For better or worse, the Indianapolis Colts have a solid roster. They should stack up pretty well against fellow AFC South teams and, if they can stay healthy for a change, they might finally end their postseason drought.
Of course, all teams have weak links and, unfortunately, Shane Steichen's troops aren't the exception to that rule. Some guys snuck their way onto the roster, either because of their contract or draft status, or out of sheer necessity, and not so much because of merit.
That's why, with the season opener just around the corner, let's take a look at the three players who didn't do much to earn a starting spot or climb the way in the pecking order. To a degree, it was surprising to see them make the roster.
3 Indianapolis Colts players who disappointed during the offseason
Dalton Tucker
As a center, Dalton Tucker is a great guard. For whatever reason, the Colts insisted on playing Tucker out of his usual position, and the experiment went as badly as one would expect. It was an ugly watch, and the Colts can only hope nothing bad ever happens to Tanor Bortolini.
Perhaps the Colts just wanted to get him on the field, knowing that Quelton Nelson will rarely — if ever — get a breather and that they'll make him the highest-paid guard in the league (again), so he's not going anywhere.
But maybe they do think Tucker has potential at center (he doesn't). High snaps and subpar blocking raised questions about his future with the team, and with Jalen Farmer looking ahead of schedule, maybe he'll be the odd man out soon.
Jaylahn Tuimoloau
Talking about odd men out, Jaylahn Tuimoloau might be the worst pass rusher on the 53-man roster right now. Of course, he was never at risk of not making the cut, since he's a second-round pick just entering his second season.
That said, the former Ohio State standout showed little to no signs of progress in his second training camp. The Colts were pretty much begging him to win the DE2 job over perennial backup Arden Key, but to no avail.
Then, watching Caden Curry and George Gumbs Jr., two late-round developmental rookies, look better and hungrier than he did only made him look worse by contrast. For what it's worth, he made some nice plays on special teams.
Riley Leonard
The Colts' backup quarterback was Riley Leonard's to lose. He was competing against the same player the team had given up on multiple times, a guy who publicly requested a trade and didn't have a single taker.
But even though the Colts seemed through with Anthony Richardson Sr., and even though he was also pretty erratic in the preseason, he still beat Leonard for the job. That's an indictment of how little he did to separate himself in this underwhelming competition.
Riley Leonard may have lost a rigged race. That's how bad it was. And with Richardson's situation still unsettled, plus his well-documented history of struggles and injuries, the Colts can only pray that Daniel Jones' leg holds up.
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