Colts: Waiving Kendall Coleman will come back to bite Indy if he signs elsewhere
The Colts waived Kendall Coleman in favor of a kick returner on Saturday.
When the Indianapolis Colts scooped Syracuse pass rusher Kendall Coleman off the undrafted free agent market a few months ago, many dubbed it an under-the-radar move that could pay dividends faster than expected.
But just barely into training camp, the Colts have waived the Indianapolis native in favor of former Green Bay Packers cornerback Trevor Davis, who is primarily a kick returner. Teams will have 24 hours to claim Coleman before he becomes a free agent.
If another team signs him, Indy is going to seriously regret waiving him in the first place.
We have signed CB Tremon Smith and waived DE Kendall Coleman.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 16, 2020
Colts legend Robert Mathis said this kid could’ve been the next great Indy pass rusher, and you’re going to risk him signing with another team already?! We quite honestly cannot criticize general manager Chris Ballard for all his genius work, but this is a bit of a head-scratcher for us.
Perhaps Ballard feels no other team will pick him up, which could be valid, but with so many teams looking for young, cheap pass rushers, that’s hardly a foregone conclusion. Plus, Coleman was a standout just two seasons ago when he racked up 10 sacks and 12 tackles for loss during his junior season with the Orange.
The #Colts have signed CB Tremon Smith and waived DE Kendall Coleman.
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) August 16, 2020
Another corner was needed with Marvell Tell opting out. Smith was a 6th round pick of the Chiefs in 2018 and brings kick returning ability.
Coleman, an Indy native, was an undrafted free agent.
He regressed his senior year, but still notched a career-high 48 tackles in competitive ACC play. If the beginning of his college career wasn’t marred by injuries, who knows where he’d be right now, but there’s no denying his work ethic, which ‘Cuse head coach Dino Babers loved, and his physical attributes (6-foot-3, 260 pounds with speed!).
The Colts did need a cornerback, but Trevor Davis has played in just 16 games the past two seasons and is mostly a kick/punt returner. Plus, they possess other veterans in TJ Carrie and Xavier Rhodes, both of whom will have the edge in terms of playing time.
For the sake of Colts fans, hopefully Coleman doesn’t latch on elsewhere, or this could potentially be a big loss.
