Colts Cut Roster to 53

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Caesar Rayford (49) sacks New York Giants quarterback Ryan Nassib (9) during the second half at MetLife Stadium

Photo by Jim O

The Colts cut their roster to the NFL mandated 53-man limit today, and 22 players were let go. Some of the more notable releasees include Ben Ijalana, Drake Nevis, and Chandler Harnish. While Nevis played well this preseason, he is probably best suited for a 4-3 defense and has a good chance of being picked up by another team in the next few days. Ijalana and Harnish, on the other hand, are likely to join the Colts practice squad if they clear waivers.

The full list of cuts is as follows:
Daniel Adongo, Larry Asante,  Thomas Austin, Emmett Cleary, Marshay Green, Lawrence Guy, Chandler Harnis, Robert Hughes, Ben Ijalana, Dominique Jones, Jeremy Kelley, Shawn Loiseau, Josh McNary, Drake Nevis, Sheldon Price, Jabin Sambrano, Lanear Sampson, Monte Simmons, Bradley Sowell, Daxton Swanson, Martin Tevaseu, Lee Ziemba.

On a more positive note, CFL and AFL veteran Caesar Rayford did make the roster. The linebacker impressed in his very first NFL camp (the Colts were the first team to ever invite him to try out) and led the team in sacks (5) this preseason. After playing four years in other leagues, Rayford will now be a NFL rookie at 27 years old. His retainment makes for a great story.

Although the Colts now have a complete roster, the group of men representing the Horseshoe may still look different next weekend. Look for the Colts to snag released players from other teams in order to upgrade any areas of need in the days leading up to game day next Sunday, when they host the Raiders.