Indianapolis Colts Cut to Final 53-Man Roster

Aug 28, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Chandler Harnish (R) hands the ball off to Colts running back David Fluellen (L) against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals won 35-7. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts’ final roster is set.

Today, the Colts had to cut their roster down to just 53 players, parting with several players who had spent the offseason with the team.

The final cuts included quarterback Chandler Harnish, running back David Fluellen, wide receivers Ryan Lankford and Josh Lenz, tight ends Weslye Saunders and Erik Swoope, offensive linemen FN Lutz and Josh Walker, defensive ends Gannon Conway and Tyler Hoover, defensive tackle Nnamdi Obukwelu, nose tackle Brandon McKinney, linebackers Phillip Hunt, Andrew Jackson, Rub Ruggiero and Kelvin Sheppard and defensive backs Dewey McDonald and Sheldon Price.

The Colts also waive-injured tackle Matt Hall and safety Delano Howell, along with placing Robert Mathis on the Reserve/Suspended list. It is likely that if Howell clears waivers, he’ll rejoin the team on IR.

In addition to the moves, the Colts were able to trade cornerback Marcus Burley to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2015 sixth-round draft pick.

Most of the moves were expected, but a few notes on the roster cuts:

• Kelvin Sheppard’s appearance on this list is probably the thing to take note of. He has the highest profile of any of the aforementioned players and has tons of experience at his position. However, the linebacker has just been mediocre in a preseason in which the Colts had several viable options at middle linebacker. He’ll be picked up somewhere, but he didn’t quite fit the Colts scheme and looked slow.
• Da’Rick Rogers made the cut for the final squad. After what looked like a battle until the last few weeks of the preseason, Rogers pushed his play to a new level in order to make the Colts squad along with fellow wideout Griff Whalen.
• Colts fans are sad to see Dewey McDonald go after a solid preseason with the team, however the four safeties kept on the roster have all played well thus far. McDonald is a strong candidate for the practice squad, which teams may select tomorrow.
• Project Erik Swoope was a long shot to make the team, but he’s making serious strides at the tight end position. He’s also a strong candidate for the practice squad to continue refining his ability to catch footballs instead of basketball.
• Sixth-round draft pick Andrew Jackson was not a cut that the Colts wanted to make. Unfortunately, the talented young player was cut on a roster that is full of quality outside linebackers. Cam Johnson, who has experienced a stellar preseason took his spot on the active roster.