Colts Franchise TE Dallas Clark, Sign OG Ryan Lilja to 5-Year $20 Million Deal

As expected, the Indianapolis Colts have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on tight end Dallas Clark, guaranteeing him a salary of $4.522 million for 2008. The Colts and Clark's agent Neil Cornrich have not yet been able to come to an agreement on a long term deal, but the general hope on both sides is reportedly that something will get worked out before the beginning of the season. The move allows the Colts to lock up Clark, and shift his contract status to the backburner while they work to tie up their other loose free agents.

One such free agent is unrestricted starting guard Ryan Lilja, who today agreed to a 5-year $20 million contract that will help keep the starting offensive line intact. This might not seem like a lot for a starting guard in light of last year's multiple 7-year $49 million deals signed once the free agency period opened up, but this seems like the type of contract that won't have a lot of inflated numbers or money that Lilja won't see. It is more likely that he'll play the entire contract out and become a free agent in 2013 at the age of 30, with the ability to possibly get one more medium sized contract somewhere to finish his career. Lilja was an undrafted free agent out of Kansas State who was cut by the Chiefs in training camp in 2004, and then eventually landed with the Colts and has started 43 games for the Colts in 4 years, including all 16 games last season.

The tendering of Clark and signing of Lilja to a long term deal now allow Colts GM Bill Polian to focus on locking up the other unrestricted free agent starting guard Jake Scott, who is arguably one of the better guards who could hit the free agent market on February 29th, and thus seek to cash in big time as many teams seek to fill holes on their offensive line. Scott is only 26 and has started 57 games for the Colts in 4 years, including all 16 games the past 3 seasons.