Indianapolis Colts: 5 Cut candidates sitting on roster bubble

4. Xavier Grimble, TE

An undrafted USC product in 2014, Grimble didn’t find any stability in the NFL until he landed on Pittsburgh’s practice squad in 2015. The following year, Grimble saw his first meaningful regular-season snaps. The 6-4, 261-pound tight end finished the 2016 season with 11 receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers are still his single-season career-highs.

Grimble survived in Pittsburgh until he went on injured reserve (IR) this past season. The Steelers cut ties with Grimble in October, and Indianapolis signed him to a reserve/future contract in December. However, there’s no way for the 27-year-old to crack the team’s three-man tight end group and keep a spot on the active roster.

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With Jack Doyle returning as the team’s star tight end, Trey Burton reuniting with Frank Reich, and Mo Alie-Cox picking up some of Eric Ebron’s old red-zone targets, the Colts don’t need Grimble or fellow backup tight end Matt Lengel. Grimble’s deal is for one year and $910 thousand, but the Colts don’t accumulate any dead cap if they release him before the season.

3. Daurice Fountain or Dezmon Patmon, WRs

During large stretches of the 2019 season, Indianapolis carried six wide receivers on its depth chart. The team currently employs 13 receivers, making it one of the most bloated positions on the roster. We can already lock in roster spots for Parris Campbell, T.Y. Hilton, Zach Pascal, and Michael Pittman Jr. That leaves two potential spots, and there’s no consensus on who is in the lead for either position.

The primary competitors for Indy’s final wide receiver spots include Ashton Dulin, Daurice Fountain, Marcus Johnson, Dezmon Patmon, and Artavis Scott. Of that group, only Johnson has measurable success in the NFL. He saw over 400 offensive snaps with the Colts last season and has a head start on the fifth wide receiver spot. That leaves one space for several young prospects.

Indianapolis drafted Fountain with a fifth-round pick in 2018, and I can understand the team not wanting to part with the Northern Iowa product yet. However, Fountain did spend a chunk of his rookie season on the practice squad and missed all of 2019 with an ankle injury. Before getting injured, Fountain caught five passes for 63 yards in the team’s first preseason game.

The Colts used a sixth-round pick on Patmon this year. The Washington State product possesses an ideal 6-4, 225-pound frame. However, he struggled at times with separation and imposing his will against smaller cornerbacks in college. If he doesn’t make the final roster, Patmon is a perfect practice squad prospect.