5 Players Who Might Be on Indianapolis Colts' Practice Squad in 2015
As the offseason drags on, the most talked-about topic will be the final roster cuts in August, unless you want to include the terrifying waters of offseason fantasy football discussions.
The Indianapolis Colts and their eventual roster decisions are no exception.
Yesterday, we looked at 10 players that could have a lot to say about what the Colts final roster looks like and which of those players would actually make the cut.
Today, we take a deeper look at a few players that might not make the cut, but instead be relegated to the practice squad. The 10-man practice squad is often misunderstood, so before we get into it, here are the key eligibility requirements for the practice squad:
- Most practice-squad players must not have an accrued season in the NFL (active for at least six regular-season games).
- Players can have an accrued season if they were on the 45-man game-day roster for less than nine games in the season.
- There are TWO spots available for players with two or less accrued seasons.
- They can only be on the practice squad for two years. A year is considered at least six weeks on the practice squad. Players can be allowed back for a third year, but only if their team keeps 53 players on the active roster at all times. Practically, the limit for practice squad participation is three seasons.
The idea for most of these practice-squad spots is to develop rookies or second-year players for future use, and the Colts should have plenty of these kinds of players around this season. Here are five I'm keeping an eye on to stay in Indianapolis should they not make the final roster.
S Winston Guy
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It's not often that you get a 25-year-old and three-year NFL veteran on the practice squad, but that might be Winston Guy's fate if he can't make the final roster this season.
Guy was seen as a player that could be developed into a hard-hitting, versatile safety when he first came to Indianapolis last season. Guy had been through camps and seasons with Gus Bradley in Seattle (2012) and Jacksonville (2013 and 2014), but he was cut midway through last year.
Unfortunately, Guy was a bit of a disaster on the field for Jacksonville, combining for a -15.2 grade from Pro Football Focus over 18 games.
Still, Guy clearly has talent, and the Colts didn't risk anything by signing him to the practice squad last year. They also didn't risk anything by signing him to a two-year futures/reserve contract this offseason, basically the bare minimum contract with no guaranteed money.
If Guy shows up to camp and has taken a big step, still possible at his age, the Colts likely won't hesitate to keep him on the roster as a depth safety. If he's still a similar player, a liability in coverage and reckless in the run game, he might be out of a job.
Fortunately, he's still eligible for another year on the practice squad. At this point, a practice squad nomination wouldn't be about his future development as much as it would be about keeping another veteran safety around in case Mike Adams or Dwight Lowery were to go down with an injury. If the Colts do want to go younger on the practice squad, don't be surprised to see undrafted free agent Robert Smith get a shot.
ILB Henoc Muamba
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Another older veteran that could see the practice squad this season is Henoc Muamba, who is a former Most Outstanding Canadian for the CFL.
Muamba made the roster last year with an active preseason and impressive offseason, but the Colts made more additions at inside linebacker this year, putting a lot of pressure on Muamba. Starters Jerrell Freeman and D'Qwell Jackson are back in 2015, and the Colts signed Nate Irving out of Denver to a three-year, $7.25 million contract.
The Colts also drafted Amarlo Herrera, a tackle-machine out of Georgia. This is who should be Muamba's main competitor for the final roster spot, as the Colts will likely keep just four inside linebackers to make room for more pass-rushers.
The team may see more potential in Herrera, given that they spent a draft pick on him, and jettison Muamba. Or they could see Muamba's year of experience as a deciding factor, and send Herrera down to the practice squad to develop.
Right now, I give Herrera the slight edge, but training camp will decide. If Muamba does not make the roster, the team may try to keep him in Indianapolis by using the practice squad. Like Guy, Muamba is 25 and a little old for the squad as a developmental tool, but the Colts need to keep him available in case of ILB injury.
RB Tyler Varga
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The competition for the fourth and final running back spot behind Frank Gore, Josh Robinson and Dan Herron will likely come down to 2014 undrafted free agent Zurlon Tipton and former fifth-round draft pick Vick Ballard. We briefly looked at who might win that battle in yesterday's breakdown.
But there is a dark horse in that race: Tyler Varga, an undrafted running back out of Yale.
Varga is a strong, determined runner with great hands, but his biggest asset may be his willingness to move to fullback. This could get him the fourth roster spot, as the Colts don't really have a fullback on the roster currently (UDFA Abou Toure is probably the closest thing, size-wise).
If the Colts did keep Varga, it would be in a Stanley Havili-like role, with numerous set plays to hit him coming out of the backfield in the passing game. He's a little small to excel as a blocker.
But the most likely scenario is that Varga is cut. Still, he's a prime candidate for the practice squad. Varga was one of the most high-profile UDFAs for Indianapolis this year, and he could be worth keeping around.
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OLB Zack Hodges
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Another Ivy League prospect, Zack Hodges comes out of Harvard with a lot of athletic ability but extremely raw technique and little experience against high levels of competition.
Sounds like the perfect practice-squad candidate.
In terms of developmental players, Hodges fits the bill. He was named the co-Defensive Player of the year in 2014 and was a second-team AP FCS All-American. There is clearly talent to be had there, it just needs some coaching to draw it out.
Unfortunately, the Colts have a traffic jam at outside linebacker. There are five players that are all but locked into spots, if healthy (Robert Mathis, Trent Cole, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner, Jonathan Newsome). Then there is Cam Johnson, who has had a good offseason but still likely faces a cut.
The harsh reality is that there likely just isn't room for Johnson and Hodges, outside of injury to one or more of the other players. But both Hodges and Johnson have impressed in the offseason, per Steve Andress of Colts.com, leaving both as key practice-squad possibilities.
OT Denzelle Good
5 of 5For the second consecutive year, the Colts drafted a completely unknown, raw tackle prospect with their final pick in the NFL draft. This year's pick, Denzelle Good, may be even more unknown than Ulrick John was last season.
Like John, Good probably won't make the roster in his rookie season.
The problem is that he's simply too raw. The Colts are incredibly injury-prone on the offensive line, and all of the linemen to make the roster will probably play at some point in the season. The team needs ready-to-play depth on the active roster.
Last season, John was injured in August and placed on the injured reserve list. It wouldn't be a surprise if the injury was relatively minor, but John was placed on IR in order to be kept in Indianapolis. This is not an uncommon tactic among teams.
If Good does suffer any kind of injury in the preseason or training camp, the Colts will not hesitate to stash him on IR for a year. The team has done that with each of their previous two seventh-round offensive linemen in Grigson's tenure (John and Justin Anderson in 2012).
But if Good is completely healthy, he's a practice-squad candidate. The problem with the practice squad is that other teams can claim players off of it. The team may want more security on Good. But, given that draft experts were stumped when Good was drafted in May, that may not be as big of a problem as some might expect.
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