The NFL’s annual training camp injury bug is out in full force. Every day there is a new report of a player sustaining a season-ending injury. The Indianapolis Colts were visited last weekend when Samson Ebukam tore his Achilles tendon. Pivoting to a slightly happier topic is examining the team’s tight end group and who will make the final cut.
Indianapolis Colts still searching for their starting tight end
Like all NFL teams, the Indianapolis Colts have an expanded 90-man group that will eventually get trimmed to the required 53-man roster. Each position group is larger than it will be once the coaches decide who to cut and keep. Currently, the team has seven tight ends on the roster.
| Player (age) | Career Stats | Contract |
| Mo Alie-Cox (31) | 102 catches, 1,286 yards, 14 TDs | 1 year, $5.9 million |
| Kylen Granson (26) | 72 catches, 776 yards, 1 TD | 1 year, $3.3 million |
| Jelani Woods (26) | 25 catches, 312 yards, 3 TDs | 2 years, $3.1 million |
| Andrew Ogletree (26) | 9 catches, 147 yards, 2 TDs | 2 years, $2.1 million |
| Will Mallory (25) | 18 catches, 207 yards | 3 years, $3.3 million |
| Eric Tomlinson (32) | 27 catches, 280 yards, 3 TDs | 1 year, $985K |
| Jordan Murray (24) | n/a | 1 year, $795K |
As previously stated, this position is going to be trimmed. The easy cuts are 2023 rookie undrafted free agent Jordan Murray and veteran Eric Tomlinson. It’s possible either one of these guys could make and stay on the Colts’ practice squad. However, the more difficult cut(s) will come from the guys who have already played for the Colts.
Each of these players has a reason for being left off the roster and why they should stay. Mo Alie-Cox is an athletic tight end who is a good blocker but never developed beyond average at the position. Kylen Granson is a versatile offensive player who has made improvements as a blocker but is still viewed as a pass-catching tight end.
Jelani Woods is a massive mismatch at the position and showed that in his rookie year. However, he missed all of his second season. Yet, as mentioned, his size and speed combination is too large to ignore.
Andrew Ogletree was said to have passed Woods on the depth chart in their rookie year but tore his ACL and missed the season. His calling card is as a strong blocker, but he’s shown some pass-catching chops. Last year’s rookie, Will Mallory, impressed with his pass-catching ability but was essentially a non-factor when it came to blocking, which was to be expected.
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Mo Alie-Cox predicted to make Colts roster, but what about Kylen Granson?
The decision of who to cut will come down to the two most tenured tight ends, Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson. The survivor will be Alie-Cox because the Colts need blocking from the position and both he and Ogletree are the best of the bunch. Both of them also have some ability as a pass catcher.
Meanwhile, Granson is a good pass catcher, and despite his improvements as a blocker, still isn’t trustworthy. Not to mention he’s the shortest, 6-foot-3 of the group and subsequently, scored his first-ever NFL touchdown in his third season, so he’s not an asset in the red zone. Now, his release will come with that $3.3 million cap hit but only $176K in dead cap but that’s not enough of a reason to keep him.
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