Colts claim 3 players after roster cutdowns

Yesterday all 32 NFL teams had to trim their rosters down to 53 players. Today those teams scanned the newly cut and waived player landscape and decided that one team’s left over player, might just be what they need. Today the Indianapolis Colts claimed three players off of waivers:

Guard, Josh Sills comes to Indy by way of the Philadelphia Eagles. The good news is he should be familiar with Shane Steichen’s system so it shouldn’t take him any time at all to get up to speed with the playbook. The bad news is obvious and the same for all of these players and it’s that there’s a reason they’re available today.

Sills, 7.91 RAS is really good but is lower than what the Colts typically bring in, but roster cutdown/claim days aren’t exactly the time to be picky with things like RAS score.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had this to say about Sills before the 2022 NFL draft:

Bruising run blocker with the body type and power that should be enticing for offensive line coaches. Sills has been a full-time starter at both West Virginia and Oklahoma State and possesses above-average talent for knocking people around and opening up pathways in the running game. He doesn’t always get to his blocks with the best timing or positioning but often gets the job done regardless. Sills needs to play with much better awareness and range in pass protection or it could remain an exploitable area of his game. The traits and run-blocking talent should give him a shot to become an eventual starter as a Day 3 selection.

So there might be some hope for Sills in the future.

Tackle, Ryan Hayes played his college ball at Michigan before being drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins. Lance Zierlein had this to say about Hayes before last years draft:

Two-year starter at left tackle for a unit that won consecutive Joe Moore Awards (best offensive line in college football). He’s tall and plays with good technique and strong hands, but Hayes is missing functional length as a tackle. He tough at the point of attack and gets into space with athletic movements but he plays with a slightly elevated pad level that could slow a transition inside to guard. He’s solid in pass protection, but he plays with an average anchor and might not have the range to keep speed rushers from tormenting the pocket. He could become an average player at tackle or guard in the pros.

What’s interesting is that all through his scouting report it seems to mention that he may be limited athletically. I usually trust Zierlein’s reports and I have no reason not to here, but Hayes’ 8.90 RAS would seem to point to above average movement skills. Time will tell:

OLB/Edge, Isaiah Land, playing for FAMU in 2021 Land recorded 25.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks, which is wild. He was signed by the Cowboys before not making their 53 man roster. Zierlein had this to say about Land:

Historically, a player with Land’s lack of mass and length would face an uphill battle trying to make it as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, but his ability to threaten the pocket should generate interest from teams. Land is a very natural, instinctive rusher with the get-off, counters and fluidity to stress some tackles. He doesn’t have enough sand in his pants to hold up against the run and teams might try him as a 4-3 outside linebacker with sub-package rush ability off the edge. Land might need a year or two on a practice squad to continue to develop.

It will be interesting to see where and how the Colts use Isaiah Land, his athletic profile is interesting, scoring an 8.60 RAS:

And his production in college indicates he can get after the passer. I suspect he’ll spend some time on special teams but may develop into quite the blitzing specialist given enough time.

Stay tuned for more info on the corresponding moves that are sure to follow these roster additions.