6 toughest cuts from our latest Colts’ roster projection
Though the Indianapolis Colts don’t report to Westfield for training camp for another month, it’s still not a bad idea to take a look at the roster and how things might shake out when cuts come along.
There are plenty of questions that still have yet to be answered, and most of them won’t be answered until training camp and the preseason games are concluded at the end of August.
But as we projected the 53-man roster following the conclusion of minicamp, we have an idea about how the roster might break down. We did so at each position in our latest projection.
Here, we are going to take a look at the toughest cuts from that roster projection and why those players didn’t make the cut:
RB Deon Jackson
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In our latest projection, we had the Colts keeping four running backs. That might be one too many. Even so, Jackson was the toughest cut in that group because we elected to choose undrafted rookie D’vonte Price ahead of him. Jackson has a solid skill set for a running back and his work on special teams could very well be the reason why he winds up making the team. However, Phillip Lindsay seems to be all but locked into that RB3 role, and we chose Price because his skill set as a runner may offer more upside. It will certainly be a battle for the final running back spot and whichever player wins the role will have to prove they can make a difference in both phases of the game.
WR Keke Coutee
AP Photo/Darryl Webb
With the way the Colts wide receiver room is currently comprised, Coutee has a fighting chance to make the roster if he has a strong enough showing in training camp and the preseason. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in reliable hands. Coutee might be on the chopping block if the Colts feel they need to keep a player like Mike Strachan from hitting waivers, which would be necessary to get him on the practice squad. But Coutee could be a reliable depth option for the Colts from the slot. He may not be a world-beater, but he’s shown the Colts firsthand how impactful he can be in the quick passing game.
TE Andrew Ogletree
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
I went back and forth a few times during that latest roster projection. Should the Colts keep four tight ends? If they do, Ogletree will almost certainly be the one picked for that role. With Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson set to take the majority of snaps at the position, it doesn’t leave much room for either Ogletree or Jelani Woods. If the Colts need depth elsewhere, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they only kept three tight ends. Ogletree has an impressive profile so he could certainly earn his way onto the roster when training camp arrives. It will just come down to how much the Colts feel they need four tight ends.
G/T Jason Spriggs
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The Colts may have signed Spriggs to be a camp body, but he does offer some intriguing versatility. He also has a history of working with new quarterback Matt Ryan from the 2021 season with the Atlanta Falcons. Spriggs is likely battling with veteran Dennis Kelly and undrafted rookie Ryan Van Demark for the swing tackle role on the offensive line. He has the pedigree as a former second-round pick, but it might just be a numbers game at the end of August.
DE Kameron Cline
AP Photo/Terrance Williams
The former undrafted rookie has been with the Colts for two seasons now and will be fighting for a role at the back end of the defensive line room. Though he has the versatility to work both on the interior and the edge, Cline will have an uphill battle. The new additions of Curtis Brooks and Eric Johnson crowd the interior defensive line while the majority of spots on the edge are already filled. Cline is an intriguing player, but he will really have to show out to make the roster this time around.
CB Rodney Thomas II
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The Colts’ seventh-round pick from the 2022 NFL draft didn’t make the cut in our latest projection. The Yale product has very intriguing athleticism and the potential to show off some versatility at either safety or cornerback. Thomas may just need a bit more time to develop on the practice squad before he’s ready to jump into a bigger role on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe he can make a difference on special teams and work his way up like Isaiah Rodgers did, but he’s going to be right on the fringe of the roster when cutdown day arrives.
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