INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts couldn't let receiver Andre Johnson go back to Florida -- or wherever he was headed -- without agreeing to a deal.
Not with a relatively thin free-agent market for receivers and not if they wanted to continue to add the necessary pieces in order for them to make a run at a Super Bowl.
With an assist from new running back Frank Gore, the Colts were able to close the deal with Johnson (three years, $21 million) to get the type of receiver they need to go with T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Duron Carter.
The Colts didn't sign Ndamukong Suh, the best free agent on the market, but they didn't get caught up in the headline-grabbing names in free agency and focused on adding the right pieces to their roster.
Johnson joins Gore, linebacker Trent Cole, defensive lineman Kendall Langford and offensive lineman Todd Herremans as outside free agents Indianapolis has added to its roster.
"I felt like this was the best place where I could win a championship," Johnson said. "That's the biggest thing; that's the only thing that matters. We came here to win and try to accomplish that ultimate goal."
The 33-year-old Johnson is not the same receiver he was several years ago. He had 85 receptions for 936 yards and three touchdowns last season. But the Colts gladly will take those numbers. He would have been second in receiving yards for the Colts by more than 150 yards last season.
Johnson had 1,012 receptions for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns in his 12-year career with the Houston Texans. He put up those numbers catching passes from mediocre quarterbacks such as Matt Schaub. Now, he gets to catch passes from Andrew Luck, one of the top young quarterbacks in the NFL.
"That was a very big part," Johnson said. "I wanted to be at a place that had a stable quarterback, and I feel like Andrew is arguably the best quarterback in the game [after] playing against him twice a year and getting a chance to watch him a lot."
The Colts have speedsters on the outside in Hilton, their No. 1 receiver, and Moncrief, who just completed his rookie season. Carter, the son of Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, has size but has no NFL game experience. The Colts signed him after two years in the Canadian Football League.
That's where Johnson enters into the mix. He gives Indianapolis a different look at receiver.
Johnson is physical and has exceptional hands. You can look at him as an upgrade from veteran receiver Reggie Wayne, whom the Colts decided not to re-sign last week.
"I've talked to Reggie," said Johnson, a college teammate of Wayne's at Miami. "I wouldn't say it's awkward. I think it's the nature of the business. He was very happy for me."
The Colts finished third in the NFL in total offense last season, and if the moves they've made so far pay off, they should be ranked near the top of that category again next season.
