The Colts have a very good 53-man roster, but perhaps a couple more additions could do them well.
There were almost no surprises on the Indianapolis Colts’ 53-man roster reveal. Though fans could call undrafted free agent Rodrigo Blankenship winning the starting kicker job over Chase McLaughin one, that’s been a suspected intense position battle ever since the former Georgia star was signed.
While this roster is pretty damn good from top to bottom, that’s not to say other shrewd additions can’t be made. The Colts are carrying nine defensive linemen, seven linebackers, five safeties and four running backs. One could assume the front office can afford a loss in one of those three departments OR opt to improve that depth with another pickup.
There were a number of surprising releases throughout the NFL on Saturday, so the Colts should take advantage and target one of these guys with their waiver claim (13th overall).
3. LB Shaquem Griffin
The Seahawks released Shaquem Griffin and the Colts should capitalize.
The Colts already have a stacked linebacking corps led by Darius Leonard, but perhaps the addition of another young guy could help add even more fire to the unit. Though former Seahawks LB Shaquem Griffin was waived on Saturday after logging just 16 tackles and three QB hits in 32 games over the past two seasons, he has a lot of upside.
And quite frankly, he was likely released because the Seahawks have too much talent at the position. Over the last two years, Griffin has shown a propensity for breaking through the line, blowing up blocks, and tracking down the ball carrier. Those kinds of instincts, regardless of what the box score shows, are essential to any defense.
The fact he’s able to do all of that with one hand is even more admirable. Griffin, while not the best player on the field, has intangibles most other players don’t, and putting him alongside Leonard for ANY of amount of snaps would add even more passion and fire to this defense that’s only gotten better over the last two years.
Griffin made plays on special teams for Seattle, too, so he brings value to the table in that department too. Indy’s confident in their stable of LBs (which they kept entirely intact), but Griffin provides a lot more in other categories.