Colts announce initial players added to their practice squad for the 2018 season

As roster cuts and waiver claims own this 24-hour period, the next step is for the Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the NFL to set their practice squads. These do not consist of players claimed, rather they are players who’ve passed through waivers and then can be signed by any team to a 10-man practice squad.

These players are not safe, though, throughout the season. Any of the players on the practice squad can be signed later by any team, but that player must be added to the respective team’s active 53-man roster.

Here are the updated practice squad rules via the agreement between the NFL, and NFLPA:

First, a player must have a minimum of six games – up from the current three games – on a Practice Squad in order for that season to count as one of the player’s three permissible seasons of Practice Squad service.

Second, each club will be permitted to sign a maximum of two Practice Squad players who have earned no more than two accrued seasons of free agency credit. Absent this exception, a player who has earned one or more accrued seasons would not be eligible for a Practice Squad unless the player spent fewer than nine games on a club’s 46-player active list in each of his accrued seasons.

All other practice squad rules under Article 33 of the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement will remain in effect during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

(Article 33: The Practice Squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Ac-crued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a Practice Squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List during the entire period of his employment.)

Indianapolis Colts initial practice squad:

• TE Mo Alie-Cox
• WR Daurice Fountain
• WR Steve Ishmael
• QB Phillip Walker
• CB D.J. White