Colts sign Tevaun Smith, place Quan Bray on injured reserve

The Indianapolis Colts today made several roster moves, signing wide receiver Tevaun Smith from the practice squad to the active roster and placing wide receiver/return specialist Quan Bray on injured reserve.

The Colts also made some practice squad moves, as they signed wide receiver Marcus Leak and cornerback Frankie Williams, placed tight end Mike Miller on the practice squad injured reserve, and cut safety Lee Hightower.

Tevaun Smith has been on the team’s practice squad all year after an impressive showing in training camp and preseason. He was the second-leading receiver in preseason for the Colts this year (behind only Chester Rogers), catching ten passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 13.8 yards per catch. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Colts out of Iowa this offseason, and in his collegiate career he played in 47 games (starting 24) and recorded 102 receptions for 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 14.7 yards per catch.

Smith adds depth at wide receiver, which the Colts really need. T.Y. Hilton and Chester Rogers were the only healthy receivers to finish the game for the Colts on Sunday night, as Phillip Dorsett and Quan Bray both left with injuries, Donte Moncrief still isn’t back, and Devin Street was inactive. So adding Smith to the active roster makes a ton of sense.

It’s an unfortunate injury for Bray, who dealt with a shin injury last week and then left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury - which was obviously serious enough to warrant being placed on injured reserve. In six games, Bray caught three passes (on four targets) for 36 yards and rushed one time for seven yards, but his primary role has always been as the team’s return man. He returned seven punts for an average of 8.3 yards per return (with a long of 20) and he also returned nine kickoffs for an average of 25.7 yards per return (with a long of 39). It is unclear who will step up to handle the return duties now, but on the Colts’ updated depth chart they have Josh Ferguson as the kick returner and Chester Rogers as the punt returner, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if that’s what they do wind up going with in the return game.