The Indianapolis Colts got through their first week of the preseason and while they couldn’t come away with a road victory over the Buffalo Bills, they inched one step closer to reducing the roster to 53 players.
The first five cuts are set to come before the end of Tuesday, reducing the rosters to 85 players. The Tuesday following the second preseason game on Aug. 20 will include another five cuts. Then, following the final preseason game on Aug. 27, the final roster cuts will be made down to 53 players.
With the first preseason game now behind us, here’s an updated 53-man roster projection for the Colts:
Quarterback (2)
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1. Matt Ryan
2. Nick Foles
Even after Sam Ehlinger’s strong day, there’s no reason to keep more than two quarterbacks on the active roster.
Running Back (4)
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1. Jonathan Taylor
2. Nyheim Hines
3. Phillip Lindsay
4. Ty’Son Williams
Lindsay is securing his role as the RB3 while Williams was the next in line during the preseason opener. He would have to work on special teams as the RB4, but it appears he’s leading that charge going into the second week of the preseason.
Wide Receiver (5)
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1. Michael Pittman Jr.
2. Parris Campbell
3. Alec Pierce
4. Ashton Dulin
5. Keke Coutee
The Colts could certainly keep six wide receivers here but with Nyheim Hines expected to see more work out of the slot, they may start the season with just five. Coutee has been leading that competition for much of training camp and he may have the advantage as long as his groin injury isn’t severe.
Tight End (4)
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1. Mo Alie-Cox
2. Kylen Granson
3. Jelani Woods
4. Andrew Ogletree
The preseason opener only confirmed that the Colts are likely to keep four tight ends. The upside of Woods and Ogletree will be too enticing to keep on the practice squad.
Interior Offensive Line (4)
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1. Quenton Nelson
2. Ryan Kelly
3. Danny Pinter
4. Will Fries
These four are pretty close to being locks on the roster. Fries had a strong showing in the preseason opener. The question becomes whether one of the undrafted rookies in Wesley French, Alex Mollette or Josh Selztner wind up making the roster.
Offensive Tackle (5)
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