Breaking down the Indianapolis Colts roster: a post cutdown day edition

Indianapolis Colts WR Pierre Garcon (AP Photo)

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a look at the Indianapolis Colts' roster/depth chart in the wake of 22 moves Saturday t oreach the NFL's 53-player roster limit . . .

The Indianapolis Colts on Saturday made 22 roster moves to reach the NFL-mandarted 53-player roster limit, and unsurprisingly, there were more than a few surprises.

DE Marcus Howard is gone.

K Shane Andrus is not.

CB Dante Hughes is gone.

LB Freddy Keiaho is not.

The Colts on Saturday released former draft selections such as OL Steve Justice (sixth round, 2008) and CB Dante Hughes (third round, 2007), and they also released two players from this year's draft class, including a fourth-round selection, DT Terrance Taylor. Also gone are RB Mike Hart (sixth round, 2008), OG Jaimie Thomas (seventh round, 2009), DE Marcus Howard (fifth round, 2008) and OT Michael Toudouze (fifth round, 2006). But as is usual around the Colts, retained were two rookie free agents -- CB Jacob Lacey and LB Ramon Humber.

COLTS CUT-DOWN DAY MOVES, CLICK HERE

This is fairly routine for the Colts. While they obviously would prefer to not release recent draft selections, particularly ones from this season, they rarely have held on to players for the sake of hanging on to them or for the ego stroking of the people who drafted them. If a player can play, he makes the team. if not, the Colts typically move on.

That said, let's take a position-by-position look at the roster:

OFFENSE

WR: Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie. Comment: No surprises here. Some fans liked first-year WR Taj Smith, and the Colts did, too, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him on the practice squad. Don't be surprised to see rookie FA John Matthews there, either.

LT: Charlie Johnson, Tony Ugoh. Comment: Again, not a huge surprise. Once Johnson didn't play in the preseason finale and Ugoh did, you knew he was starting. Look for it to hold this way unless Ugoh dazzles in practice and shows he's clearly ready to take the position. So far, that doesn't seem to have happened.

G: Ryan Lilja, Jamey Richard. Comment: Again no surprise. Good to see Lilja is healthy entering the season, and Richard is a capable backup. You might see Thomas re-signed to the practice squad. The Colts like to use the practice squad for offensive line depth.

C: Jeff Saturday, Kyle DeVan. Comment: This was a touch of a surprise, if only because you wondered if the Colts would keep nine offensive linemen. But it was obvious as camp wore on that the Colts liked DeVan --an offseason free-agent signee from Arena Football2. He beat out recently-drafted Steve Justice, who was playing so much so late in so many preseason games that you knew it was only so long until he wasn't around.

RG: Mike Pollak, Daniel Federkeil. Comment: Federkeil gives the Colts a player who can play guard or backup tackle.

RT: Ryan Diem. Comment: Ugoh begins the season as the backup here, too, meaning the Colts have four players with tackle experience -- Johnson, Diem, Ugoh and Federkeil.

TE: Dallas Clark, Gijon Robinson, Jacob Tamme, Tom Santi. Comment: This is a good group of TEs, particularly with Tamme showing signs of development in the preseason. Robinson is still developing as an H-back, and it remains to be seen how effective he will be as an all-around player, but Clark and Tamme are solid, and Santi has yet to stay healthy enough to show what he can do.

WR: Anthony Gonzalez. Comment: For the purposes of the depth chart, there's no backup here, but the Colts have four receivers who are going to play assorted roles, with Wayne and Gonzalez each capable of playing extensive roles inside or outside. Look for Collie to play in the slot regularly early, and look for Garcon to get opportunities to play a spot role on the outside.

QB: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi, Curtis Painter. Comment: This surprised me and it didn't. Not that Manning edged out Sorgi for the starting role, but that Painter was kept on the active roster. I wondered if the Colts would think it too high a risk to try to get Painter to the practice squad and apparently, they believed he played well enough to make him attractive to other teams.

RB: Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Chad Simpson. Comment: It surprised many people that Simpson made the team, but he has good speed and when he works with the starting unit in practice, he shows breakaway ability. He also has the edge of being a kick returner, and apparently with RB Mike Hart unable to stay healthy, Simpson seemed the more-prudent choice.

B/H-B: Gijon Robinson, Jacob Tamme. Comment: Robinson started the season last year here.

DEFENSE

LE: Robert Mathis, Keyunta Dawson. Comment: Credit to Dawson for making the move from starting defensive tackle to defensive end. The Colts got bigger up front, and while he's small for a tackle, his size fits the Colts' ends a bit more than it does the interior now.

LT: Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir. Comment: It will be interesting to see if Muir sticks after Ed Johnson comes off suspension in Week 1. There were surprises at tackle, with fourth-round draft selection Terrance Taylor and rookie FA Adrian Grady being released.

RT: Ed Johnson, Fili Moala, Eric Foster. Comment: It wouldn't shock me to see Foster play ahead of Moala early, with Johnson, Muir, Johnson and Foster forming the DT rotation, with some help on pass-rushing downs from Raheem Brock and Dawson.

RE: Dwight Freeney, Raheem Brock. Comment: One of the biggest surprises of Saturday was the release of DE Marcus Howard. In retrospect, a sign that it was coming may have been the release of DE Curtis Johnson. The two players fit with the Colts' former philosophy of being smaller up front, but Johnson and Howard were similar player and perhaps the Colts have decided that no matter how fast a player is, ere's a limit to how small an end can be and be effective.

LLB: Philip Wheeler, Tyjuan Hagler. Comment: I like the linebacker depth across the back, although I -- like many -- are a bit surprised Mike Tauiliili didn't make the roster. Look for him on the practice squad, perhaps.

MLB: Gary Brackett, Freddy Keiaho. Comment: Many observers were down on Keiaho in the preseason, but he's an experienced veteran and some thought he was the Colts' best linebacker last year. He also had a good preseason on special teams.

RLB: Clint Session, Jordan Senn, Ramon Humber. Comment: Neither of these two were a shock. Senn is one of the Colts' most valuable special teams players, and Humber looked good throughout the preseason on special teams.

LCB: Kelvin Hayden, T.J. Rushing, Jacob Lacey. Comment: Rushing keeps playing well enough each offseason to make the roster and contribute, and although Lacey is a rookie free agent, it became more and more apparent as preseason continued he had a real chance to make the team. He makes plays and he may be a real find.

CB: Marlin Jackson, Tim Jennings, Jerraud Powers. Comment: I'd be a bit surprised if Powers isn't playing at least as the fourth corner sooner rather than later. A lot of observers think he should be ahead of Jennigs, but Jennings started 12 games last season and seemed to play well in preseason.

SS: Melvin Bullitt, Jamie Silva, Bob Sanders. Comment: Still no timetable on the return of Sanders to the lineup, but him not being on PUP is a good sign.

FS: Antoine Bethea, Matt Giordano. Comment: Not much to say here. Good players. Experienced players. Solid area.

SPECIAL TEAMS

P Pat McAfee

K Adam Vinatieri, Shane Andrus

H: Pat McAfee, Jim Sorgi

PR: T.J. Rushing, Pierre Garcon, Jerraud Powers

KR: Chad Simpson, T.J. Rushing, Austin Collie

PC: Justin Snow, Jacob Tamme

LS: Justin Snow, Jacob Tamme

Comment: Keeping Andrus makes you wonder about Vinatieri's availability to do do everything in the season opener, and it's notable that Rushing made it all the way back after missing last season with an ACL tear. Simpson probably made the roster because he can return kicks.

READ "COFFEE WITH THE COLTS: A NEXT-DAY GLANCE AT THE COLTS-BENGALS GAME WITH PRE-CUT DAY COMMENTS FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN . . .

*** READ IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S LIVE IN-GAME BLOG ON COLTS-BENGALS . . .

*** READ IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S BENGALS-COLTS PREVIEW . . .

*** GAME REPORT: BENGALS 38, COLTS 7

THIS WEEK'S COLTS NEWS

* QB Jim Sorgi to remain backup behind QB Peyton Manning

* Colts place CB Michael Coe, two others, on waived-injured

* CB Kelvin Hayden says he'll return for regular-season opener

* K Adam Vinatieri taken off PUP list

* Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell finds the positives in loss to Cincinnati

MAGNIFICENT SEVENS, 2009 PRESEASON COLTS THOUGHTS

Magnificent Seven I: Seven training camp thoughts and observations

Magnificent Seven II: On the Colts' defensive tackle position and WR Reggie Wayne