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Colts’ 53-man roster projection post 2023 NFL draft

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Colts’ 53-man roster projection post 2023 NFL draft


The Indianapolis Colts shall be rounding up the additions of the undrafted rookie free agent class following the 2023 NFL draft as they put together for an enormous month of offseason coaching.

After concluding the draft with the largest class of the Chris Ballard period (12), there shall be a variety of competitors on the roster to keep watch over all through OTAs, minicamp, coaching camp and the preseason.

There are some actually intriguing undrafted rookies who may push for a roster spot, however we solely have one making the minimize as of this writing. That definitely may change over the course of the subsequent few months.

Quite a bit goes to alter over the subsequent few months main as much as roster cuts on the finish of August, however right here’s a way-too-early prediction of the 53-man roster following the draft:

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Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson seems for a receiver towards South Florida in the course of the first half of an NCAA school soccer recreation, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Picture/John Raoux)

Pos. First Second
QB Anthony Richardson Gardner Minshew

Evaluation: Proper off the bat we’re confronted with a philosophical query. Do vegetation scream once we rip them from the bottom? Okay possibly not that philosophical. However the Colts can have a call to make as to whether or not they hold two or three quarterbacks. They need Richardson to play as quickly as doable, which makes me lean extra on the facet of carrying two on the lively roster and one on the follow squad. We could not have a transparent reply till coaching camp.

Notable Cuts: Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles

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Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports activities

Pos. First Second Third
RB Jonathan Taylor Zack Moss Evan Hull

Evaluation: With Taylor anticipated to return absolutely from a nagging ankle harm, there’s no motive to maintain greater than three operating backs. The sixth-round decide in Hull makes the roster over Deon Jackson right here partly due to rookie fever, however that shall be a enjoyable competitors to observe over the summer season.

Notable Cuts: Deon Jackson, Jake Funk

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Jamie Squire/Getty Photos

Pos. First Second Third Fourth
X-WR Michael Pittman Jr. Mike Strachan
Slot Josh Downs Isaiah McKenzie
Z-WR Alec Pierce Ashton Dulin

Evaluation: The struggle for the ultimate spot shall be attention-grabbing. Third-round decide Josh Downs ought to stroll into the beginning slot position whereas Ashton Dulin rounds out the highest 4. Strachan should show himself worthy of a roster spot whereas McKenzie isn’t any lock for the roster. UDFAs Zavier Scott and Cody Chrest would be the ones to observe given their elite athleticism.

Notable Cuts: Zavier Scott, Cody Chrest, Malik Turner

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Adam Bettcher/Getty Photos

Pos. First Second
Y-TE Mo Alie-Cox Jelani Woods
F-TE Kylen Granson Will Mallory

Evaluation: That is going to be essentially the most vigorous competitors. The fifth-round decide in Mallory will get the nod right here over Andrew Ogletree, however it may simply be flipped round. This room is simply heating up, and I do marvel if the Colts really feel strongly sufficient about Woods and Ogletree in the event that they store Alie-Cox when roster cuts are made.

Notable Cuts: Andrew Ogletree, Pharaoh Brown

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AP Picture/David J. Phillip

Pos. First Second
LT Bernhard Raimann Blake Freeland
LG Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly Danny Pinter
RG Will Fries Emil Ekiyor
RT Braden Smith Jordan Murray

Evaluation: Because it at the moment stands, Raimann is the beginning left deal with, and Fries will begin at proper guard. Ekiyor is the one undrafted rookie free agent to make the roster regardless of his harm historical past at Alabama. The fourth-rounder in Freeland will function the swing deal with whereas Murray could possibly be changed by the addition of a veteran.

Notable Cuts: Jake Witt, Carter O’Donnell

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AP Picture/Eric Christian Smith

Pos. First Second Third
DE Dayo Odeyingbo Tyquan Lewis
3-Tech DeForest Buckner Taven Bryan Adetomiwa Adebawore
1-Tech Grover Stewart Eric Johnson II
DE Kwity Paye Samson Ebukam

Evaluation: There’s a variety of competitors on this room. Paye and Odeyingbo challenge because the beginning duo whereas Ebukam will see a variety of work because the LEO in Gus Bradley’s system. The positional versatility between Odeyingbo and Lewis offers the Colts a variety of flexibility whereas the competitors between Bryan and fourth-rounder Adebawore shall be enjoyable to observe.

Notable Cuts: Titus Leo, Rashod Berry, Chris Williams

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Max Gersh/IndyStar-USA TODAY Sports activities

Pos. First Second
WILL E.J. Velocity Grant Stuard
MIKE Shaquille Leonard Forrest Rhyne
SAM Zaire Franklin JoJo Domann

Evaluation: This room may look very completely different by the point coaching camp ends. Leonard’s well being remains to be up within the air, and we received’t know his standing till August arrives. There are some intriguing names to keep watch over for the ultimate spot within the room however with no draft picks, the Colts stick with their established veterans.

Notable Cuts: Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi

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Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports activities

Pos. First Second Third
CB Julius Brents Dallis Flowers
Slot Kenny Moore II
CB Isaiah Rodgers Sr. Darius Rush Jaylon Jones

Evaluation: This shall be a enjoyable room to observe. Brents possible walks right into a beginning position on the boundary whereas Moore can return to the slot. Rodgers Sr. has positional versatility to work each on the skin and the nickel whereas rookies Rush and Jones will compete for the ultimate spots. However they’re already extra gifted than the remainder of the room. Perhaps Tony Brown makes a declare attributable to particular groups, however we’re going with the rookies right here.

Notable Cuts: Tony Brown

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Robert Scheer-USA TODAY Sports activities

Pos. First Second
SS Julian Blackmon Nick Cross
FS Rodney Thomas II Daniel Scott

Evaluation: There’s an opportunity the Colts hold 5 safeties as a result of they do like Trevor Denbow. The fifth-rounder in Scott will get the nod right here attributable to his athleticism, however that would be the competitors to observe. It is going to be attention-grabbing to see in the event that they add a veteran.

Notable Cuts: Trevor Denbow, Marcel Dabo

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Pos. Title
P Rigoberto Sanchez
Ok Matt Homosexual
LS Luke Rhodes

Evaluation: Sanchez shall be coming back from a torn Achilles whereas Homosexual is among the highest-paid kickers within the recreation. Each Sanchez and Rhodes are in contract years so it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if the Colts start to have a look at the market in case they don’t return after 2023.



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Indianapolis, IN

UKG eliminating 2,200 jobs, including some in Indianapolis – Inside INdiana Business

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UKG eliminating 2,200 jobs, including some in Indianapolis – Inside INdiana Business


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Human-resources technology company UKG Inc. is eliminating about 2,200 jobs—14% of its global workforce—including an unknown number in Indianapolis.

UKG, or Ultimate Kronos Group, which has more than 15,000 global employees, offers a software platform for handling payroll, timekeeping, employee scheduling and other human-resources functions. The company has dual headquarters in Lowell, Massachusetts, and Weston, Florida, and its locations include a downtown Indianapolis office in the PNC Center at 101 W. Washington St.

A UKG spokesperson declined to say how many Indianapolis jobs were eliminated or how many people total work at the office.

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In an email sent to UKG employees Wednesday and shared with IBJ by the company, UKG CEO Chris Todd said the company is making “a number of organizational changes that will allow us to aggressively focus on critical areas of growth and to provide flexibility to actively invest in important new areas. These changes mean we have made the difficult decision to say goodbye to [about] 14% of our colleagues.”

Todd wrote that the company had originally intended to notify employees of the layoffs next week, but decided to make the announcement early because of “news and speculation” that had begun circulating within the company.

The email also said that the cuts are taking place primarily in the United States and across all departments.

As of Friday, numerous people had announced on the job networking site LinkedIn that they had lost their Indianapolis-based UKG jobs. Contacted by IBJ via that platform, several said they were not sure how many others had been let go locally.

The layoffs are a shift from two years ago, when UKG was approved for up to $2.5 million in state tax incentives based on the company’s local hiring plans. At that time, UKG had more than 300 Indianapolis employees, and it said it planned to hire an additional 200 people by the end of 2024.

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According to the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s transparency portal, UKG was approved in April 2022 for up to $2.3 million in tax credits and $200,000 in conditional training grants. The incentives are performance-based, meaning that the company was only eligible to claim the money after met job commitments.

The transparency portal shows that UKG has claimed only $81,535 in tax credits to date, and it has claimed none of the training grants.

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TRENDING: The Indianapolis Colts’ Former 3rd-Rounder Is Looking To Win A Starting Job After Missing Last Season – Gridiron Heroics

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TRENDING: The Indianapolis Colts’ Former 3rd-Rounder Is Looking To Win A Starting Job After Missing Last Season – Gridiron Heroics


The Indianapolis Colts tight end room had the 9th most receiving yards in the NFL last season. Their top three tight ends were Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, and Mo Alie-Cox. Granson had 30 receptions for 368 yards (1 TD), Mallory had 18 receptions for 207 yards, and Alie-Cox had 13 receptions for 161 yards (3 TDS).

The Colts chose not to sign or draft a TE this offseason. One reason for this decision could be their confidence in their former 3rd-round pick, who missed all of 2023.

The Indianapolis Colts’ former 3rd-round pick fully recovered from an injury that caused him to miss all of 2023

Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods (80) catches a touchdown pass while being guarded by Kansas City Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill (22) on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

After having a solid rookie season, Jelani Woods suffered a hamstring injury during voluntary workouts that caused him to miss most of training camp and the entire 2023 season. Woods fully recovered from the injury and is feeling better.

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“I feel better (than in 2022), really, because I’m starting to know my body really well and creating a routine daily to just keep building myself,” Woods said. “I feel like I’m in a good start now so I’m just trying to keep it going and take it one day at a time really, for the most part.”

Now that Woods is fully healthy, he will compete for the TE1 spot. He is confident in his skill set and understands he is in a pivotal competition.

“I know what I can do, I know how (much) I can help the offense,” Woods said. “I know I can be a pivotal point in the offense and I’m just trying to show that and earn the respect back, earn my spot back. Just pretty much trying to do whatever I can to show them Jelani, he’s here.”

He will compete against three players for the starting TE job.

Player #1

Indianapolis Colts, Kylen Granson
Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson (83) dives for a reception, under defensive pressure from Tennessee Titans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (2), on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.

The first player competing is Kylen Granson. Granson, a 4th-round pick from 2021, enters his fourth year in the league. He finished first in receptions, targets, yards, and snaps among TEs on the team in 2023.

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He will be an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of the 2024 season.

Player #2

Indianapolis Colts, Mo Alie-Cox
Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox (81) reacts after making a catch for a two-point conversion Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The second player competing is Mo Alie-Cox. Alie-Cox, who primarily plays as a run blocker, enters his eighth year in the league. He finished third in receptions, targets, and yards, second in snaps, and first in receiving touchdowns among TEs on the team.

He will also be an unrestricted free agent after the season’s end, but many view him as a player who could get cut during roster cuts.

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Player #3

Indianapolis Colts, Will Mallory
Indianapolis Colts tight end Will Mallory (86) brings in a pass while being guarded by Atlanta Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams (37) and Atlanta Falcons linebacker Nate Landman (53) on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, during a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The third player competing is Will Mallory. Mallory, a fifth-round pick from 2023, enters his second year in the league. He finished second in receptions, targets, and yards and fourth in snaps among TEs on the team.

Who wins the starting TE job?

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Children’s Museum of Indianapolis shares story of AIDS advocate, Kokomo native Ryan White  

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Children’s Museum of Indianapolis shares story of AIDS advocate, Kokomo native Ryan White  


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is sharing the story of one Indiana boy’s bravery in the face of the AIDS epidemic, and how it impacted his small Indiana community and beyond. 

Ryan White was born in Kokomo in December 1971, and when he was 13, Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS after a blood transfusion.

After his diagnosis, he faced much AIDS-related discrimination from his community, but used his voice to fight against fear and misinformation surrounding HIV/AIDS. Most famously, he became an inspiration for his fight to continue going to school.

AJ Morrison with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis told News 8 that Ryan’s story is particularly unique because of its local connection.

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“They were in Kokomo and then moved to Cicero. He went to Hamilton Heights High School, where he was welcomed by the students there,” he said.

The museum’s exhibit shows part of Ryan’s bedroom on display. The more than 500 artifacts from Ryan’s life help tell the story of his struggle with AIDS, his fight to attend school, and the great accomplishments he achieved before his death in April 1990.

“It just helps kids realize that anybody can really make a difference, and in Ryan’s case, standing up and speaking out against bullying and HIV/Aids,” Morrison said.

Along with the exhibit, Ryan’s mother and sister, Jeanne White Ginder and Andrea White, hosted a series of talks at the museum.

Sunday’s conversation runs from noon to 2 p.m., and will be structured like an informal conversation in Ryan’s bedroom. Listeners will be able to hear firsthand stories of how Ryan’s bravery impacted their family and several Indiana communities.

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A formal presentation will take place after from 2 – 2:45 p.m. Museum leaders add that topics discussed in the conversations about Ryan may be difficult for young children.

The exhibit and Ryan’s room will be showcased inside The Power of Children: Making a Difference on level 3 of the museum.

For more information on these talks and White’s story, visit the museum’s website.  

News 8’s Michaela Springer contributed to this report.

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