INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts trimmed their roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players on Tuesday, sacrificing three 2024 draft picks.
When the Colts assembled their initial roster, they waived fifth-round safety Jaylin Simpson, sixth-round cornerback Micah Abraham and seventh-round defensive tackle Jonah Raul.
The three players could be eligible to return to the 16-man practice squad if they clear waivers on Wednesday.
Indianapolis also waived running back Evan Hull (2023 fifth-round pick), defensive tackle Erik Johnson II (2022 fifth-round pick), defensive end Titus Leo (2023 sixth-round pick) and offensive tackle Jake Witt (2023 seventh-round pick).
One of the good stories to come out of the summer was that undrafted free agent Dalton Tucker made the roster at right guard after impressing in training camp and preseason games.
The Marshall University product grew up in small town Kentucky and transferred without much fanfare in the spring, but quickly emerged as a standout among a veteran offensive line group.
“Tucker's done a great job being a great, responsible guy on the team,” Colts center Ryan Kelly said Sunday. “He brings personality and obviously has a little bit of a Kentucky accent, so he's become an instant fan favorite, but I think what he's shown the last few games is how versatile he is.”
“(Offensive line coach) Tony (Sparano Jr.) has to bring those guys up to backups. You can't have 10 (offensive linemen) on Sunday, so he's got to be able to play center, tackle, both wing positions. I thought he's done a great job in terms of transitioning, playing hard, being accountable to the team and developing. That's all you can hope for.”
Indianapolis placed four players on injured reserve Tuesday. Defensive end Samson Ebukam and linebacker Cameron McGlone are expected to return. Wide receiver Juwan Winfree and tight end Jelani Woods are out for the season.
Defensive end Jenard Avery, cornerback Chris Lamundes, wide receiver DJ Montgomery, tight end Eric Tomlinson and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell were waived.
Linebacker Austin Asiake, linebacker Liam Anderson, quarterback Jason Bean, defensive end Levi Bell, safety Marcel Dabo, running back Demetric Felton, tight end Jordan Murray, center Mike Panasiuk, running back Xavier Scott, cornerback Amir Speed, safety Michael Tutsy and linebacker Craig Young were waived.
Quarterback Sam Ehlinger made the 53-man roster for the fourth consecutive year, and running back Tyler Goodson rushed 26 times for 107 yards and two touchdowns, beating out Hull for the final three roster spots at his position.
Defensive end Isaiah Rand also survived the cuts due to his strong preseason performance.
