Source: Todd Rosenberg / Getty
INDIANAPOLIS – Training camp is over. The preseason slate of games is over. It’s time to cut.
By Tuesday, the Colts must trim their 90-man roster down to 53.
Here’s our final 53-man roster with cuts due by Tuesday afternoon (* denotes rookie).
1. Quarterbacks (4/3): Jason Bean, Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard*, Anthony Richardson
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Quarterbacks (4/3): Jason Bean, Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard*, Anthony Richardson
Bowen’s Analysis: No real debate here with Leonard certainly above Jason Bean as the 3rd QB. Colts have frequently carried 3 quarterbacks with Ballard, so here’s the trio for 2025.
2. Running Backs (7/4) Ulysses Bentley IV*, DJ Giddens*, Tyler Goodson, Khalil Herbert, Nate Noel, Nay-Quan Wright, Jonathan Taylor
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Running Backs (7/4) Ulysses Bentley IV*, DJ Giddens*, Tyler Goodson, Khalil Herbert, Nate Noel, Nay-Quan Wright, Jonathan Taylor
Bowen’s Analysis: Good luck predicting names after Taylor and Giddens. Herbert is a veteran with a strong resume, but an injury has sidelined him for a good chunk of August. He returned to practice though this past week. And then Goodson getting hurt in the Green Bay games opens up a starting gunner spot, which might impact things, too. If Goodson is an IR candidate (to return later in the year?), perhaps it’s Bentley IV that cracks the initial 53-man roster.
3. Wide Receivers (12/6) Ajou Ajou, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Tyler Kahmann*, Adonai Mitchell, Coleman Owen*, Landon Parker*, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., Blayne Taylor*, Laquon Treadwell
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Wide Receivers (12/6) Ajou Ajou, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Tyler Kahmann*, Adonai Mitchell, Coleman Owen*, Landon Parker*, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., Blayne Taylor*, Laquon Treadwell
Bowen’s Analysis: This seems pretty straightforward to me. Gould appears to be the lead guy for punt return duties. And we know what the staff thinks of Dulin as a core special teamer. Assuming Downs is good to come back soon, the 6 is clear to me. Gould and Dulin are the expected kick returners for the Colts in 2025. I do like the camp Coleman Owen has had. Dulin did get hurt at Tuesday’s practice, so that is something to monitor. Getting Owen and Laquon Treadwell on the practice squad is probably how I would round out this group. If Dulin is nursing a notable injury though, could Treadwell have an initial 53-man roster spot?
4. Tight Ends (7/4): Mo Alie-Cox, Will Mallory, Sean McKeon, Drew Ogletree, Tyler Warren*, Jelani Woods
Tight Ends (7/4): Mo Alie-Cox, Will Mallory, Sean McKeon, Drew Ogletree, Tyler Warren*, Jelani Woods
Bowen’s Analysis: I can’t see keeping 5 tight ends, even though Jelani Woods has had some flashes in a healthy camp. But I can’t create a smooth pathway for a 5th tight end especially given the injuries elsewhere on the roster. Try and get Woods to the practice squad.
5. Offensive Line (14/9): Tanor Bortolini, Marshall Foerner*, Wesley French, Matt Goncalves, Marcellus Johnosn, Quenton Nelson, Danny Pinter, Bernhard Raimann, Josh Sills, Braden Smith, Luke Tenuta, Jalen Travis*, Dalton Tucker, Mose Vavao*
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Offensive Line (14/9): Tanor Bortolini, Marshall Foerner*, Wesley French, Matt Goncalves, Marcellus Johnosn, Quenton Nelson, Danny Pinter, Bernhard Raimann, Josh Sills, Braden Smith, Luke Tenuta, Jalen Travis*, Dalton Tucker, Mose Vavao*
Bowen’s Analysis: Should we expect a waiver claim at offensive tackle with Blake Freeland breaking his leg against the Packers? I think that’s a strong idea. Normally, Chris Ballard is a fan of keeping 10 offensive linemen. Tenuta, a tackle, is a name I’ve put on the 53-man roster after the Freeland injury. I will keep Danny Pinter ,but Dalton Tucker getting some center snaps in the season finale is interesting.
6. Defensive Line (17/10): Adetomiwa Adebawore, DeForest Buckner, Devonta Davis*, Samson Ebukam, Neville Gallimore, Marcus Haynes, Eric Johnson II, Isaiah Land, Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, Desmond Little*, Durell Nchami, Kwity Paye, Tim Smith*, Grover Stewart, JT Tuimoloau, Josh Tupou
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Defensive Line (17/10): Adetomiwa Adebawore, DeForest Buckner, Devonta Davis*, Samson Ebukam, Neville Gallimore, Marcus Haynes, Eric Johnson II, Isaiah Land, Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, Desmond Little*, Durell Nchami, Kwity Paye, Tim Smith*, Grover Stewart, JT Tuimoloau, Josh Tupou
Bowen’s Analysis: I decided to pump this number back to 10 and keep draft pick Tim Smith as another interior body. If you want to keep an extra edge, Land (who flashed a bit in the preseason finale) is your guy and Nchami has been a name I’ve noticed. To some, 10 is too much. But that’s a number Chris Ballard has loved along the defensive line. If you are trying to pinch though, this is definitely an area where you could do that as it’s borderline impossible to dress 10 defensive linemen on a game day (53 players on your roster, 46 dress on game days). Could it come down to Smith or Eric Johnson II for the final DL spot?
7. Linebackers (9/4): Austin Ajiake, Joe Bachie, Jaylon Carlies, Jake Chaney*, Solomon DeShields*, Zaire Franklin, Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi, Joseph Vaughan
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Linebackers (9/4): Austin Ajiake, Joe Bachie, Jaylon Carlies, Jake Chaney*, Solomon DeShields*, Zaire Franklin, Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi, Joseph Vaughan
Bowen’s Analysis: I don’t think I’ve ever had 4 linebackers on any 53-man roster, so I probably need to add one more here. But Lou Anarumo has talked a lot about using more nickel and dime personnel, so that means more defensive backs, versus linebackers. Olubi has special teams history and Aijake flashed a bit at times at Grand Park, so those would be the names to watch for. Is Carlies (ankle) a candidate for IR to return? He’s been out for a while. I’ll peg him there, and give Olubi the nod for Brian Mason’s special teams units.
8. Cornerbacks (11/6): JuJu Brents, Johnathan Edwards*, Xavien Howard, Alex Johnson, Jaylon Jones, Chris Lammons, B.J. Mayes, Kenny Moore II, Duke Shelley, Charvarius Ward, Samuel Womack III
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Cornerbacks (12/6): Mekhi Blackmon, JuJu Brents, Johnathan Edwards*, Xavien Howard, Alex Johnson, Jaylon Jones, Chris Lammons, B.J. Mayes, Kenny Moore II, Duke Shelley, Charvarius Ward, Samuel Womack III
Bowen’s Analysis: Who in the world knows. Given the injury situation at cornerback, good luck accurately projecting this group. So the Monday night trade for Blackmon (5-11 corner coming off a torn ACL last year with the Vikings). With Howard coming on board, I will put him on the 53-man roster. He’s a starter already. If you are keeping a 7th cornerback for injury insurance, then I think you consider Lammons, Edwards, Shelley and Womack III (who got injured in practice this week). But if you feel better about health for Jones and/or Brents, maybe there’s not room for an Edwards. The health returns of Brents and Jones (still haven’t seen him in team reps) this week has made this position a little easier to cut down in my opinion. Some have asked if Brents could be a surprise cut after playing in the preseason finale, but I can’t go there just yet. Give Brents a shot here in 2025 with a new defensive coordinator playing to more of his style. You can play the practice squad elevation game with Lammons, if you’re looking for slot corner insurance. But this position has had quite a few twists and turns this last month. In one offseason, the Colts have added two former All-Pros (Ward and Howard) and two third-round picks (Walley and Blackmon), and still kept their top 4 snap count cornerbacks from last year.
9. Safeties (6/4): Cam Bynum, Nick Cross, Daniel Scott, Ladarius Tennison*, Rodney Thomas II, Trey Washington*
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Safeties (6/4): Cam Bynum, Nick Cross, Daniel Scott, Ladarius Tennison*, Rodney Thomas II, Trey Washington*
Bowen’s Analysis: I debated 4 or 5 safeties. Maybe you trim one at cornerback and add a safety here for special teams purposes or just need some injury insurance with Nick Cross (groin) and Hunter Wohler (foot) dealing with injuries. Scott had a great preseason finale, so he should comfortably make the team after consecutive years with season-ending injuries.
10. Specialists (4/3): LS-Luke Rhodes, P-Rigoberto Sanchez, K-Spencer Shrader, Maddux Trujillo*
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Specialists (4/3): LS-Luke Rhodes, P-Rigoberto Sanchez, K-Spencer Shrader, Maddux Trujillo*
Bowen’s Analysis: Again, I’ll go with Shrader winning the kicking competition over Trujillo to round out a new special team trio.
