The NFL’s regular season is just about here. But before we get there, the difficult work of trimming the active roster to 53 men had to be done.
For the Colts, the choices weren’t as tough as some other years. This team has all its best players back for 2021. And its core has been pretty clear-cut for quite some time.
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This was a hard roster to crack, and that’s a sign that this is a competitive team.
Here’s our projected Colts depth chart after Tuesday’s roster moves. Also, keep in mind that four of the following players will need to be moved off the roster to accommodate returnees from the COVID-19 reserve list.
Quarterback
• Carson Wentz, Jacob Eason, Sam Ehlinger
Yes, Wentz remains on the COVID-19 reserve list and you’re likely aware of his unvaccinated status. That is what it is. It’s hard to separate that issue from the potential of this team because a key player’s absence directly impacts the team’s fortunes.
But Wentz is on track to play in the season opener, and that’s a far cry from where we thought things might be when he went down with that foot injury a month ago.
Eason clearly won the No. 2 job in camp and the preseason. He was uneven in the games, but his struggles in Week 2 of the preseason were mostly overshadowed by strong performances in Week 1 and 3. It’s hard to make the argument that Ehlinger outplayed him, though there were times in training camp where Ehlinger seemed to pull ahead in their head-to-head battle.
As for Ehlinger, he’s got a knee injury that will sideline him for an undetermined length of time. So, don’t be surprised if he is moved to injured reserve at some point. He would need to remain there for a minimum of three weeks. The Colts don’t really have the room to carry three quarterbacks on the active roster long term anyway. But look for them to add at least a practice squad quarterback this week given the Wentz’s injury (he’s yet to participate in any 11-on-11 periods in practice).
Cuts: Brett Hundley
Running back
• Jonathan Taylor, Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines, Jordan Wilkins
This is a familiar group that stays the same for the second straight season. But it remains to be seen what kind of role Mack will have. Judging by training camp, Taylor might be something of a workhorse back. How much opportunity will that leave for Mack? We’ll see.
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As for Hines, the Colts will go to great lengths to make sure he has an important role. Much of it will again come in the passing game; Hines’ 63 receptions in 2020 were the most of any Colts player. He also had roughly 20 percent of the team’s rushing attempts. A truly unique player.
Look for rookie Deon Jackson to possibly return on the practice squad.
Cuts: Jackson, Benny LeMay
Wide receiver
• WR1: T.Y. Hilton, Parris Campbell
• WR2: Michael Pittman, Mike Strachan
• WR3: Zach Pascal, Ashton Dulin, Dezmon Patmon
Hilton’s absence with a neck injury is shaping up to be a lengthy one, per sources — probably more than a month. Look for that to increase the load on Pascal and Campbell. It was already reasonable to expect Pittman to emerge as the team’s go-to target, presuming he’s up to the task.
The Colts have been notoriously poor when playing without Hilton — 1-10 with him sidelined during his career. But this team seems better-equipped to handle his absence in 2021. Pittman is coming into his own and Campbell’s presence cannot be overstated. The loss of Campbell in 2019, when Hilton missed six games, really compounded the issues.
While the quality of some wide receiver units is concentrated in its top couple of players, the best aspect of the Colts’ receiver group is its depth. The numbers for Colts receivers will rarely be gaudy given coach Frank Reich’s insistence on spreading the targets between players. But I still believe this is an underrated group.
Cuts: DeMichael Harris, Tyler Vaughns, Tarik Black
Tight end
• TE1: Jack Doyle
• TE2: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson
Doyle and Alie-Cox are proven commodities, so not much to debate there. Both can be crushing blockers and also clutch receivers.
Granson, however, has a chance to really come onto the scene in a big way as a rookie. He will be the Colts’ “move” tight end, the player who is moved around the formation and split out wide. His speed was evident in training camp, as he gave the linebackers all they could handle. He’ll need to continue refining his game as well as prove his hands are, in fact, reliable.
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But the Colts are prepared to give the fourth-round pick all he can handle if he proves he’s ready.
Cuts: Farrod Green, Kahale Warring; Waived-injured: Jordan Thomas, Andrew Vollert
Offensive line
• LT: Eric Fisher, Julién Davenport
• LG: Quenton Nelson, Chris Reed
• C: Ryan Kelly, Danny Pinter
• RG: Mark Glowinski, Will Fries
• RT: Braden Smith, Matt Pryor
The lineup you see above might not be the one the Colts deploy in Week 1. Fisher, in particular, is a wild card. He was on track to return to practice at some point soon before contracting COVID-19 last week. His ongoing absence will set him back just as he was nearing the end of his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon. Will he have enough time to practice and play in the season opener? That seems unlikely. Davenport has been holding down the spot for now, but could Tuesday’s trade with the Eagles for swing tackle Pryor shake things up? Perhaps.
When Fisher returns, it’s hard to argue this isn’t still one of the finest offensive lines in football, despite the retirement of Anthony Castonzo. The Colts have managed to keep one of their strongest units strong.
Cuts: Jake Eldrenkamp, Carter O’Donnell, Joey Hunt, Will Holden
Defensive line
• DE: Kwity Paye, Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu
• DT: DeForest Buckner, Taylor Stallworth, Chris Williams
• NT: Grover Stewart, Antwaun Woods
• DE: Tyquan Lewis, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Isaac Rochell
The Colts are going to have a truly special defense if this group can match its production from training camp. Of course, that’s a dangerous game to play, projecting regular-season performance based on training camp success.
That being said, this is a talented unit. Buckner is an unquestioned star. Stewart has Pro Bowl potential. First-round pick Paye looks like the real deal. And Lewis and Turay seem to finally be past the injuries that have plagued their respective careers.
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Expect a big rotation of defensive ends to play as the Colts look for the hot hand to get their pass rush going.
Cuts: Andrew Brown, Kameron Cline; Non-Football Injury List: Dayo Odeyingbo
Linebacker
• WLB: Darius Leonard, E.J. Speed
• MLB: Bobby Okereke, Matthew Adams
• SAM: Zaire Franklin, Jordan Glasgow
This is a very good unit. Leonard is obviously elite, but Okereke has high-end potential given his well-rounded abilities — both at the point of attack and as an impressive coverage linebacker.
The strong-side position remains in flux, but Franklin settled in as the starter while Speed rehabbed a knee injury. Time will tell whether Franklin keeps the job now that Speed has returned to practice.
The one knock here is that the departure of Anthony Walker in free agency certainly hurt the depth. The linebackers were arguably the deepest unit on the team in 2020, but losing an experienced and dynamic leader like Walker doesn’t help.
Cuts: Malik Jefferson, Isaiah Kaufusi, Curtis Bolton
Defensive backs
• RCB: Xavier Rhodes, Marvell Tell
• LCB: Rock Ya-Sin, Isaiah Rodgers
• Nickel: Kenny Moore, T.J. Carrie
• FS: Julian Blackmon, Andre Chachere
• SS: Khari Willis, George Odum
There are some questions here, specifically the depth at cornerback. Ya-Sin seems best positioned to initially be the starter at left cornerback given Carrie’s recent knee injury. Can he keep the job? That’s to be determined. Carrie will remain in the picture when healthy. Maybe Rodgers can find some consistency after an up-and-down training camp.
Tell making the roster is a mild surprise because of his training-camp performance. He could certainly be one of the bubble players who are released when the COVID-19-impacted players return.
Fifth-round pick Shawn Davis was the only member of the 2021 rookie class to be cut. He was injured for much of camp and failed to make an impact when he returned. He might return on the practice squad.
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Cuts: Sean Davis, Ibraheim Campbell, Anthony Chesley, Shawn Davis, Holton Hill
Specialists
• P: Rigoberto Sanchez
• K: Rodrigo Blankenship
• LS: Luke Rhodes
This group is back, fully intact. Blankenship gave the Colts no reason to move on despite the presence of competition from Eddy Piñeiro during training camp. Sanchez is back to full capacity after his cancer scare last season. The Colts expect big things from him.
(Photo of Kylen Granson: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)
Stephen Holder is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the NFL. He has covered the league since 2005, with lengthy stints on the Buccaneers and Colts beats for the Tampa Bay Times and Indianapolis Star. A South Florida native who attended the University of Miami, he has also previously worked for the Associated Press and The Miami Herald.
