Getty Head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts claimed an offensive tackle off the waiver wire on August 31.
The day after all NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players is one of the biggest days for activity on the waiver wire.
The Indianapolis Colts weren’t heavily involved on the waiver wire on August 31, but they did place one claim for offensive tackle Luke Tenuta. To make room for Tenuta on the roster, the Colts then released cornerback Tony Brown.
With the addition of Tenuta, Indianapolis now has four offensive tackles, and another lineman who could play tackle in an emergency, on the roster.
The release of Brown drops the number of cornerbacks on Indianapolis’ roster from six to five.
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Colts Claim Rookie, Release Cornerback
Claiming Tenuta off waivers gives the Colts some much needed depth at offensive tackle. Prior to the waive claim, Indianapolis’ only backup offensive tackle was rookie Bernhard Raimann. Second-year lineman Will Fries can also play tackle if need be.
The Buffalo Bills drafted Tenuta in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. With his addition, the Colts have two rookie linemen on the 53-man roster.
Indianapolis is expected to have one of the best offensive lines in the league this season, but it doesn’t go into 2022 without questions. Starting left tackle Matt Pryor has made only 15 career starts, including just 5 at left tackle.
If Pryor doesn’t work out, Indianapolis will be forced to turn to a rookie (Raimann or Tenuta) on quarterback Matt Ryan’s blindside.
Without Brown, the Colts lose depth at cornerback. Stephon Gilmore, Kenny Moore II and Brandon Facyson should receive a majority of the snaps at the position with Moore playing in the slot. Isaiah Rodgers also gives Indianapolis a quality fourth cornerback.
Dallis Flowers is now the only other cornerback on Indianapolis’ 53-man roster.
Colts Sign 13 Players to Practice Squad
In addition to claiming Tenuta on August 31, Indianapolis brought back some of the players it cut on August 30 for its practice squad. Most notably, the Colts signed veteran wide receiver Keke Coutee to the practice squad.
Overall, the Colts signed 13 players to their practice squad on August 31. It was a near even split with six of them being offensive players and the other seven being defenders.
Here is the full list of practice squad players Indianapolis signed on August 31:
- Curtis Brooks, DT
- Kameron Cline, DE
- Keke Coutee, WR
- Marcel Dabo, S
- Ethan Fernea, WR
- Nikola Kalinic, TE
- Jordan Murray, T
- D’Vonte Price, RB
- Will Redmond, CB
- Forrest Rhyne, LB
- Jared Scott, TE
- Chris Wilcox, CB
- Chris Williams, DT
The NFL will again allow 16 practice squad players for the 2022 season. But as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, Dabo will not count as one of the 16 players permitted on Indianapolis’ practice squad.
So, the Colts can still add four more players to their practice squad.
NFL teams are permitted to protect up to four players on their practice squad each week, which means other teams cannot claim them for their active rosters.
Teams can also promote up to two players from the practice squad each week. NFL teams can then revert these players back to the practice squad the following week without going through waivers. This can be done up to three times during the season.