CINCINNATI — The Indianapolis Colts concluded the preseason with a 27-14 victory Thursday night over the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson finished 8-of-14 passing for 86 yards with one touchdown against one interception.
We have our first AD TD! 🚨
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— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 23, 2024
He also took a sack and fumbled once, which was recovered by Colts center Quenton Nelson, and tallied one carry for three yards. It was an up-and-down showing for Richardson, which shouldn’t be all that surprising since he started just four games last year before his rookie season was cut short due to injury.
But enough about Richardson (for now). His place on this team is secure. The next time he and the Colts take the field, their roster will be much smaller. With cut day coming up Tuesday, here’s who I think will make Indianapolis’ 53-man roster.
(R) denotes rookie, (IR) denotes injured reserve
Quarterbacks: 2
In: Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco
Out: Sam Ehlinger, Kedon Slovis (R), Jason Bean (R)
Ehlinger is entering his fourth year with the Colts, and this will be the first year he doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster. Since the NFL will now allow an emergency third quarterback from a team’s practice squad to suit up on game days, I don’t see the need to burn a roster spot on Ehlinger. He can remain on the practice squad, and if he gets snapped up by another team, it’s not a huge loss since he’d only see the field in 2024 if something went terribly wrong with Richardson and Flacco.
Running backs: 4
In: Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull, Tyler Goodson
Out: Zavier Scott (R), Demetric Felton
It’s a bit concerning that Sermon remains out with a hamstring injury — he didn’t play Thursday night — but since he took on such a big role this offseason as the potential backup to Taylor, I still have him making the cut alongside other reserve running backs Hull and Goodson. It’ll be interesting to see if Sermon begins the season on injured reserve. If he does, he’d miss at least the first four games of the year, while opening up a roster spot.
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Wide receivers: 6
In: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell (R), Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould (R)
Out: Tyrie Cleveland, Ethan Fernea, D.J. Montgomery, Juwann Winfree, Derek Slywka (R), Laquon Treadwell
For a moment, I thought Montgomery had a chance to supplant Dulin as the last wide receiver to make the roster. But Dulin recently returned from a hamstring injury and dismissed that notion with a strong showing in a joint practice against the Bengals. Dulin, who missed all of last season due to a torn right ACL, is still a viable receiver and one of Indy’s best special teams players. Gould, the rookie fifth-round pick, impressed early and often during training camp, so it was a no-brainer to keep him around.
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Tight ends: 5
In: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Drew Ogletree, Jelani Woods
Out: Jordan Murray, Eric Tomlinson
I cut Woods in my previous roster projection, and things have only gotten worse for him since. He is set to undergo toe surgery and will be sidelined indefinitely, league sources told The Athletic. You may be wondering how Woods still made the roster after this latest development, but just hear me out: If the Colts leave Woods off their initial 53-man roster, they’re basically pulling the plug on the 2022 third-round pick, and there’s no turning back from that.
I would understand that decision, especially in a crowded tight end room where Woods was already struggling to separate himself, but I don’t think Indy’s roster is so loaded that keeping Woods around, and cutting someone else, is truly egregious. He’d likely start the year on injured reserve and then would still have to climb the depth chart upon his return, but I’d rather take one final roll of the dice on the soon-to-be 26-year-old’s potential before letting go of someone with such a special athletic profile.
Offensive linemen: 9
In: LT Bernhard Raimann, LG Quenton Nelson, C Ryan Kelly, RG Will Fries, RT Braden Smith, OT Blake Freeland, C/G Tanor Bortolini (R), OT Matt Goncalves (R), G Dalton Tucker (R)
Out: G Arlington Hambright, C Mike Panasiuk, OT Jake Witt, C Danny Pinter, C Ryan Coll (R/IR shoulder), C Wesley French (IR ankle)
No changes here. Although Bortolini remains out with a toe injury, I still chose the rookie fourth-round pick as a the team’s backup center over Pinter. Credit to Tucker for making the cut as well as an undrafted rookie. He climbed through the ranks with notable showings throughout the preseason that made keeping him around a fairly easy decision.
Defensive linemen: 9
In: DT DeForest Buckner, DT Grover Stewart, DE Kwity Paye, DE Dayo Odeyingbo, DE Laiatu Latu (R), DT Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE Tyquan Lewis, DT Raekwon Davis, DE Isaiah Land
Out: DE Samson Ebukam (IR Achilles), DT Taven Bryan, DE Genard Avery, DE Titus Leo, DT Eric Johnson II, DT Jonah Laulu (R)
Davis is back after missing most of the preseason due to high blood pressure. His return bumps Bryan off of the roster. Davis will bolster a unit that has a lot of pressure to take another step forward this year, even in the absence of Ebukam, who led the team with 9.5 sacks in 2023. If the Colts can’t routinely harass the opposing quarterback, they may find themselves just outside of the playoff picture for a second straight year.
Linebackers: 5
In: Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Segun Olubi, Grant Stuard, Jaylon Carlies (R)
Out: Austin Ajiake, Liam Anderson, Cameron McGrone, Craig Young (R), Mike Smith Jr. (R)
Franklin and Speed have taken the reins at this position, and both will have a lot on their plate since Indianapolis didn’t really invest much behind them this offseason. Olubi and Carlies, the rookie fifth-round pick, appear to be duking it out for the third starting linebacker role if Indianapolis opts to use a few base defense looks. Carlies missed extended time in the preseason with a hip injury, but the college safety turned NFL linebacker has held his own despite switching positions.
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Cornerbacks: 6
In: Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones, Dallis Flowers, Jaylin Simpson (R), Micah Abraham (R)
Out: Darrell Baker Jr., Clay Fields III (R), Chris Lammons, Ameer Speed
Moore headlines this room as the only proven cornerback on the roster. I feel comfortable saying second-year pros Brents and Jones will likely start alongside him this year. Brents remains out with a nose injury, and his inability so far to stay healthy is something to keep eye on, but Indy is betting on Brents and Jones to take big steps forward in 2024. Abraham makes the cut over the more experienced Lammons and will serve as Moore’s backup in the slot.
Safeties: 4
In: Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, Ronnie Harrison Jr.
Out: Kendell Brooks (R), Marcel Dabo, Daniel Scott (IR Achilles), Michael Tutsie, Trevor Denbow
Blackmon leads the way for this group, but the player who will start alongside him remains a mystery. My guess is Cross will will the job despite the coaching staff’s refusal to publicly anoint him. Cross will be under the microscope all season since the Colts turned down the opportunity to sign a veteran and instead are placing a big bet on the 2022 third-round pick, who’s started just four games over his first two NFL seasons. Denbow made my previous 53-man roster projection, but I took him off in my final version to make room for Woods as the team’s fifth tight end. Simply put: It’s probably easier to part ways with a player like Denbow, who went undrafted in 2022, versus a third-round pick like Woods.
Specialists: 3
In: P Rigoberto Sanchez, K Matt Gay, LS Luke Rhodes
Out: K Spencer Shrader (R)
Similar to how he ended the 2023 campaign, Gay was shaky to start the preseason. He missed three of his first four field goal attempts in the Colts’ first two preseason games and did not attempt a field goal in the preseason finale. Shrader booted a 56-yard field goal in the third quarter Thursday night, but Gay’s résumé and lucrative contract never put his roster status in question.
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(Photo of Sam Ehlinger: Jason Mowry / Getty Images )
