2013 Colts Positional Preview: Projecting the 53-Man Roster

Training camp is just days away. Finally. We've spent the summer looking position by position at every player on the Colts roster, trying to figure out just what will happen in camp. I'm sure to be wrong in several places, so it's a good thing that training camp is almost here!

Just as a recap, here's what I project the roster will look like by the time week one comes and the Colts take on the Oakland Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium:

* So, as you know, LaVon Brazill is suspended for the first four games of the regular season. That puts his roster spot in jeaprody in the first place (and my opinion is that they should just cut him), but I don't think the Colts intend to just release him because of his suspension and as a result, I think he stays on the team. However, he won't be able to play in the first four weeks and therefore the team will need a receiver to occupy his spot on the roster (Brazill doesn't count against the 53-man roster while suspended), and I think that guy is Nathan Palmer. He had an impressive offseason and was going to be battling with Whalen (and the others) for the fifth wideout spot anyways. Now I think he makes the team as the sixth receiver during Brazill's absence, and after that the team will have a tough decision to make as to who to release - Whalen, Palmer, Brazill, or someone else entirely. Bottom line is that I think Palmer makes the team to fill in for Brazill on the roster so that the Colts aren't left with just four receivers.

Last Five to Make the 53-man Roster:

• WR Nathan Palmer
• OT Emmett Cleary
• DT Montori Hughes (R)
• OLB Lawrence Sidbury
• CB Sheldon Price

Last Five to Be Cut from the 53-man roster:

• OT Ben Ijalana
• DT Ricardo Matthews
• OLB Caesar Rayford
• CB Teddy Williams
• S Daxton Swanson

Throughout the series, I kept a list of guys that I liked but who I just don't think there is a spot for. Here's that list, and be on the lookout for several of these players, if cut, to possibly end up on the practice squad:

• Quarterback Chandler Harnish
• Fullback Dan Moore
• Wide Receiver Jabin Sambrano
• Offensive Lineman Ben Ijalana
• Nose Tackle Martin Tevaseu
• Outside Linebacker Caesar Rayford
• Cornerback Teddy Williams
• Safety Sergio Brown
• Safety Daxton Swanson (NOTE: in my positional preview, I had Swanson making the final roster, but my final count came out as 54 guys for a 53-man roster. I contemplated whether to take Sheldon Price or Swanson off, and I decided on Swanson. I won't be surprised at all if he makes the roster and, if he is cut, I would think that he will definitely be on the practice squad.)

Lastly, here are the positions that I wrote down as having a battle for a starting spot:

• Running Back (Vick Ballard, Ahmad Bradshaw)
• Right Guard (Hugh Thornton, Mike McGlynn, Joe Reitz)
• Center (Samson Satele, Khaled Holmes)
• Defensive Tackle (Ricky Jean Francois, Drake Nevis, Montori Hughes)
• Inside Linebacker (Pat Angerer, Kavell Conner, Kelvin Sheppard)
• Outside Linebacker (Erik Walden, Bjoern Werner)
• Kick Returner (Kerwynn Williams, T.Y. Hilton, Cassius Vaughn)
• Punt Returner (T.Y. Hilton, Kerwynn Williams)

Camp is almost here. We're done looking at the roster on paper. It's time to look at it on the field. I can't wait.

Football season is almost here, folks. The wait is over.

For more in-depth analysis of the Colts’ roster heading into camp, check out Josh Wilson’s other position previews:

| QB | RB/FB | WR | TE | OL | DL | OLB | ILB | CB | S | S/T |