Colts add Stanford TE to Luck's new toy collection

By MICHAEL MAROT - AP Sports Writer
    2012-04-27 19:31

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Andrew Luck and Coby Fleener will be playing together again in the NFL.

Less than 24 hours after selecting the Stanford quarterback with the No. 1 overall choice, the Indianapolis Colts jumped at the chance to take Luck's college teammate, tight end Coby Fleener.

While the Luck pick was no surprise, Fleener's availability Friday night at No. 34 overall was.

``I can't tell you how excited I am and what it means to have him at quarterback,'' Fleener said during a conference call with local reporters.

Fleener said Luck sent him a text message almost immediately, which said ``Oh yeah.''

Many scouts had the 6-foot-6, 244-pound senior ranked as the draft's best tight end after a 4.49-second 40-yard dash at his pro day workout last month. Some thought the Colts were so enamored with giving Luck a new option -- and a familiar face -- in his first NFL offense that they might trade back into the first round Thursday.

When San Francisco, Tampa Bay and the New York Giants closed out the first round by taking a receiver, a running back and another running back, respectively, Fleener was left on the board to start the second day.

The only remaining obstacle was St. Louis, which was in need of offensive help for quarterback Sam Bradford. The Rams also could have traded the No. 33 overall pick to a tight end-needy team. Instead, the Rams held onto the selection and took receiver Brian Quick, giving the Colts the chance to reunite Luck and Fleener.

Indy desperately needed a tight end after cutting former Pro Bowler Dallas Clark on March 9 and losing backup tight end Jacob Tamme to Denver in free agency. The only tight end son Indy's current roster are Brody Eldridge, who has been primarily a blocker in his first two NFL seasons, and the untested Kyle Miller.

Fleener could make an immediate impact. Though the offense in Indy may be different, he and Luck are familiar with one another's nuances and played in a pro-style system at Stanford.

Together, they were impressive in college and now the two pals are hoping to do the same in the NFL.

``We're very good friends,'' Fleener said. ``I can't even describe how excited I am right now.''

While Luck needed only three seasons to break some of John Elway's career records at Stanford, Fleener was doing his own rewrite on the tight end numbers.

In four seasons, Fleener caught 96 passes for 1,543 yards and 18 touchdowns, a career record for Cardinal tight ends. His numbers improved each season, topping out with 34 receptions for 667 yards and a team-best 10 TDs in 2011 when he was a first-team all-Pac 12 selection.

The Colts are hoping he can fit into this offense the way Clark did after being taken in the first round of the 2003 draft.

Luck's other options include Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne, slot receiver Austin Collie and the speedy Donnie Avery, who is trying to come back from a torn ACL sustained in 2010. Indy signed Avery signed after the Titans let him test free agency.

The Colts were scheduled to make one more pick Friday, No. 64 overall at the top of the third round, and have seven more choices during Saturday, the last of the three-day draft weekend.

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