The Indianapolis Colts officially took the roster down to 53 players Tuesday as the entire league got through the massive cutdown day.
The roster is going to change throughout the season so this group of players is in no way the permanent squad, but it does lay the foundation for the 2022 season.
Here is an instant analysis of the initial 53-man roster for the Colts:
Quarterback (3)
1. Matt Ryan
2. Nick Foles
3. Sam Ehlinger
Analysis: The Colts wound up keeping three quarterbacks after Ehlinger’s big preseason. How long that will last remains to be seen. The Colts will need depth elsewhere eventually, and they can certainly get by with just Ryan and Foles on the roster.
Notable Cuts: Jack Coan
Running Back (3)
1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Nyheim Hines
3. Deon Jackson
Analysis: It was somewhat of a surprise to see the Colts cut Phillip Lindsay and only keep three running backs. It doesn’t matter all that much considering Jackson’s role is solely for special teams, and they can find players for depth if needed.
Notable Cuts: Phillip Lindsay, Ty’Son Williams, D’vonte Price
Wide Receiver (6)
1. Michael Pittman Jr.
2. Parris Campbell
3. Alec Pierce
4. Ashton Dulin
5. Dezmon Patmon
6. Mike Strachan
Analysis: This was one of the outcomes for the Colts throughout training camp. We’ll see if Patmon and Strachan are both the back-end depth pieces after waiver claims go through but for now, they round out the wide receiver room.
Notable Cuts: Keke Coutee
Tight End (3)
1. Mo Alie-Cox
2. Kylen Granson
3. Jelani Woods
Analysis: This is what we expected from this room. It likely would have been four tight ends if Andrew Ogletree didn’t tear his ACL. It would be a mild surprise to see them add to it before the season starts.
Notable Cuts: N/A
Offensive Line (8)
1. Matt Pryor
2. Quenton Nelson
3. Ryan Kelly
4. Danny Pinter
5. Braden Smith
6. Bernhard Raimann
7. Will Fries
8. Wesley French
Analysis: We got the number right in our final roster prediction, but we had the Colts keeping Dennis Kelly over the undrafted rookie in French. Several of the players the Colts cut from this group will wind up on the practice squad. The depth is extremely questionable, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to a see a waiver claim come through at this position.
Notable Cuts: Dennis Kelly, Ryan Van Demark
Defensive Line (10)
1. Yannick Ngakoue
2. Kwity Paye
3. DeForest Buckner
4. Grover Stewart
5. Tyquan Lewis
6. Dayo Odeyinbgo
7. Ben Banogu
8. Eric Johnson II
9. Ifeadi Odenigbo
10. Byron Cowart
Analysis: While 10 players does feel like a lot to carry, it seems the Colts couldn’t part ways with Odenigbo, who had a strong preseason. Keeping Cowart is a bit of a surprise considering the preseason he had, but the Colts obviously see something in him. The depth here has a lot to prove on the interior, but the edge presence is strong.
Notable Cuts: Chris Williams, Curtis Brooks
Linebacker (6)
1. Shaquille Leonard
2. Bobby Okereke
3. Zaire Franklin
4. E.J. Speed
5. Grant Stuard
6. Jojo Domann
Analysis: The big shake-up here was the Colts trading for Stuard on Tuesday. He’s a young special teams ace, which is nice. But it meant waiving Sterling Weatherford, who showed a lot of promise. We’ll see if the Colts have a chance to retain him on the practice squad. A small note here is that Leonard avoided the PUP list so that’s encouraging.
Notable Cuts: Sterling Weatherford, Brandon King, Forrest Rhyne
Cornerback (6)
1. Stephon Gilmore
2. Kenny Moore II
3. Brandon Facyson
4. Isaiah Rodgers
5. Tony Brown
6. Dallis Flowers
Analysis: The sixth spot in this room was always a massive question mark, but it went to the promising undrafted rookie in Flowers. He’s likely to spend almost all of his time on special teams but has more upside than others in the group.
Notable Cuts: Anthony Chesley, Marvell Tell III
Safety (5)
1. Julian Blackmon
2. Nick Cross
3. Rodney McLeod
4. Rodney Thomas II
5. Trevor Denbow
Analysis: The Colts roll with five safeties, including three rookies. Cross is likely the start the majority of the time at strong safety while Thomas showed promise as a depth piece. Expect Denbow to play his snaps on special teams. Armani Watts was officially placed on the season-ending injured reserve list.
Notable Cuts: N/A
Specialists (3)
1. Rodrigo Blankenship
2. Matt Haack
3. Luke Rhodes
Analysis: The only note here is that Rigoberto Sanchez will officially miss the entire season after being placed on the injured reserve list.
Notable Cuts: N/A
