Final Colts 53-Man Roster Projection

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INDIANAPOLIS – It’s time to cut. And cut a lot.

With the Colts having closed the book on their 3-game preseason schedule, it’s time to make final roster cuts, with those due (from 90 to 53) by Tuesday at 4:00 PM.

The Colts started to make some early cuts on Sunday, with letting go of these 9 guys: RB-Kenyan Drake
S-Teez Tabor, WR-Tyler Adams (Butler product), WR-Kody Case, OG-Emil Ekiyor (Indy native), TE-Nick Eubanks, K-Lucas Havrisik, TE-Michael Jacobson, OT-Matthew Vanderslice.

Here’s our final 53-man roster prediction (reportedly have been cut, *rookie):

1. Quarterbacks (3): Sam Ehlinger, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson*

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Quarterbacks (3/3): Sam Ehlinger, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson*

Bowen’s Analysis: Let’s continue to put Ehlinger in that 3^rd QB spot (with the NFL changing the QB dressing rules for game days this season), keeping all 3 quarterbacks. The Colts have yet to sign a 4^th quarterback this offseason.

2. Running Backs (6): Jake Funk, Evan Hull*, Jason Huntley, Deon Jackson, Zack Moss, Jonathan Taylor

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Running Backs (6/4): Jake Funk, Evan Hull*, Jason Huntley, Deon Jackson, Zack Moss, Jonathan Taylor

Bowen’s Analysis: You are going to have some decisions here, especially with Jonathan Taylor’s status still on the physically unable to perform list. Again, Taylor has to come off the PUP list by Tuesday if he’s going to play in the first four weeks of the season. So, a decision is needed on Taylor’s current status. Also, I’m assuming the broken arm for Zack Moss is healing enough to play in the month of September, meaning he’ll be on the 53-man roster.

3. Wide Receivers (11): Josh Downs*, Isaiah McKenzie, D.J. Montgomery, Breshad Perriman, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., Amari Rodgers, Vyncint Smith, Mike Strachan, James Washington, Juwann Winfree

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Wide Receivers (11/5): Josh Downs*, Isaiah McKenzie, D.J. Montgomery, Breshad Perriman, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., Amari Rodgers, Vyncint Smith, Mike Strachan, James Washington, Juwann Winfree

Bowen’s Analysis: I still just don’t see a 6^th wideout jumping off the page just yet. So I’m keeping 5 WRs and then 4 TEs. Is the 5^th WR Winfree, a 5-year vet with some special teams experience? Does Mike Strachan get another shot on the 53-man roster? Does a special team focused guy emerge? The lack of special teams history with Perriman and especially Strachan is a hinderance in having a 6^th wideout on the roster. But the torn ACL to Ashton Dulin has opened up a roster spot, IMO. Amari Rodgers does have some special teams history. And the newly signed James Washington is somewhat intriguing to me. As Shane Steichen said earlier this week, the back of this position is very much up in the grabs.

4. Tight Ends (7): Mo Alie-Cox, Pharaoh Brown, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory*, Drew Ogletree, Ricky Seals-Jones, Jelani Woods

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Tight Ends (7/5): Mo Alie-Cox, Pharaoh Brown, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory*, Drew Ogletree, Ricky Seals-Jones, Jelani Woods

Bowen’s Analysis: I was torn on keeping a 4th, or even a 5th tight end, but I think I’ve got initial room to keep 5. I just see Mallory being claimed given he was a 5th round pick. Again, this is a very hard position to cut down, especially with all the injuries it has had to deal with in camp. This is my hardest position to cut down on offense. Is Alie-Cox a trade candidate, or even a surprise cut? That’s possible. But the lack of health from Woods (hamstring) this offseason can’t be ignored.

5. Offensive Line (13): Blake Freeland*, Wesley French, Will Fries, Arlington Hambright, Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Carter O’Donnell, Danny Pinter, Bernhard Raimann, Dakoda Shepley, Dan Skipper, Braden Smith

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Offensive Line (13/8): Blake Freeland*, Wesley French, Will Fries, Arlington Hambright, Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Carter O’Donnell, Danny Pinter (heading to IR), Bernhard Raimann, Dakoda Shepley, Dan Skipper, Braden Smith

Bowen’s Analysis: I’m a number short here, in all likelihood. But that’s what waiver claims are for. With Shane Steichen saying on Saturday that Danny Pinter (broken ankle) will miss the 2023 season, that’s a big-time blow to an incredibly inexperienced OL depth group. With that news, Wesley French takes Pinter’s spot (until waiver wire activity takes place Tuesday). Arlington Hambright is the name I thought about keeping, but isn’t he easier to get to the practice squad than a guy like Will Mallory? When rookie Jake Witt on injured reserve early in camp, Hambright showed some nice (and needed) position flex in kicking out to left tackle. He was the second-team left tackle at times, and played right guard, too, with rookie Blake Freeland still occupying that right tackle spot with the reserves. That 9^th spot remains a mystery for me. For No. 8, I’ll go with Carter O’Donnell, who has been on the practice squad for a couple of years, and started at right guard in place of the injured Will Fries on Thursday. Would Dan Skipper, as more of a tackle be the guy? Do the Colts keep a 10^th offensive lineman, which is a number they’ve gone to before?

6. Defensive Line (14): Adetomiwa Adebawore, McTelvin Agim, Taven Bryan, DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Eric Johnson II, Khalid Kareem, Titus Leo*, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Kwity Paye, Caleb Sampson*, Grover Stewart

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Defensive Line (14/9): Adetomiwa Adebawore, McTelvin Agim, Taven Bryan, DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Eric Johnson II, Khalid Kareem, Titus Leo*, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Kwity Paye, Caleb Sampson*, Grover Stewart

Bowen’s Analysis: Chris Ballard has never been afraid to keep double-digit defensive linemen, so we might be a number short here. Titus Leo needs a practice squad spot. McTelvin Agim, Khalid Kareem and Al-Quadin Muhammad are veteran names that could factor in, too.

7. Linebackers (9): Liam Anderson*, JoJo Domann, Zaire Franklin, Shaquille Leonard, Cameron McGrone, Donavan Mutin*, Segun Olubi, EJ Speed, Grant Stuard

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Linebackers (9/6): Liam Anderson*, JoJo Domann, Zaire Franklin, Shaquille Leonard, Cameron McGrone, Donavan Mutin*, Segun Olubi, EJ Speed, Grant Stuard

Bowen’s Analysis: Are we a number short here? I don’t think so with Leonard ready to go. The JoJo Domann spot isn’t an absolute lock for me. I’ve liked what Liam Anderson has shown in snippets this offseason.

8. Cornerbacks (10): Darrell Baker Jr., Julius Brents*, Tony Brown, Dallis Flowers, Jaylon Jones*, Chris Lammons, Kenny Moore II, Darius Rush*, Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Kevin Toliver II

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Cornerbacks (10/6): Darrell Baker Jr., Julius Brents*, Tony Brown, Dallis Flowers, Jaylon Jones*, Chris Lammons (suspended for first 3 weeks), Kenny Moore II, Darius Rush*, Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Kevin Toliver II

Bowen’s Analysis: This one I’m a little torn on. Part of me has thought about keeping just 5 linebackers and then 7 cornerbacks, with Tony Brown being that 7^th. Jaylon Jones has done more than enough to earn a roster spot, IMO.

9. Safeties (7): Henry Black, Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Marcel Dabo (international roster exemption), Trevor Denbow, Ronnie Harrison, Rodney Thomas II

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Safeties (7/4): Henry Black, Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Marcel Dabo (international roster exemption), Trevor Denbow, Ronnie Harrison, Rodney Thomas II

Bowen’s Analysis: Let’s keep Trevor Denbow for special teams after he earned a 53-man roster spot initially last year. But it is interesting to see the Colts having made some recent moves at safety with former Day 2 picks, in Ronnie Harrison (3^nd rounder with 45 career starts) and Teez Tabor (2^nd rounder with 7 career starts).

10. Specialists (3): K-Matt Gay, LS-Luke Rhodes, P-Rigoberto Sanchez

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Specialists (3): K-Matt Gay, LS-Luke Rhodes, P-Rigoberto Sanchez

Bowen’s Analysis: This is easy.