The team did not provide details of the contracts when it announced the signings.

Along with Harnish, the Colts signed running back Vick Ballard, a fifth-round pick; receiver LaVon Brazill, a sixth-round pick; and two seventh-rounders, Harnish and defensive end-linebacker Tim Fugger.

By AP

The Colts are out of Luck at this week’s mini-camp.

With new quarterback Andrew Luck still finishing two college classes, team officials are doing what they can to make sure the No. 1 overall draft pick doesn’t fall behind in his football studies before returning to Indy on June 8. Veterans can’t wait to get a peek at Luck.

”I came in to do some maintenance stuff the last day of rookie mini-camp and I asked him ‘Did you throw any picks?”’ cornerback Jerraud Powers said. ”He said, ‘I don’t think I did.’ So I said, ‘Hi, I’m Jerraud Powers and I’ll be picking you off a lot in practice.”’

Welcome to the NFL, kid.

Aside from the ribbing Luck and his fellow rookies will take from the older guys this season, the Colts don’t seem too concerned about not having Luck around.

Coach Chuck Pagano said Wednesday that the Colts have stayed in constant communication with Luck, that he’s been busy with the team’s playbook and that he’s been able to work out with at least two college teammates, Coby Fleener and Griff Whalen, while at Stanford Fleener and Whalen are both on the Colts’ roster.

The Colts would obviously prefer to have Luck in Indy. Apparently, Luck, who is trying to earn his degree in architectural design, would rather be in town, too.

”He does football in the morning, he stays on top of stuff,” Pagano said. ”I just talked to him last night, and it’s killing him not to be here.”

NFL rules bar rookies from attending team camps other than one three-day rookie mini-camp until classes are finished. In Luck’s case, he wraps up academic work June 7 and has said he will be in Indy the next day.

Until then, Luck intends to work out at Stanford with Fleener, a tight end the Colts took in the second round, and Whalen, who the Colts signed as an undrafted free agent. Fleener, who already has earned his bachelor’s degree, did practice with the Colts on Wednesday.

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Andrew Luck’s first full weekend in Indianapolis has already given him a glimpse into what rookie life will be like.

He’s getting acclimated to a new locker room, new teammates and a new playbook, all while contending with the seemingly impossible job of replacing one of the city’s biggest sports icons, Peyton Manning.

Welcome to Indy, kid.

The kickoff officially came Saturday night, when Luck’s second day of rookie workouts at the Colts complex was upstaged by Manning’s return to Indianapolis.

It’s not the first time Manning has returned to the city he called home for 14 seasons, but it’s the first time he’s been back since the Colts started holding offseason workouts, and it’s a stark reminder of the pressure the No. 1 overall draft pick will face in 2012.

“He’s a great player, a great kid and he’ll fit in perfectly,” Manning said of his successor. “I reach out to most of the rookie quarterbacks because so many of them have been to our camp at the Manning Passing Academy, so I’ve always kind of kept up with them. Andrew attended our camp and that’s what I think is really the reason he was the first pick, because of all the great coaching he got down there.”

Manning was in a playful mood before serving as the master of ceremonies for a fundraiser for the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent.

While he joked with reporters about everything from his new digs in Denver to how the NFL’s new offseason rules benefit teams such as the Colts that have new coaches, Manning took a serious tone when it came to the hospital that bears his name and the people that would be recognized during the celebration.

In the previous four years, the gala raised $3.4 million, and this year could be the best yet

The list of items on this year’s auction block included a collage of autographed baseballs from Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams; two guitars, one signed by Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, the other by the Rolling Stones; a clipping from a contract signed by Marilyn Monroe; an autograph of Mother Teresa; a signed Johnny Unitas jersey and an autographed photo of five American presidents — George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon.

And Manning intends to stick around and keep doing this kind of work in Indy.

“Peyton is no longer a Colt, but he’s been on our team since 1998 and he will continue to be on our team,” said Vincent Caponi, CEO of St.Vincent Health.

A sixth round pick out of Southern Illinois in 2010, Karim has 98 carries for 290 yards, 17 receptions for 130 yards out of the backfield, and has averaged 24.7 yards on 77 kick returns in 23 games over the last two seasons. Karim has two seasons remaining on his current contract and is scheduled to earn $565,000 in base salary this season.

The Colts have 2009 first round pick Donald Brown, 2011 fourth round pick Delone Carter and 2012 fifth round pick Vick Ballard on the roster, but Karim adds needed depth and figures to be in the mix for the kick return duties.

Cameron Chism, CB, Maryland

Kevin Eagan, DE, Endicott

Antonio Fenelus, DB, Wisconsin

Jason Foster, OG, Rhode Island

Chris Galippo, LB, USC

Hayworth Hick, OG, Iowa

Buddy Jackson, CB, Pittsburgh

Matt Merletti, RB, North Carolina

Micah Pellerin CB, Hampton

Jabin Sambrano, WR, Montana

Griff Whalen, WR, Stanford

The Colts have brought in someone close to Andrew Luck to catch passes from him – as the team picked Stanford TE Coby Flenner with their second round pick.

Here’s a Scouting Report on Fleener:

Fleener has been a consistent producer for Stanford over the past few seasons. He was second for the Cardinal in receiving in 2011. Fleener caught 34 passes for 667 yards and 10 touchdowns. Throughout the season, he was a steady and reliable receiver for quarterback Andrew Luck.

In the NFL, Fleener should be a good target to exploit the deep middle of the field. He was very skilled at running routes down the middle seam. He uses his length and hands to make tough catches in the center of the field. Fleener has underrated quickness to get downfield and find soft spots in zone coverage. His size is a real mismatch for defensive backs, while linebackers struggle with his quickness.

Fleener is a well-rounded player. He blocks well in the ground game to help open holes. It is obvious that he has been coached up on blocking technique. He could use more power and bulk to be an effective blocker in the NFL. If he can’t add weight, power running teams may not view him as a three-down player, and think of him only as a receiving tight end. For the next level, Fleener could be a good fit in a zone-blocking ground scheme.

Not that there was going to be much thought otherwise, but it appears more than ever that the new Colts QB – Andrew Luck, is going to be the starter for the Colts from day one. At least that is how it sounds according to Bruce Arians.

After the Colts draft Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick on Thursday evening, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians fully expects the Stanford quarterback to run with the first team from Day 1. “Ain’t no doubt,” Arians said. Luck will be at the Colts’ rookie minicamp in the first week of May, but he will not be able to participate in any other parts of the offseason program until after he completes the spring quarter at Stanford, because of NFL rules on underclassmen and graduation.

To the surprise of no one, the Colts have picked Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Colts are counting on Luck to begin their rebuilding process after the team dumped all-time great QB Peyton Manning this offseason.

Here’s a scouting report on Luck:

There are three truths in this life: Death, taxes and Luck being the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

In the end, Luck is the real deal and easily the premiere prospect of this class.

Here on the day of the draft the Colts are dangling out there defensive end Dwight Freeney, while at the same time looking to move down from the No. 34 pick.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated reported the story earlier today, that the Cols would like to get rid of Freeney, who is due to earn $14.035 million in base salary and has a $19.035 million salary cap number in the final year of his current contract.

Freeney is the Colts’ all-time sack leader, but the Colts are also moving from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense under first-year head coach Chuck Pagano and Freeney may be a better fit on another club.

As for trading the No. 34 pick, King said the Colts are looking to add to their front seven and would ideally like to pick up another pick in the Top 80.

The Colts own 10 draft choices total, but four are between picks 206 and 253, with those two particular selections of the compensatory variety (and thus are not able to be traded).