Colts sign Frankie Williams to active roster, cut Chase Coffman

Though the trade deadline has come and gone without the Colts making any moves, they did make a minor roster move today, promoting cornerback Frankie Williams from the practice squad to the active roster and releasing tight end Chase Coffman. The Colts also filled Williams’s practice squad spot by signing cornerback Tevin Mitchel to the ten-man squad.

Williams is definitely a familiar face for the Colts. He was originally brought in as a tryout player at the team’s rookie mini-camp this offseason after a productive collegiate career at Purdue, and he was impressive enough as a tryout that the Colts signed him to their 90-man roster. He then played well in training camp and preseason, which earned him a spot on the initial 53-man roster after final cuts. Shortly thereafter, however, he was waived to make room for some waiver claims, and he wound up on the practice squad. He stuck around on the practice squad until they promoted him to the active roster for their week six game against the Texans before then cutting him and re-signing him to their practice squad.

This move shouldn’t be surprising, given the fact that Vontae Davis is in the concussion protocol. That leaves Davis’s status for this Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers in doubt, so the Colts needed to add another guy at the cornerback position. If Davis can’t go it will be a big loss, but they will still have Patrick Robinson, Rashaan Melvin, Darius Butler, and then Frankie Williams.

As for the decision to release Chase Coffman, it may (as some have speculated) mean that Dwayne Allen is close to returning, but I’m not sure it definitely means that. Coffman only played one snap on Sunday, so the Colts probably wouldn’t use him much even if Allen isn’t healthy, as they have Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope at the position. With the bye week coming after this Sunday, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Colts to let Allen rest for one more week, but we’ll see.