Colts players on the bubble who need a big showing in their preseason finale in order to make the team’s initial 53-man roster
They get one more chance to prove they belong on the Colts roster
We are approaching NFL cutdown day, and the Indianapolis Colts have multiple notable players still competing for a roster spot.
The team has one more preseason game, during which the starters and most of their priority backups will sit out. This will give players on the bubble a great chance to either prove to the team they deserve a roster spot or allow them the opportunity to audition for the other 31 teams across the league. On the Colts’ roster, there are three players specifically who I believe need to stand out in the Colts’ preseason finale if they want any chance of making the 53-man roster.
3 players who need a big performance in the preseason finale to have a chance at making the Colts roster
Wesley French, C
Wesley French has been battling for the Colts’ backup center spot in camp. He had a rough go of it in the team’s second preseason game and hasn’t been able to pull ahead of Danny Pinter despite him having to miss some time in camp due to injury. If the Colts elect not to play Pinter at all in the third preseason game, it would likely indicate that he’s locked up the backup job over French. Whether he plays or not, though, this will be an excellent opportunity for French to prove he is better than the performance he showed in the Colts’ preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers. A big day could earn him a spot with the Colts as their third center or even a job elsewhere in the NFL.
Jelani Woods, TE
Jelani Woods has been one of the biggest “what if” players on the Colts roster the last two years. Injuries have forced him to miss the entirety of the previous two seasons, after he flashed a ton of potential as a rookie. Now he is battling to be the third or fourth TE on the Colts roster with Will Mallory and Drew Ogletree. At the moment, he seems to be clearly in third place in that group, which makes his odds of making the team’s roster pretty slim. A big showing this week could spark trade interest across the league, or who knows, maybe he will shock me and steal a spot away from Mallory or Ogletree.
Isaiah Land, Edge
Isaiah Land accomplished a significant milestone last training camp when he earned a spot on the 53-man roster after being a waiver addition the year prior, after being waived by the Dallas Cowboys. This year, though, he seems to be slipping down the depth chart and has struggled to separate himself, as he’s spent most of his time with the third team. A big part of this has been that the Colts’ edge room hasnt had to deal with the same level of injuries that they did a year ago. Samson Ebukam is back in the fold, and the addition of 2025 second-round pick JT Tuimoloau. This week will be his last chance to prove he should be on the Colts 53 53-man roster, and if he isn’t successful, he will likely be subject to waivers for the second time in his three-year NFL career.
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