Sporting News

Colts surprisingly cut former Day 2 pick in latest roster projection

By Kevin Hickey,

9 hours ago

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten through the first week of the preseason with a 34-30 loss against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

While the starters only played two drives to begin the game, the Colts got a strong look at the competitions and position battles further down on the depth chart.

The Colts still have two joint practices with the Arizona Cardinals coming up and two more preseason games remaining so these position battles are far from complete.

However, the preseason opener did give us a better glimpse into how the depth chart is shaking out and how that might impact the upcoming roster cuts.

We projected the roster before the preseason opener of training camp. Now, following the first game, we're going to project the roster again — this one includes a surprising cut.

Rookies are marked in italics.

Colts' 53-man roster projection after preseason opener

Quarterback (2)

Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco

Analysis: As long as Richardson is healthy, the Colts only need to carry two quarterbacks. Ehlinger had a nice preseason opener as did undrafted rookies Kedon Slovis and Jason Bean.

Running Back (4)

Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, Tyler Goodson

Analysis: Even with Taylor set as the starter, the Colts may need to keep four running backs. This is especially true with Sermon suffering a hamstring injury during the opener. If they keep four, Hull and Goodson would be the players who round out the depth chart.

Wide Receiver (6)

Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell , Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould

Analysis: There's not much to see here. It's difficult to see the Colts carrying seven wideouts when this room is healthy. Gould should be the final piece in the room given Josh Downs' ankle injury, which gives him a chance to split slot snaps with Mitchell.

Tight End (4)

Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Andrew Ogletree, Will Mallory

Analysis: In the last roster projection, we had the Colts keeping five tight ends. Not this time. Jelani Woods is very clearly buried on the depth chart as he worked with the third and fourth-string offense. He is in danger of being cut if the Colts feel confident in the other four. Cutting him almost guarantees another team scooping him off waivers, but Woods has not proven to be a difference-maker thus far.

Offensive Line (9)

Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Braden Smith, Blake Freeland, Matt Goncalves , Tanor Bortolini , Danny Pinter

Analysis: It's a pretty straight-forward room here. The five returning starters along with Freeland and Goncalves are locks. Though, Freeland struggled during the preseason opener. Bortolini is close to being a lock as well, but he's been rotating with a number of depth pieces. Undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker is one to keep an eye on here.

Defensive Line (9)

DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, Laiatu Latu , Tyquan Lewis, Taven Bryan, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Isaiah Land

Analysis: The loss of Samson Ebukam to a torn Achilles is a massive blow to what is viewed as the roster's strongest unit. There are likely only two spots remaining in this room. The Colts seem to like Taven Bryan more than I do, but he worked with the starters in the opener so he seems to be in good standing. The surprise here is the release of Raekwon Davis, who hasn't practiced at training camp yet due to blood-pressure related issues.

Linebacker (5)

Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Jaylon Carlies , Grant Stuard, Segun Olubi

Analysis: This room is pretty straight-forward as well. Franklin and Speed lead the room while Carlies seems to be the favorite for the third spot — though he hasn't practiced in a week due to a hip injury. Stuard and Olubi are core special teamers who can provide depth in a pinch.

Cornerback (6)

Julius Brents, Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones, Dallis Flowers, Jaylin Simpson , Micah Abraham

Analysis: This is going to be a very young room for the Colts, especially after Abraham showed out during the opener. The rookie should now be the favorite for the backup nickel role behind Moore while Flowers and Simpson round out the depth chart on the outside.

Safety (5)

Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, Ronnie Harrison Jr.

Analysis: There's not much confidence in the safety room right now, but the Colts seem content to keep it as is. Neither Cross nor Thomas increased the gap in the competition at free safety, and that ambiguity leads to the Colts keeping five safeties. Why they haven't made a strong pursuit for Justin Simmons (at least to public knowledge) is very questionable.