Newton signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Buffalo, Newton had six tackles, including four on special teams, in 12 games. Waived/injured by the Colts in August, Newton spent the 2011 season as a street free agent and had workouts with the Jaguars and Eagles.

Hickman, 26, has spent the last three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. The former undrafted free agent out of UCLA has 144 tackles, 27 quarterback sacks and was a 2011 East Division All-Star, a CFL All-Star and a Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

If Peyton Manning can’t throw to his left – what good is he?

That’s the word from NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi, who on a podcast on the website Grantland with Bill Simmons said that Manning isn’t close to his old form after three neck surgeries.

“He can’t throw the ball,” Lombardi said. “I’ve talked to people who’ve caught the ball for him. He can’t throw the ball to his left. He can’t throw the ball across his body, because he doesn’t feel it. People that catch the ball for him say he doesn’t really have velocity on the ball yet.”

Doctors have said for months that Manning nerves must regenerate before he will be back to full strength. They have said no one can predict when that will happen.

If he can’t throw across his body, forget about where Manning will end up in 2012 – he won’t be going anywhere, except back at home to sit and enjoy retirement.

“We talked about it a little bit, yeah. We were so dependent on him and what he did. The whole offensive structure was built upon what he could do and how he did it. The way his injury took place, there was always kind of the thought that ‘Well, he could come back, he might come back, maybe the recovery time is going to be x’.

“So we found ourselves kind of holding out hope ‘Well, let’s not change everything because there’s a chance he’s going to come back and when he comes back then we’re going to run it this way’. Unfortunately, he never did come back.

“So we got stuck with kind of trying to change in midstream and put some things together, and the people we had trying to do some of the things that Peyton did, even then we cut it down, but obviously they’re not Peyton Manning.

Duke Blue Devils’ offensive lineman Matt Skura tweeted that Peyton Manning is working out in Durham on Duke’s campus according to Duke Hoop Blog. Skura tweeted, “Got to stretch next to Peyton Manning today and say hello #OnlyAtDuke”

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was Manning’s offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

He has remained close to the Manning family for nearly 20 years, also coaching two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli at Ole Miss.

The Colts have announced the promotion of Tom Telesco from Director of Player Personnel to Vice President of Football Operations.

Telesco has been with the Colts since 1998, beginning as an area scout after spending three seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

“I’ve known Tom for a long time and we have a mutual respect for each other,” said General Manager Ryan Grigson. “He has been a valuable member of the Colts organization over the last 14 years and this promotion is well deserved. He has a bright football mind, conveys his points well and is highly respected in and around league circles. I’m looking forward to working with him this season as we make strides towards our ultimate goal.”

Telesco was considered to be an in-house candidate for the Colts’ general manager position.

Diles had been claimed off waivers from the Buccaneers in December and a pair of tackles in four games. Diles was set to make $1 million in the second year of a two-year contract he had signed with the Buccaneers.

Williams and Thomas both spent 2011 on injured reserve and were due the league minimum base salaries in 2012.

Schefter reports that two teams are interested in having Saturday join their front office.

A former undrafted free agent out of North Carolina, Saturday has started 188 of his 197 career games, all of which were played with the Colts from 1999-2011. Saturday has been named to five Pro Bowls in the last seven seasons, turns 37 in June and will be an unrestricted free agent in March.

Saturday has played an role in the NFL Players Association, serving on the union’s Executive Committee and playing a key role in the negotiations towards the collective bargaining agreement that ended last off-season’s lockout. Saturday’s knowledge of the game, on and off the field, would be an asset to any team.

Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith discuss what the Indianapolis Colts should do now that Peyton Manning has been cleared to play.

When the show heads to Indianapolis, Denise hosts a party for the other wives and the better halves of the Colts.

Peyton Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, said Friday that it would not be foolish or unsafe for Manning to play football next season as he continues to recover from neck surgery according to NFL.com.

Manning’s doctor “has said that he’s structurally sound and that the fusions have taken place and that he’s healed,” Condon said on NFL Network’s “Super Bowl Live.” “He said he can take a hit and play in a football game.”

“He certainly expects to return to play and he wants to play,” Condon said. “He’s enthusiastic about it. I think the rehabilitation is going very well and he believes that also. He’s made a substantial amount of progress and we anticipate him playing football next year.”

Condon said he was responding to what he called “some substantial discussion” that Manning “wasn’t going to be able to play and it was too dangerous and it was foolish to even think about it.” To the contrary, Condon said, “He is sound. … He can take a hit.”

“The reality is there’s been a good deal said about Peyton and he’s foolish and foolhardy and endangering himself and all that, and again that’s not accurate,” Condon said.