Dilger

The veteran tight end signed a five-year, $15 million contract on Thursday with the AFC East champions.

"I'm very happy. I wanted to stay in Indiana and finish my career here," said Dilger, who could have become a free agent Friday. "I always felt we would get it done without having to have the franchise tag put on me. There were a couple of sticking points and we were able to work them out."

Dilger's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said the Colts agreed to the long-term deal rather than designate Dilger as their "franchise" player, which would have given him a one-year salary equal to the average of the top five tight ends in the league -- $2.385 million.

"It was a long process," Bartelstein said. "We didn't really want to be franchised, so we tried to come up with something that would work for everybody, and I think this does it."

As a "franchise" player, Dilger still could have signed an offer sheet with another team, but then the Colts would have had the option of either matching the offer or receiving two first-round picks as compensation from Dilger's new team.

"We're very happy to have Ken Dilger on board with us for the next five years," Colts president Bill Polian said. "We look forward to a great season from him."

The league's free agency period begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

The Colts already waived linebacker Michael Barber, receiver Lake Dawson, running back Darick Holmes and quarterback Steve Walsh. Tackle Adam Meadows, running back Leeland McElroy and quarterback Kelly Holcomb received one-year contract offers as restricted free agents, meaning they may sign offer sheets with other clubs but the Colts have one week to match the offers or receive compensation through draft picks.

Dilger, a former Indiana high school All-State quarterback at Heritage Hills and a second-round draft pick out of Illinois in 1995, earned about $1.2 million last season. His wife, Heidi, is expecting their first child late this month.

Linebacker Bertrand Berry and offensive linemen Jason Johnson and Jamie Wilson were not offered contracts and will become unrestricted free agents Friday.

The team Wednesday tendered one-year "exclusive rights" contract offers -- meaning they may negotiate only with the Colts -- to defensive backs Billy Austin and Tony Blevins, defensive tackle Larry Chester, guards Waverly Jackson and Jeff Saturday, center Larry Moore, wide receivers Isaac Jones and Chad Plummer, linebackers Ratcliff Thomas and Spencer Reid, kickers Danny Kight and Mike Vanderjagt and fullback Paul Shields.