The Indianapolis Colts have announced their 53-man roster, and we had a couple of surprises; especially with the tight end and cornerback rooms, respectively. Tuesday was also an eventful day because Indy could not find a trade partner for Jonathan Taylor, as it was reported that the Miami Dolphins and a mystery team did not make a strong enough offer. So, Taylor will start the season on the PUP list and what happens after that is anyone’s guess.
Being on PUP, Taylor isn’t currently on the active roster but 53 other players are. Let’s jump into Indy’s initial 53-man roster and look at some of the biggest surprises, as well as the players that are headed to the waiver wire.
Quarterback (3)
Roster: Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger
Cuts: None
No surprises here. All three players made the final roster and the keys to the franchise have been handed over to Anthony Richardson. The focus of the team this year will be the growth of Richardson.
Running Back (3)
Roster: Zach Moss, Evan Hull, Deon Jackson
Cuts: Kenyan Drake, Jason Huntley, Jake Funk
PUP List: Jonathan Taylor (Out 4 Weeks)
The deadline has passed, and Jonathan Taylor will remain a Colt (for now) and will start the season on the PUP list. So, he will miss the first four games no matter what. The status of Zach Moss has not been shared yet as he recovers from a broken arm suffered during camp. Expect Hull and Jackson to handle the main running back duties until Moss is ready to return, but a committee wouldn’t be a surprise to start the season. If Jake Funk clears waivers, expect to see him back in Indianapolis on the practice squad.
Wide Receiver (4)
Roster: Micheal Pittman Jr, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Isaiah McKenzie
Cuts: Breshad Perriman, Vyncint Smith, Tyler Adams, James Washington, Kody Case, Mike Strachan, DJ Montgomery, Juwann Winfree
Very surprising that the Colts are only keeping four receivers for the moment. This could be a time for Ballard to scour the waiver wire again and potentially bring in another body. I expect some of these guys to be on the practice squad but with keeping five tight ends, they may want to run different schemes that will be more tight end dependent.
Tight End (5)
Roster: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Jelani Woods, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
Cuts: Pharoh Brown, Nick Eubanks, Michael Jacobson
Injured Reserve: Ricky Seals-Jones
While we thought Mo Alie-Cox would be cut, he ultimately survived. There are reports that Jelani Woods has a torn hamstring and that appears to be the reason why five were kept in this group. This seems like a lot, but head coach Shane Steichen values this position in his offensive game plan, and don’t be surprised if Mo Alie-Cox is gone by October as they want to stay young here.
Offensive Line (9)
Roster: Bernard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries, Braden Smith, Blake Freeland, Carter O’Donnell, Arlington Hambright, Wesley French
Cuts: Dakoda Shepley, Dan Skipper, Matthew Vanderslice, Emil Ekiyor
Injured Reserve: Danny Pinter
With Danny Pinter going to Injured Reserve, this opened a spot or two that wasn’t expected to be available. Ballard decides to go with nine for the group. He always likes to have depth across both lines. Some fresh faces join the team with O’Donnell and Hambright and French returns in a backup role. Don’t rule out some movement here shortly with waiver wire adds in the coming days.
Defensive End (4)
Roster: Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo,
Cuts: Al-Quadin Muhammed
Injured Reserve: Titus Leo
Interior Defensive Line (6)
Roster: DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Taven Bryan, Eric Johnson II, Adetomiwa Adebawore, McTelvin Agim
Cuts: Caleb Sampson
As mentioned above, Ballard loves to have depth across both lines of scrimmage. While light at edge rusher, the roster is full on the line with six players. Again, when you see a position that is lighter than usual or expected, this may be a sign that Ballard will look to the waiver wire to switch out some guys. This time is no exception, as four at edge rusher seems light, especially with the injury history to Tyquan Lewis, Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo.
Linebacker (6)
Roster: Shaq Leonard, Zaire Franklin, EJ Speed, Grant Stuard, Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi
Cuts: Liam Anderson, Donovan Mutin
Injured Reserve: JoJo Domann
The expected number of six came to fruition but with JoJo Domann going to injured reserve we see McGrone getting the likely final spot for the linebackers. Olubi makes the final roster after showing flashes in training camp and the preseason. Stuard and Speed will continue their integral roles on special teams. Expect Anderson and Mutin to be on the practice squad if they clear waivers.
Cornerback (6)
Roster: Dallis Flowers, Kenny Moore II, Darrell Baker Jr., JuJu Brents, Tony Brown, Jaylon Jones
Cuts: Kevin Tolliver, Issac-Taylor Stuart, Darius Rush
The first surprise cut on the roster was here, with fifth-round pick Darius Rush not making the team. Both Brown and Jones can play on special teams. Rush did deal with injury this preseason and if we are being honest, Jaylon Jones outplayed both him and Brents from day one of the offseason. If Rush can make it through waivers, one would think that Ballard and the organization would want to keep developing him.
Safety (4)
Roster: Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, Trevor Denbow
Cuts: Teez Tabor, Marcel Dabo (IPP), Henry Black, Ronnie Harrison
This unit seems to be solidified with the playing time we saw in the preseason games. Nick Cross can play both safety spots, so this gives them versatility in the secondary. Denbow grabs the final spot amongst the safeties, and he will be expected to play on special teams again this season. Marcel Dabo can return to the Colts practice squad under the International Pathway Program and he won’t count against the final numbers.
Specialists (3)
Roster: Matt Gay (K), Rigoberto Sanchez (P), Luke Rhodes (LS)
Cuts: Lucas Havrisik
Not a whole lot of analysis is needed here, all three are proven commodities at their respective positions. Matt Gay is the newcomer at kicker and Sanchez returns to punting duties after missing last season with an Achillies injury.