INDIANAPOLIS -- Tight end Coby Fleener was reserved with the media during his four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He would purposely give cliché answers to avoid conflicts.
Fleener is finally opening up now that he signed a five-year, $36 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. He was on a conference call with Saints reporters on Friday in which he questioned the effort of some of his former teammates during the Colts' trying 8-8 season. Quarterback Andrew Luck was out for nine games, and the Colts missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
"I think it’s one of those situations where it really reveals character," Fleener said. "The guys that kept fighting through it -- knowing that we may not have our star quarterback on the field but we still have a chance to win the game -- those are the guys you want kind of in your corner. And the other guys, it becomes pretty apparent that they’re along for the ride."
Fleener wasn't done voicing his opinion about the Colts. He was also on Sirius XM, where he revealed that Indianapolis didn't make him a free-agent priority.
"The Colts' lack of interest and the Saints' interest made going to New Orleans an easy choice," Fleener said during the interview.
The Colts decided to go with tight end Dwayne Allen -- who signed a four-year, $29 million contract earlier this week -- over Fleener, because Allen is a better all-around player. Allen and Fleener were part of the Colts' 2012 draft class that also featured Luck and receiver T.Y. Hilton.