Colts 53-man roster projection after Preseason Week 1
The Colts lost the preseason opener by a final score of 34-30 at home against the Denver Broncos. The Colts offensive starters only played two series and to be honest, they were abysmal. They were able to get one first down and could not get the offense going against the defensive starters of Denver. It’s hard to take a lot from preseason games, but it's time to make the newest 53-man roster update with some game analysis sprinkled in.
Quarterback (2)
Roster Locks: Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco
Practice Squad: Same Ehlinger (3rd QB)
Cuts: Kedon Slovis, Jason Bean
Even with an abysmal performance from the first team offense nothing has changed at the top as Richardson will be the starter. Richardson needs more snaps, and meaningful ones too. Joe Flacco looked great in the backup role. He can still sling it and will be able to play at a high level when called upon.
The 3rd quarterback spot got a little more interesting this week as we saw all three play and were serviceable. Now, obviously the competition was not as heated as they faced reserves on the field. Regardless, reps are reps. Ehlinger looked good, even with the interception, and Kedon Slovis looked decent. The standout to me was Jason Bean as he was able to move the ball down the field, get out of the pocket and make some plays. He even tossed a touchdown to Laquon Treadwell. It’s a battle of small importance but having a solid developmental quarterback this season will be helpful for the depth.
Running Back (4)
Roster Locks: Jonathan Taylor, Evan Hull, Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson
Practice Squad: Demetric Felton
Cuts: None
Of course, Jonathan Taylor played his only two series and was done for the day. After that, we saw Trey Sermon, Tyler Goodson, and Evan Hull (in that order) for much of the game. Trent Pennix did show up on the box score with one reception. Goodson and Hull both got into the end zone, but I would give a slight edge to Hull this week.
While the team was able to come out reasonably unscathed overall, the one standout injury was Trey Sermon. He suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and was not able to return. The team did not specify if the injury was serious or not as most players do not return to action when injured in the preseason.
Trent Pennix popped up on the post-game injury report and the Colts have placed him on the Waived/Injured list (will revert to injured reserve if not claimed) as of Monday morning and signed recently released Chicago Bears RB Demetric Felton, who was stuffed in a jumbled battle in Chicago. He was signed as a body to get some reps while Sermon recovers. A practice squad spot is not out of the question for him this season.