Colts sign wide receiver Quan Bray, waive safety Dewey McDonald

With rookie wide receiver Phillip Dorsett sidelined with a fractured fibula that is expected to keep him out 4-6 weeks, the Indianapolis Colts have made a move to add depth at the wide receiver position.  The team today promoted receiver Quan Bray from the practice squad to the active roster and waived safety Dewey McDonald from the practice squad.

Bray spent training camp with the Colts after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn.  Bray really impressed during training camp but didn't have nearly as big of an impact during preseason, but he has been on the practice squad since he was waived as a part of final roster cuts.  At Auburn, Bray caught 90 passes for 849 yards and seven touchdowns, also ranking third in school history in average yards per punt return (10.09) and eighth in career punt return yardage with 565.  Furthermore, he was Second Team All-SEC as a return specialist and finished second in the country in yards per punt return with 18.1.

Since many are asking why Quan Bray was promoted instead of Duron Carter, I think the latter part has a lot to do with it.  Carter worked as a returner at times this year in training camp, but Quan Bray is a better, more well-rounded returner.  That could have given him the edge over Carter for this roster move, as Bray could factor into the return game more.  As the fifth wide receiver, special teams contribution must be seriously weighed, and I think the Colts (probably rightly) think that Bray can make a bigger impact in that area than Carter can.  Bray will now slide in behind T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Andre Johnson, and Griff Whalen at the receiver position, and then we'll have to see whether he supplants Whalen as the return man.

McDonald was promoted to the active roster last week due to the injuries at the safety position, but head coach Chuck Pagano said on Monday that both Mike Adams and Clayton Geathers are expected to return to practice this week.  If that is indeed the case, then the Colts wouldn't need McDonald around anymore and therefore waived him.  I'd guess that he will end up back on the practice squad if and when he clears waivers.