Indianapolis Colts: 5 Cut candidates sitting on roster bubble

The Indianapolis Colts must trim their roster, and these bubble players could find themselves looking for new jobs in the fall.

The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2020 NFL season with an outside shot at winning the AFC South and making some noise in the playoffs. For the team to capitalize on their great offensive line and improving defensive front, Indianapolis must build the best possible roster from their available players. Several notable guys on the roster bubble could lose their jobs.

Two interesting cases didn’t crack the top five in this article. Fans should keep an eye on fullback Roosevelt Nix and the kicking battle. The Pittsburgh Steelers cut Nix this offseason, and Indianapolis signed him to a one-year deal worth $960 thousand. However, the Colts already have a stacked backfield. Maybe the team wants a fullback for extra run blocking, but making room for Nix could prove difficult.

If the Colts limit themselves to four backs on the final roster, that puts either Nix or Jordan Wilkins on the chopping block. I still view Wilkins as too talented to release, even though the team drafted Jonathan Taylor in the second round. That puts Nix in a tough position as he competes with Nyheim Hines, Marlon Mack, Taylor, and Wilkins.

The kicking battle should also draw some attention. Undrafted Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship is in a battle with Chase McLaughlin. McLaughlin is in the final year of his current deal, while Blankenship signed a three-year contract. Both kickers make between $600,000 and $700,000 this season. I’d assume McLaughlin has the edge, but Blankenship did make 82.5 percent of his field-goal attempts in college.

Now, let’s examine five cut candidates on Indianapolis’ roster bubble.

5. Lafayette Pitts, CB

While the Colts don’t possess a shutdown cornerback, Indianapolis does have decent depth in the secondary. The offseason additions of T.J. Carrie and Xavier Rhodes ate two spots on the depth chart, which pushed players like Lafayette Pitts to the roster’s edge.

Pitts’s last regular-season action came in 2018 with the Buffalo Bills. His former team released him around the start of the 2019 season, and no one called Pitts until the Colts signed him to a reserve/future contract in December. A former undrafted free agent from Pittsburgh, Pitts doesn’t have much hope of making the final roster.

There are multiple ways Indy’s cornerback depth chart could turn out, and I wouldn’t put it past the team to make a surprise cut. However, I don’t think even that could create a spot for Pitts.