin didn’t come to town.
“You get to a point where you know what you’re going to do,” Grigson said.
Grigson would not say whether the Colts have opened negotiations with either player.
Luck’s agent, Will Wilson, did not respond to an email seeking comment, and a spokeswoman for the agency representing Luck said Tuesday she was unaware whether the Colts and Wilson were discussing a contract. Luck has been attending classes at Stanford and isn’t planning to do any more interviews until he arrives next week in New York.
Whether negotiations will start in the next week remains unclear.
“We’ve kicked it around. I don’t know what the true advantage is to go early,” Grigson said. “At this point, we’re focused on picking the guys.”
The Colts still are trying to figure out where they are in their massive offseason overhaul, too.
Grigson’s comments came less than an hour after the Colts wrapped up another voluntary workout at the team complex, a practice that included perennial Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne, who usually stays in Miami for workouts until the team’s mandatory offseason mini-camp.
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