Colts could claim Vikings defensive tackle off waivers to bolster depth

Cody Manning

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Colts could claim Vikings defensive tackle off waivers to bolster depth image

Cutdown day can be hard for fans of NFL teams as they can see players they fell in love with during the preseason fail to make the 53-man roster.

However, it also creates an opportunity for players across the league who got cut to find a new home and still contribute in the 2024 season. 

An example of this happened in the 2023 season for the Indianapolis Colts when they claimed Isiaiah Land off the waivers, who was cut by Dallas Cowboys. He ended up being a situational pass rusher in his rookie season and now is looking to have a bigger role in his second year with the franchise. 

One area on the roster that Chris Ballard can address on the waiver wire is the quality of depth for the interior of the defensive line.

Throughout the preseason it was apparent that the backup interior defensive line has stayed the same in defending the run as we saw last season when Grover Stewart was out of the lineup. 

Raekwon Davis was signed this offseason to help give more quality options beyond Stewart, but he was recently removed from the NFI list and still has to work his way back into football shape. 

With Adetomiwa Adebawore putting together a strong preseason in addition to the ability of Dayo Odeyingbo, Tyquan Lewis, and Laiatu Latu to kick inside, where does that leave Taven Bryan’s value on the 53-man roster?

There are plenty of options to help keep DeForest Buckner fresh throughout the season but Davis is the only player you can count on to defend the run if Stewart had to miss any time.

One player who is available on the waivers and can help provide depth is Jaquelin Roy, a 2023 fifth-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings. 

In Roy’s rookie season, he played just 12% of the defensive snaps and finished with eight tackles (three solo), a TFL, and one QB hit.

There is some potential for Roy to develop into a quality backup defensive tackle. With new defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, it might be worth a shot on a player who is entering his second year in the league over keeping a veteran who has shown to struggle against the run. 

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Cody Manning

Cody Manning Photo

Cody Manning is a graduate of the University of Tampa’s Sport Management program. He spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Guest and Member Relations Game Day staff where he was a Team Leader and earned Difference Maker of the Year in 2017. During his time with the Bucs, he helped start Blitzalytics, a scouting and analytics media company. After that came to an end, he joined USA Today’s Colts Wire as a contributor in 2021. Outside of football, he is an avid WWE and Batman fan. You can find him on Twitter/X @CodyTalksNFL.