INDIANAPOLIS –The Colts roster has been cut down to 53 players after the team made their mandatory roster moves on Saturday.
After months of roster construction, the Colts made their final roster moves on Saturday to get down to the magic number of 53.
Here's a look at each position and the makeup of that group:
Quarterbacks (2): Matt Hasselbeck, Andrew Luck
Bowen's Analysis: For the third straight season, the Colts will head into the regular season with Matt Hasselbeck and Andrew Luck at the quarterback position. NFL teams nowadays rarely carry more than two quarterbacks on a 53-man roster and the Colts have the rare luxury of two signal callers with more than 50 games of starting experience apiece.
Running Backs (5): Vick Ballard, Frank Gore, Boom Herron, Josh Robinson, Tyler Varga
Bowen's Analysis: One of the most intriguing position battles ended with the Colts keeping five running backs on their 53-man roster. Vick Ballard does indeed survive cuts after an emotional preseason finale. With Tyler Varga making the roster, the Colts continue their NFL-long streak of having an undrafted free agent make the roster in 17 straight seasons.
Wide Receivers (5): Phillip Dorsett, T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, Donte Moncrief, Griff Whalen
Bowen's Analysis: Duron Carter was waived on Saturday afternoon. Will he clear waivers so the Colts can add him to their practice squad? Griff Whalen once again proves his consistency is just too valuable to let walk.
Tight Ends (3): Dwayne Allen, Jack Doyle, Coby Fleener
Bowen's Analysis: The Colts will incorporate their three tight end duo in a versatile offensive system. Last year, the Colts initially had a fullback (Mario Harvey) on their 53-man roster, but Jack Doyle is more than capable of handling that type of role. Sean McGrath, who the Colts waived on Saturday, did have a solid Training Camp showing impressive hands.
Offensive Line (9): Anthony Castonzo, Denzelle Good, Jonotthan Harrison, Todd Herremans, Khaled Holmes, Lance Louis, Jack Mewhort, Joe Reitz, Hugh Thornton
Bowen's Analysis: Many times last season the Colts were forced to carry 10 offensive linemen on the roster, due to a plethora of injuries. They will carry nine right now with obvious position flexibly from Joe Reitz at four spots.
Defensive Line (5): Henry Anderson, Zach Kerr, Kendall Langford, David Parry, Earl Okine,
Bowen's Analysis: The Colts parted ways with Josh Chapman and Montori Hughes on Saturday. With those moves and Arthur Jones to injured reserve, Kendall Langford is the lone current defensive lineman with NFL starting experience. Will the Colts turn to the waiver wire to add defensive line depth?
Linebackers (10): Trent Cole, Jerrell Freeman, Amarlo Herrera, Nate Irving, D'Qwell Jackson, Robert Mathis, Sio Moore, Jonathan Newsome, Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner
Bowen's Analysis: The Colts have ample depth at the outside and inside linebacker spots. This group has plenty of NFL experience and some intriguing faces with the likes of Sio Moore and now healthy bodies in Robert Mathis and Nate Irving.
Cornerbacks (6): Jalil Brown, Darius Butler, Vontae Davis, Sheldon Price, D'Joun Smith, Greg Toler
Bowen's Analysis: The Colts will carry six cornerbacks on their 53-man roster with Greg Toler week-to-week due to a neck injury. Jalil Brown certainly deserved a roster spot after he routinely made play after play over the past month. Sheldon Price, who has spent the last two seasons on the Colts practice squad, also had a nice preseason.
Safeties (5): Mike Adams, Colt Anderson, Clayton Geathers, Winston Guy, Dwight Lowery
Bowen's Analysis: After losing some key special teams guys in the offseason, Colt Anderson is a veteran who will once again play all over those units in 2015. Winston Guy also made some plays on special teams during the preseason.
Specialists (3/3): Pat McAfee, Matt Overton, Adam Vinatieri
Bowen's Analysis: It's a fourth straight year the Colts have a Pro Bowl trio at the specialists. The question for the special teams units now comes where do the four-core guys come from to cover kicks and play on return units.
