It's that time of year where fans are crunching numbers to see who will crack the 53-man Colts roster.
Craig and I decided to take a shot in the dark at who the Colts 53-man roster could be so without further ado here's my take:
Quarterbacks (2): Matt Hasselbeck, Andrew Luck
-Outlook: With such an experienced backup and the need for more depth at other positions, it's very difficult to keep a third quarterback on the 53-man roster.Running Backs (4): Vick Ballard, Ahmad Bradshaw, Donald Brown, Kerwynn Williams
-Outlook: Once Delone Carter was traded these four appeared to be pretty locked in at running back with Williams impacting the game in multiple ways this preseason.*Fullbacks (1): Stanley Havili *-Outlook: The Colts will carry a fullback into the regular season and that would be the versatile Havili.
Wide Receivers (4): Darrius Heyward-Bey, T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne, Griff Whalen
-Outlook: Finding the final receiver spots is very difficult but Whalen's production earns him the spot. A fifth receiver could also be included here but I used up that spot for an additional tight end.Tight Ends (4): Dwayne Allen, Justice Cunningham, Coby Fleener, Dominique Jones
-Outlook: Jones performed very well late in the preseason and with Allen and Fleener nursing injuries, the need is there for a flexible guy like Jones. Plus with only four receivers, multiple tight end sets are a must.Offensive Line (9): Anthony Castonzo, Gosder Cherilus, Khaled Holmes, Jeff Linkenbach, Mike McGlynn, Joe Reitz, Samson Satele, Donald Thomas, Hugh Thornton
-Outlook: The depth along the line has emerged in the past week with the rookies returning to action and Linkenbach/Reitz getting starting nods.Defensive Line (8): Josh Chapman, Ricky Jean Francois, Aubrayo Franklin, Lawrence Guy, Montori Hughes, Fili Moala, Drake Nevis, Cory Redding
-Outlook: A very difficult choice across the defensive line when you have a mix of veterans and rookies, along with a former second-round pick in Moala who is recovering from a knee injury.Linebackers (9): Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner, Jerrell Freeman, Mario Harvey, Robert Mathis, Caesar Rayford, Kelvin Sheppard, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner
-Outlook: Yes, Rayford does make the team and I included Mario Harvey as well after a strong end to the preseason.Cornerbacks (5): Darius Butler, Vontae Davis, Josh Gordy, Greg Toler, Cassius Vaughn
-Outlook: The question here was whether or not a sixth corner was needed for special teams purposes.Safeties (4): Larry Asante, Antoine Bethea, Delano Howell, LaRon Landry
-Outlook: Injuries all over the safety position has made this a very unsure choice but I'll go with Asante after his 13-tackle preseason finale.Specialists (3): Pat McAfee, Matt Overton, Adam Vinatieri
-Outlook: These three speak for itself in earning roster spots.
