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Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard promised to be smart in free agency.

He declined to be swayed by splashy moves and refused to overspend 鈥?on his players or anyone else's.

Now Ballard is diving head first into the second wave of free agency. After signing tight end Eric Ebron on Monday Marquez Valdes-Scantling Jersey Packers , he added receiver Ryan Grant and offensive lineman Matt Slauson on Tuesday.

"I'm going to bring myself and everything that comes with me which is energy, fun, excitement and a will to win," Ebron said on a conference call Monday night. "Everything after that, you guys are going to have to see for yourself because I've learned a lesson not to talk about anything before it happens."

Ballard is sticking to his game plan.

He has repeatedly said he intends to build through the draft, develop players in-house and merely supplement the Colts' roster in free agency.

Even though he went into the offseason with more than $70 million to spend, he's remained frugal.

ESPN has reported that Ebron's deal is for two years and up to $15 million. Slauson signed a one-year deal worth $3 million, and Grant agreed to a one-year deal worth $5 million after initially joining Baltimore 鈥?the Ravens cut him loose after he failed a physical. Grant injured his ankle in Week 17 and has been working his way back. He was surprised by the Ravens' decision.

"I can't control what they did. I can't control their assessment of my ankle," Grant said during a conference call. "I've gone other places, I've seen multiple doctors and I've passed physicals Youth Justin Jones Jersey , so that should pretty much speak for itself."

The only other player Indianapolis has signed is defensive lineman Denico Autry, who signed a three-year deal worth $17.8 million.

All four fill needs, though.

Autry recorded a career-high five sacks with the Oakland Raiders last season and could help new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus create a more consistent pass rush. The Colts finished 31st in the NFL last year with 25 sacks.

Grant spent his first four seasons with the Washington Redskins and is expected to compete with Chester Rogers for the starting job opposite Pro Bowler T.Y. Hilton following Donte Moncrief's departure. The 6-foot, 204-pound Grant produced his best season in 2017 鈥?45 receptions, 573 yards and four TDs.

Slauson has started 108 games since entering the league with the New York Jets in 2009. He was in Chicago when Ballard was working with the Bears, and Slauson played for new Colts offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo with both the Jets and Chargers.

Ebron, the Detroit Lions' first-round pick in 2014, was released last week after developing a reputation for dropping passes. In Indianapolis, he'll have a chance to jump-start his career playing alongside Jack Doyle, who appeared in his first Pro Bowl last season http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jalyn-holmes-jersey , and Erik Swoope, a converted basketball player who climbed into the No. 2 spot on the Colts' depth chart.

The happiest guy might be Andrew Luck, who gets two new receivers and a potential upgrade along the line, which has been a major hole since Luck entered the league as the top overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Slauson has played both guard and center and is willing to do either with his new team.

Ballard's biggest offseason move was the trade he pulled off Saturday.

He swapped first-round picks with the Jets, giving up the No. 3 overall pick to get the No. 6 pick and two additional second-round picks this year and the Jets' second-round pick in 2019. That deal gives Indianapolis four picks in the top 50 this year and three picks in the first two rounds next year.

"We need to add some young talent to this roster," Ballard told the team's web site following the trade. "So the ability to tab seven guys in the next two years who are all first and second round picks over the next two years was attractive to us."

NEW YORK — A loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night dropped the Tampa Bay Lightning out of first place in the Atlantic Division for the first time in more than five months and immediately left the Lightning focused on a rematch with the Bruins next week.

But the best way for the Lighting to ensure that game remains pivotal is to begin snapping out of their week-long funk Friday night, when it visits the New York Rangers in the Rangers’ home finale at Madison Square Garden.

The Lightning and Rangers enter Friday mired in losing streaks. Tampa Bay fell for the third straight game Thursday, when it lost 4-2 to the host Bruins. Visiting New York suffered a second consecutive loss Wednesday, when it was beaten by the Washington Capitals 3-2 in overtime.

The three-game skid has come at an inopportune time for the Lightning (51-22-4), who fell out of first place in the Atlantic Division for the first time since Oct. 19. The Bruins http://www.jetsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-sam-darnold-jersey , who took a one-point lead in the race for the Atlantic crown and the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference, visit Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

The Lightning have been outscored 10-4 during the losing streak but took some solace in climbing back into Thursday’s game after falling behind 2-0 in the first period. The Bruins did not close out the victory until Brad Marchand scored an empty-netter in the final minute of the third period.

“We know we play them again,” said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, who scored a goal. “We were more focused on our game and how we played. I think we have two good periods, not three. We need to be better in the first, so we don’t dig ourselves a two-goal hole. Those last two periods were something to build on. We get right back into it tomorrow.”

The Rangers (33-35-9) have been in “something to build on” mode since beginning a rebuilding project before the February trade deadline, though they weren’t eliminated from playoff contention until Tuesday.

The game against the Capitals on Wednesday marked the first time the Rangers took the ice officially out of playoff contention since the final days of the 2003-04 season. New York made the playoffs in 11 of the subsequent 12 seasons and missed out on the postseason in 2009-10 via a shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on the final day of the regular season.

Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who has been a mainstay in net for New York since the 2005-06 season, said he’s trying not to think too much about what he’ll be missing out on when the playoffs begin next month or what lies ahead for a rebuilt roster.

“For me, right now Panthers DJ Moore Jersey , I just want to focus on these last games,” Lundqvist told reporters prior to Wednesday’s game. “Compete, and feel as good as you can, personally, and as a group. And then it’s time for what’s ahead. But right now, you’ve got to focus on the game. Otherwise, you’re not going to make the most of this. We still have a job to do here.”

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