Colts cut ten players, including Matt Overton

It was expected that after the draft the Indianapolis Colts would cut some players in order to make room for more undrafted free agent signings. That is indeed what happened, as this morning the Colts have cut ten players.

The team released cornerback Charles James, long snapper Matt Overton, and safety Duke Williams, and they waived linebacker Alex Bazzie, punter Devon Bell, long snapper Joe Fortunato, inside linebacker Deon King, safety Stefan McClure, cornerback Larry Scott, and wide receiver Devin Street.

Those ten roster moves mean that the Colts now have room for 17 undrafted free agent signings.

The most significant name out of the cuts is Matt Overton, who has been the team’s long snapper since 2012. He played in all 80 games over the past five years as the team’s long snapper and recorded 23 tackles, while also being named to the Pro Bowl in 2013. He was a member of the Fourth Down Army, which will look quite different next year. Pat McAfee retired earlier this offseason, and now Matt Overton has been cut - leaving only Adam Vinatieri remaining.

It shouldn’t be too surprising that the Colts have cut Overton, however, since they’ve been bringing in competition for him for the last two years. Last offseason they signed a long snapper to compete with him, and then this year Chris Ballard not only signed a long snapper before the draft but also reportedly signed an undrafted free agent at the position too. Today, however, the Colts also cut Joe Fortunato, another long snapper, meaning that it appears the Colts will be giving undrafted free agent Thomas Hennessy the chance to win the spot.