The Indianapolis Colts have officially trimmed down their roster to 53 players but the work doesn’t stop there.
Over the next week, the front office will be looking to fine-tune the depth chart as the coaching staff gets the team prepared for the season opener against the Houston Texans.
This is an important time of the year because acquisitions can not only help a team out when injuries occur during the season. But, they also can find hidden gems that were cast away like Kenny Moore II.
Here are six position groups I can see the organization addressing:
1
Running Back
The Colts are set with Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines at the position so they don’t need to go find a contributor at the position but some depth would help. After surprisingly releasing Phillip Lindsay, Indianapolis currently only has three running backs on the roster.
Deon Jackson was the other back that was able to find a spot on the final roster. His ability to play special teams and receiving ability must’ve given him the edge over Lindsay.
In an ideal world, the Colts won’t have to use anyone outside of Taylor and Hines at running back. But that isn’t how the NFL always works, especially for the position. Another addition to the room would help the team be prepared if the worse to happen. I don’t believe they need to force it on the active roster but bringing on a fourth back on the practice squad should be done.
Maybe a reunion with former Colt, Marlon Mack, could be the best-case scenario. Whoever it is I do expect a new running back will be added in the coming days. Just depends if it is on the active roster or on the practice squad.
2
Interior Defensive Lineman
Indianapolis has one heck of a one-two punch in the middle of their defensive front with DeForest Buckner in Grover Stewart but there are some questions on the depth behind them.
Eric Johnson offers some upside as a pass rusher but he is still a Day 3 rookie so there will be a learning curve with him. Byron Cowart fits the size you are looking for if anything were to happen to Stewart but he had his struggles during the preseason.
Tyquan Lewis can kick inside if needed but I am not sure if you want him there 100% of the time if Buckner and/or Stewart had to miss anytime. This is a group where I could see a waiver claim or two get added to help enhance the talent in the room.
As a lover of the trenches, I am sure Chris Ballard is combing through the releases and seeing if he can make a quality addition to the group.
3
Tight End
Similar to the running back position, I don’t believe the Colts need to go find an immediate contributor. Mo Alie-Cox will lead the young pair of tight ends in Kylen Granson and Jelani Woods. The two will be looking to build off their strong finish to the preseason and continue to carve out their roles within the offense. But, as I alluded to earlier, injuries happen so there is depth needed at tight end for Indianapolis.
It is also no secret that Frank Reich loves to use multiple tight ends in his offense so it is better to add one more player now than later so he can get acclimated to the offense.
They likely could get away with an add on the practice squad but if they want to kick the tires on the likes of an O.J. Howard than Chris Ballard may have to find a way to squeeze him on the active roster.
4
Cornerback
If there was one position group that the Colts understand can be a detriment if the top of the depth chart suffers injuries, that is at cornerback. It cost them games at times during the 2021 season.
Stephon Gilmore, Kenny Moore II, Brandon Facyson, and Isaiah Rodgers have their place on the roster. Tony Brown and Dallis Flowers will have to keep an eye on their spots in the coming days.
Brown was able to beat out Anthony Chelsey and Marvell Tell II but he didn’t necessarily have a strong preseason that where the front office won’t look for a potential upgrade.
Flowers was one of the surprises to make the final roster. He did flash some good things during his preseason and his ability to return kicks helped make Keke Coutee more expendable.
I can see two to three additions to the cornerback over the next week. Either coming onto the active roster and/or to the practice squad. Chelsey and Tell II seem likely as candidates for the practice squad.
5
Offensive Tackle
If there was a position I would bet on that Chris Ballard will add to the active roster it would be at tackle.
Dennis Kelly was released so the Colts only have one tackle that is backing up Matt Pryor and Braden Smith. Which is rookie, Bernhard Raimann. The third-round pick is currently being developed to be a left tackle so having the flexibility with the offensive line if Smith were to miss time is vital.
Pryor does offer the ability to flip to right tackle or kick inside if they needed to get creative for any reason. But, if the worst-case scenario would happen then having another tackle can help soothe the process.
An addition to the active roster and practice squad will be something I am expecting to see for Indianapolis.
6
Wide Receiver
Despite all the talk about the Colts needing another receiver, they managed to stick to their guns, and the six players that expected to compete for their place on the team made the final roster.
While I do believe they are happy with the players in that room, it would be negligent for the team not to consider adding a different player to the group if they honestly feel like it would be an upgrade.
There will be an addition to the practice squad. Which will likely be Keke Coutee unless he decides to move onto a different team.
But there are players that were released like Tyler Johnson that they can consider bringing to Indianapolis.
