Colts release veteran center Samson Satele

The Indianapolis Colts have finally released 7th-year center Samson Satele, who was entering the final year of his three-year deal signed in 2012. Satele was due to count roughly $5 million against the Colts' salary cap in 2014, a hit that didn't match-up with Satele's on-field production.

As Colts fans can attest, Satele was a weak link in the Colts' offensive line. He was outplayed in 2012 by reserve center A.Q. Shipley, but, strangely, Colts general manager Ryan Grigson opted to trade Shipley and retain Satele. In 2013, Satele was outplayed (and oft-injured) again by Mike McGlynn, who slide from guard to center when Satele was unavailable to play.

For many fans, and some media, the release of Satele was viewed as a bit of a watershed moment for Grigson. There was speculation that Satele would be kept seeing as the Colts had few options under contract next season to play the position. However, Satele's poor play and increased cap hit made his release a no-brainer. The question was would Grigson finally admit that one of his first free agent signings as the Colts general manager had ended up being a bust.

Satele was well-liked in the Colts locker room, and his reputation around the league is solid. Prior to signing with Indianapolis in 2012, he was considered a good center for the Oakland Raiders. It will be interesting to see if he lands with another team and performs at a better level than he did with the Colts.