Colts have roster conundrum right around the corner As the Indianapolis

Colts are all set for their second preseason game of the 2018 season Authentic Quincy Wilson Jersey , just around the corner are roster cuts to get down to the league-mandated 53-man roster. Most consider this waiver period to be an active 48 hours for Chris Ballard and the front office staff. There are a few positions that are in need of significant improvement, and while the second-year GM can’t get an upgrade at every position, it’s fair to expect at least three claims as September rolls around. For now, though, the Colts still have some tough cuts to make when the roster is initially set.Granted, injuries have already had an impact on how the roster is shaped for the Colts this season. Additionally, there will need to be a concession at a position where the Colts are already undermanned in order to keep the best talent currently available to them.Let’s take a look at some positions that will be very interesting to watch as the Colts finish up their preseason schedule.First, let’s just get some ‘givens’ — at least in my eyes — out of the way. The Colts will keep two quarterbacks, four running backs, four tight ends, four safeties, and six linebackers. That already is 20 roster spots, and while the possibility remains that those could move in one way for some, and the opposite way for others, it leaves several other positions that are drawing the most interest for me right now.The offensive and defensive line, cornerbacks and receivers are where the considerations will be most heavily weighed for my money. The corners and receivers get the most back and forth in the conversation mainly due to special teams consideration. Who are the most capable gunners, return men Womens Anthony Walker Jersey , etc. Do they need six at each of those positions or can they live with just five?The Colts do have Chester Rogers with some return experience and Nyheim Hines has been heavily used in training camp and was back there in Seattle as well. Marlon Mack has also been thrown in there in the past — of course he needs to be healthy first — and Ryan Grant has also been fielding kickoffs and punts this summer as well. Maybe Zach Pascal is added to the mix if the Colts think he’s borderline too.Those, alone, give the Colts a bit of leeway when it comes to forcing an extra body at receiver and corner which helps quite a bit as it currently stands. Could they get by with just five at each position? Possibly, but I think they carry six at one or the other when it comes down to it, and health could play a large role in that as well.Now, for all intents and purposes, we get into the most important two areas in Ballard’s eyes. Frank Reich and Ballard have both stated that they want eight starters along the defensive line, and 10 along the offensive line.Herein lies the problem with all of that, though.Right now, I don’t know if the Colts have 10 quality offensive linemen, and they’ve got 11 legitimately in the fight for the D-line. It sounds like a simple fix, right? Just keep nine on the O-line and 11 on the D-line. Well, if they do, they run into forcing themselves into limiting talent elsewhere. As I sit and look at the roster, this is what I have:RB — 4 | WR — 5 | TE — 4 | QB — 2 | LB — 6 | CB — 6 | S — 4 | ST — 3Without either line being represented, we have a total of 34 players. If they keep 20 between the two trench units... well, you can do that math Authentic Darius Leonard Jersey , and it doesn’t equal 53.So, the Colts have to keep 19 to keep it to 53. Or, as stated earlier, less depending on maybe one fewer CB or TE, but that seems silly considering the talent level on the roster right now. I think the Colts have to carry at least nine offensive linemen. They’ve got nine who are worthy, but a tenth would depend upon a waiver claim in my estimation. OL (9) — Anthony Castonzo | Le’Raven Clark | Quenton Nelson | Ryan Kelly| Matt Slauson | Braden Smith | Joe Haeg | Austin Howard | Denzelle GoodOUT — J’Marcus Webb | Tyreek Burwell | Jeremy Vujnovich | Deyshawn Bond | Mark Glowinski | Nick CallendarRight now Good still isn’t healthy, while it feels like the team is almost forcing itself to hang on to Clark and Howard at this point. But, are you going to keep any of these who I currently have on the outside looking in?Now, for the defensive line.DL (11) — Jabaal Sheard | John Simon | Margus Hunt | Ryan Delaire | Tarell Basham | Kemoko Turay | Denico Autry | Al Woods | Grover Stewart | Hassan Ridgeway | Tyquan LewisOUT — Anthony Johnson | Tomasi Laulile | Chris McCain | Rakeem Nunez-RochesWho are you going to cut from the 11 listed above? Hunt based purely on age? Could you get yourself to cut second-year, third-round pick Basham due to his subpar play in practice resulting in a steep dive down the depth chart? Delaire simply because you can’t get yourself to let go of a third-round pick? Ridgeway just because you didn’t draft him?Someone’s gotta go. Simon has proven time and time again that he’s an asset who just does his job and produces when he’s in, Woods is a need right now on early downs, Autry has been a beast, Turay and Lewis are rookies — so there’s zero chance that’s happening — and I’d be shocked if Stewart were to be let go as well. Who are you dumping?As important as they are to the Colts, I don’t think anyone who’d be made available would draw much on the trade block. Here’s the elephant in the room, though. Basham is the one guy who isn’t living up to his stock, but Hunt — despite currently running with the first team — is likely seen as the most expendable right now. I still have a feeling that Delaire won’t get much of a fair shake in the matter, but he does have a full two weeks to continue getting the coaching staff’s attention. This is really starting to become a real conundrum for Ballard and Reich I’d guess. Indianapolis Colts center Deyshawn Bond remembers camping out inside a cramped hotel room late last summer Authentic J'Marcus Webb Jersey , reveling in the sound of silence.For the undrafted rookie who attended high school on Indy's east side before heading to Cincinnati, cutdown weekend seemed like the perfect antithesis of draft weekend.In the spring, every college prospect dreams of picking up the phone and hearing an NFL team on the other end. But if that call comes in the first 72 hours following the preseason finale, everyone knows it's probably time to turn in a playbook and find another job.So Bond spent those first 24 hours waiting it out alone before accepting a dinner invite from his mother across town."I didn't really come out of my room that first day. Didn't get the call," Bond said. "So my mom had ended up telling me she wanted to have dinner for me and I went over and she surprised me with a lot of family. So it was an exciting time in my life."It seems just about everyone who's played in the NFL has some semblance of the same story.Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy often started decision weekend by talking about when he sat inside a room with Pittsburgh Steelers greats Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris when the knock on the door came. Dungy took a quick look around the room and instantly realized none of the four future Hall of Famers were about to be cut.But this weekend, all around the league, the stories bubble up again.Bond and a few teammates have already recounted their tales to a group of wide-eyed rookies, still hopeful of landing their dream job and some of whom envision extending the Colts' streak of consecutive seasons with an undrafted rookie on the opening day roster.Last year, Bond and punter Rodrigo Sanchez helped keep the streak alive. Now, a whole new batch of rookies will try to make it 20 consecutive years albeit on a roster with significantly fewer openings."I've heard, a couple times," said linebacker Skai Moore, the South Carolina product who started turning heads in rookie minicamp. "What's it been, like 19 seasons an undrafted rookie made the team? Yeah, I've heard that a couple times. I hope I can (make it 20)."Moore seems like the best bet.He's been starting at middle linebacker while Anthony Walker recovers from an injured groin. But Moore isn't the only potential prospect on the roster.Cornerback Henre' Toliver has steadily moved ahead of several other undrafted rookies on the depth chart and now may have to fend off Lenzy Pipkins www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com , whom Indy acquired in a trade with Green Bay earlier this week.Receiver Steve Ishmael is fourth on the team in receptions while safety George Odum has one of the Colts' two interceptions. Kicker Mike Badgley is 5 for 5 on field goals, including a 51-yarder he made in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over San Francisco.Each has one more chance to impress the coaches at Cincinnati on Thursday.The biggest longshot might be Badgley, who finds himself behind one of the most reliable kickers in NFL history. Adam Vinatieri enters the season needing seven field goals to become the league's career leader and 58 points to pass Morten Andersen as the league's career scoring leader.Badgley has done nothing to hurt himself and may actually have done enough to find a spot on another team. Besides, he has Vinatieri's stamp of approval."He's wise beyond his years and we have had a lot of good conversations," Vinatieri said. "He's a really strong-minded kid and obviously very, very talented as well. So here, there, anywhere, he's going to be successful."The reality of the salary cap is teams need productivity out of capable, less costly players such as Moore and Bond.Bond did his part in 2017, replacing the injured Ryan Kelly as Indy's starting center for the first four games — until he was carted off the field at Seattle with a season-ending torn quadriceps.There have been plenty of examples of other undrafted rookies playing big roles for the Colts. Center Jeff Saturday signed with Indy after selling electrical supplies in North Carolina and went on to form the longest-playing center-quarterback duo with Peyton Manning in league history.Dominic Rhodes rushed for 1,104 yards as a rookie in 2001 after replacing the injured Edgerrin James. Five years later, Rhodes had a vital part in Indy's Super Bowl title-winning run.Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle wound up making the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted rookie before the Colts claimed him off waivers in 2013.And Bond's advice to Moore, or anyone else feeling the angst this weekend is simple: Keep the head up and the phone might not ring."I wouldn't say you should be nervous about it. I would say just stay positive," he said. "This is not just an interview with the team you're playing with at the time, it's an interview for every team in the league. So keep a positive mindset and go out and perform at your best."