NEW YORK -- The new era in Indianapolis will start with a Stanford connection.
The Colts drafted tight end Coby Fleener on Friday with the 34th overall pick in the NFL draft, connecting quarterback Andrew Luck with his favorite target in college.
"I can't tell you how excited I am and what it means to have him at quarterback," Fleener said in a conference call Friday. Luck almost immediately sent him a text, which said: "Oh yeah."
It's almost too perfect to believe. Former Colts great Marvin Harrison was in New York for the festivities, and it felt like one era of Colts football was passing the ball off to another. Peyton Manning had his connection with Dallas Clark, and now Luck can grow up with Fleener. (One thing Manning and Luck share: Reggie Wayne.)
Fleener is the very image of the new NFL tight end. He might not be a great blocker, but he's explosive and dangerous in the red zone. Just as important, he knows how to work with Luck.
"I think that's just icing on the cake," Colts general manager Ryan Grigson told The Associated Press when asked about reuniting Fleener with Luck. "How can that not help? He knows him. They have timing together. They've been on the same team together. They've won big games together. It was staring you in the face, how could you not do it?"
This offseason in Indianapolis has been about constant change. It has been about players walking out the door. After grabbing Fleener, the Colts also took Clemson tight end Dwayne Allen and wide receiver T Y Hilton. Allen is yet another vertical-style tight end for Luck to target. Hilton is a speedster with return value. The Colts are trying to rebuild their offense in one draft.
With Fleener and Allen joining Luck on the team's new-look offense, Colts fans finally have a new team for which to root.
