In order to make room for claimed defensive backs Matthias Farley and Neiko Thorpe, the Indianapolis Colts announced Sunday that the team has waived tight end Chase Coffman and cornerback Jail Brown in corresponding moves from their 53-man roster.
Obviously, it’s a tough day for both Coffman and Brown, as each survived the “final” round of roster cuts yesterday, but rosters continue to change as teams claim other teams’ waived players and attempt to assemble their newest practice squad as well.
Originally a 3rd round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009, Coffman had also spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, and Seattle Seahawks organizations.
In 37 career games (3 starts), Coffman has 18 receptions for 177 total receiving yards and 2 touchdown receptions. He finished preseason with the Colts, having 8 receptions for 85 receiving yards in 4 preseason games.
After two prior stints with the Indianapolis Colts through 2013-14, Jalil Brown was re-signed by the team in November of 2014, where the cornerback remained until he was placed on injured reserve in October of last season before being released. However, once he was healthy, Brown was once again re-signed by the Colts in December of this past season.
Having been drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs as a 3rd round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Brown has appeared in 49 career games (6 starts), recording 55 tackles, 6 passes defensed, and a forced fumble.
The 6’1″, 210 pound cornerback appeared in 8 games (4 starts) for the Colts this past season, finishing with 22 tackles.
Having been battling a knee injury this preseason, it’s highly possible that the Colts simply couldn’t afford to wait on Brown to recover any longer at the cornerback position, especially with injuries to Vontae Davis, Patrick Robinson, and Darius Butler already.
Simply put, the team needs their backup cornerbacks to be able to play and contribute immediately with all of the other injuries to the position.
It’s possible though that just like last season, the Colts could eventually re-sign Brown to their active 53-man roster once he’s fully healthy–should be clear waivers.