The IndyStarReport shares a slew of roster moves that will affect Indianapolis as they prepare for their game against the Jaguars this weekend.
- Tight end Mike McNeill was brought up from the practice squad, presumably to provide depth behind Jacob Tamme as a pass-catching tight end with the news of Dallas Clark's injury.
- Tight end Anthony Hill was signed from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. He is a 6-foot 6-inch, 277 pound tight end with more of a reputation as a blocker. This move provides depth in the face of Brody Eldridge's recent injury.
- Former Bengals sixth round selection Morgan Trent was added to the roster, he replaced Prince Miller -- who lasted only one week. Trent played at Michigan in college and has two years of experience with the Bengals to bring with him.
- Defensive tackle Daniel Muir has been released, likely as a result of the news that Drake Nevis will be returning to the field this weekend. It would appear that the winner of the big defensive tackle sweepstakes is Ricardo Mathews at this point.
- The Colts also signed quarterback Dan LeFevour to the practice squad and placed guard Seth Olsen on the injured reserve.
The most exciting news in all of this is that rookie defensive tackle Drake Nevis is returning to the field. The defense has played significantly worse without him on the field and he represents the centerpiece of the future of the Colts defensive line.
Some ado is being made about defensive tackle Daniel Muir getting released hours after attending an event at a Veteran's Hospital but those kinds of criticisms really only occur when little is going on in a team's season. The fact is that plans for events like this are made ahead of time and that Muir undoubtedly has little or no issue with attending the event regardless of his status that day. If the team made the decision earlier in the day or in the evening on Monday, the likelihood of getting a replacement or appropriately informing Muir would be low. It's the nature of the business and I think most players would readily say that if they were asked about how often that sort of thing occurs.
In any case, the very fact that the Colts brought Muir back at all shows some loyalty to his play and value in the work they team has put into developing him. I would not be surprised if he finds his way back onto the squad again before all is said and done.
I am intrigued by the Morgan Trent signing only because I remember him being a late round cornerback I thought that Colts might look at in the 2009 NFL Draft. There is little doubt that he is a player that members of the Colts scouting staff would be informed on.
As was discussed in my
story yesterday about Dallas Clark's injury and how the team might address the tight end position in the future, the move to bring Mike McNeill up from the practice squad could yield a trial run. If McNeill has developed on the practice squad and proves that he is ready to take the field in the regular season, it will give Indianapolis options moving forward -- and potentially keep them from needing to spend a high draft pick at the position. If he does not play well and is not ready, it could mean the opposite.
Do not expect to see this roster roulette stop anytime soon. The Colts are scrambling to replace injured players and acquire talent for the future. There are a lot of questions and until people come to the team with clear answers, steady movement will continue.
