Making the Call on the Indianapolis Colts' Hardest Remaining Cuts

With the Indianapolis Colts' preseason officially getting underway this past Sunday, football is inching ever closer.

While that's an exciting time for fans and media, it also means that the harsh realities of the NFL (as in, cut day) are approaching at the same rate.

Each NFL team around the league has 90 men in training camp and the preseason, but just 53 of those 90 will make the final roster. Sure, another eight will find spots on the practice squad, but the majority of those 37 cut players, per team, will be out of a job. That is a lot of bodies floating around.

That means each preseason game will be critical over the next few weeks as players try to solidify a spot on the final roster. After one preseason game, who can we project as one of the final cuts come the start of the regular season?

These are the guys that will be right there when cuts are made, perhaps even making the team if injuries occur or they pick up their game over the next few weeks. Think of it as players 54-58 on the 90-man roster. Which players project to come just short?

RB Vick Ballard

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

For many of the Colts players, the first preseason game was a mess. That's not surprising for a 36-10 loss.

But for Vick Ballard, the disappointing part wasn't what he did on the field, it was that he failed to get on the field at all. 

Ballard sat out of the Colts' initial preseason game because of a hamstring injury, the same injury that has forced him to miss the last week of practice. 

This was always going to be the struggle for Ballard. The Colts had hoped that he could avoid another catastrophic injury, but the real threat to Ballard's NFL career was these minor, nagging injuries.

Unfortunately, Ballard is no longer the player he was two years ago, especially not physically. Building back up into the state that a running back must be in, mentally, to run well in the NFL takes time and repetitions. But those little injuries take away from those crucial repetitions.

So, while there were some positive signs from Ballard earlier this year, the optimism starts to go out the window when missed practices and games start to pile up.

So while Ballard may say that the injury is of little significance publicly, that it can't compare to his ACL or Achilles tear, per Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, he has to be concerned privately.

The Colts have options at running back with Dan Herron, Josh Robinson and Zurlon Tipton all having valid reasons for making the team. As they continue to get reps, both in practice and games, Ballard's chance of a career comeback dwindles.

OG Donald Thomas

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Like Ballard, Colts guard Donald Thomas is attempting to come back from two consecutive season-ending injuries.

Like Ballard, Thomas has missed camp reps as he continues to heal from quad tears that have wrecked his past two seasons.

Unlike Ballard, Thomas plays a position in which the Colts have very little depth whatsoever.

If there's one thing that stuck out with the offensive line play in the Colts' preseason loss Sunday, it's that the Colts' guard play is desperately lacking, whether that be in the starting lineup or amid the backups. The Colts have a player who could potentially help that in Thomas, but we really have no idea what he'll look like for now.

Thomas entered camp on the PUP list, and the longer he remains on the list, the less likely he'll be to make the active roster.

DL Earl Okine

Michael Perez/Associated Press

The Colts defensive line for the eventual 53-man roster is all but set. 

You have your starters in Kendall Langford, Josh Chapman and Arthur Jones. Then there are the two rookies: Henry Anderson and David Parry. As third and fifth-round picks, respectively, both are very likely to make the final roster. Rounding out the roster are returning, young depth players Montori Hughes and Kelcy Quarles. 

With a 3-4 defense, it's difficult to deviate from seven down linemen. 

But if Earl Okine continues to play well, he may upset the assumptions for 2015. 

The Colts signed Okine out of the Fall Experimentation Football League (FXFL) in March, and he's fit in well in the team's scheme. On Sunday, Okine finished with a positive-3.8 grade from Pro Football Focus. He was one of just two Colts to record a sack. 

Sure, Okine's big day came against mostly third-string offensive linemen, but it was still impressive. 

But for now, he's still just outside the final 53. 

LB Henoc Muamba

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Throughout the offseason, second-year linebacker Henoc Muamba and rookie Amarlo Herrera have been competing for the fourth and final inside linebacker spot. 

As of right now, Herrera continues to flash positive signs, while Muamba has fallen back unnoticed. 

When Muamba is noticed, it isn't necessarily for positive reasons. 

Muamba finished Sunday's preseason game with a negative-3.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, including just one tackle (and two assists) along with one missed tackle. 

Combine that with Herrera's strong work in short-yardage camp drills, the fact that Herrera has a sixth-round draft pick invested in him and the age upside (23 vs. 26), and it seems that the rookie currently has the edge.

Muamba has a place on the team as a special teamer and potential depth linebacker, but only if an injury occurs.

LB Zack Hodges

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

While the Colts' top five outside linebackers are all but set (Trent Cole, Robert Mathis, Jonathan Newsome, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner), the fact that Mathis is still on the PUP list leaves room for one more potential addition, at least for the initial 53-man roster. 

There are several challengers for this spot, including Cam Johnson, Daniel Adongo and rookie Zack Hodges. 

The rookie has impressed during the offseason, doing enough for Newsome to give him a shoutout during OTAs to Colts.com.

Hodges has an uphill battle, with both Johnson and Adongo spending the last two offseasons with Indianapolis. But Hodges has played well, and had a couple impressive pass rushes during Sunday's preseason game. 

While he hasn't quite made up the gap, Hodges is getting closer to making the final roster. If Mathis is put on the PUP list to start the season, Hodges is certainly in the conversation for that spot. If he keeps playing this way and Johnson and Adongo don't pick it up, it might be his spot to lose.