Colts

The Indianapolis Colts signed former Minnesota center Kirk Lowdermilk to a $6 million, three-year deal yesterday, then agreed to a $7.65 million, three- year deal with offensive tackle Will Wolford of the Buffalo Bills. Lowdermilk, who has anchored the Vikings' offensive line for the past five years, was signed outright and is expected to add instant stability to a line that yielded 152 sacks over the last three seasons, including 44 in 1992. The Bills, who named Wolford as their transition player, have seven days to match the Colts' offer or lose him without compensation.

Willie McGinest had a sore knee, but refused to let it slow him down. With 14 seconds left and the Colts a yard away from completing a fourth-quarter rally, McGinest got around the right side of the offensive line and caught Edgerrin James in the backfield to preserve New England's 38-34 win yesterday at Indianapolis. The Patriots won their eighth straight game, the longest streak in the NFL, and improved to 10-2 for the first time in franchise history. McGinest's game-saving tackle typified the Patriots' charmed season.

There are a lot of happy people in Indianapolis as a result of the Eric Dickerson trade. Dickerson, who has a shiny, new $1.3 million-a-year contract, is happy. Colts owner Bob Irsay, who has a drawing card that is guaranteed to keep the Hoosier Dome filled - win, lose or draw - for years to come, is happy. Colts coach Ron Meyer, who suddenly has the premier running back in the NFL at his disposal, is happy. The Colts fans, who are used to paying filet mignon prices on Sundays to watch bottom round NFL roast, are happy.

Cumberland kicker Ryan Stant showed the kind of poise under pressure to which very few 15-year-olds are accustomed yesterday on the Gloucester City gridiron. With 1 second remaining in the game and the Colts deadlocked, 13-13, with host Gloucester Catholic, Stant split the goal posts with a 21-yard field goal, lifting upstart Cumberland a 16-13 victory in a Tri-County Conference Royal Division game. After he walked the walk, the sophomore, who missed an extra point early in the game, talked the talk.

The Indianapolis Colts will not trade away rights to their top pick before the April 28 NFL draft, and chances are "better than 50 percent" the club will reach agreement with a player this weekend, general manager Jim Irsay said yesterday. With Tampa Bay's signing of Heisman Trophy winner Vinny Testaverde last week, the Colts will get first choice among the remaining 27 NFL teams selecting in this year's college draft. The Buffalo News said earlier yesterday that the Colts already had decided to try to sign Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth and were prepared to offer him a four-year, $2.2 million contract.

BETHLEHEM - The Eagles didn't really need another corner, Howie Roseman acknowledged Thursday when asked how he came to trade for Kevin Thomas from Indianapolis. But Roseman liked Thomas coming out of USC in 2010, before the Colts drafted him in the third round, and corner is one of those positions where you always look for more real players. And maybe most important, former Eagles personnel chief Ryan Grigson is the GM in Indianapolis now, and Grigson needed linebackers. Roseman had a couple of those, former seventh-round draft picks Moise Fokou (2009)

Peyton Manning got help from an unlikely source - his defense - and the Colts remained the NFL's only unbeaten team. The Patriots also were victimized for the first time by Adam Vinatieri as Indianapolis won last night, 27-20. With his once adoring fans booing, he kicked two field goals in his first game against New England since leaving as a free agent. But he also missed twice in the second half. A steady Manning (20-for-36, 326 yards) threw for two touchdowns, while the Colts intercepted Tom Brady four times and allowed no touchdown passes, only two scoring runs by Corey Dillon and two field goals by rookie Stephen Gostkowski.

The Indianapolis Colts are close to an agreement with former Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon, ESPN.com reported last night. The Web site cited sources close to the negotiations. The 28-year-old Simon became an unrestricted free agent Sunday after the Eagles removed his franchise tag. The former Pro Bowl player refused to sign a $5.13 million franchise tender the Eagles offered him after the Super Bowl. Simon spent five seasons with the Eagles after they selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2000 draft.

For 1 minute, 51 seconds yesterday, the Colts magically turned back the NFL clock. Jack Trudeau became Johnny Unitas. Bill Brooks became Raymond Berry. And the Colts became winners for the first time this season, shocking the Eagles, 24-23, at Veterans Stadium. Trudeau, the Colts quarterback, drove his underdog team 82 yards in 14 plays, masterfully working the clock and overcoming three penalties, finally hitting wide receiver Brooks with a 6-yard touchdown pass as time ran out. In all, Trudeau completed seven passes in the winning drive, six of which were to Brooks.

As Andy Reid read the names, it seemed as if the Eagles coach was reciting his starting team. Twelve players will not make the trip to Indianapolis for tomorrow's preseason game against the Colts. Of the 12, 11 are injured. Of those 11, four of them are projected starters on the offensive line. All four linemen could be ready to start when the season opens in less than four weeks, but there is no definite timetable for the return of guards Todd Herremans and Stacy Andrews and tackles Jason Peters and Shawn Andrews.