Every year there are a few surprise roster cuts from every team in the NFL. Most happen around late-August as teams prepare to trim the roster from 90 to 53. There are also surprise cuts that happen in early-March before free agency starts as teams try to clear cap room going into free agency.
The Indianapolis Colts aren’t strapped for cash, they’re projected to have the second-most cap space in the NFL at around $93 million come March if they don’t re-sign any of their in-house free agents.
People could look at examples including 2018 when the Colts cut veteran John Simon, or in 2019 when they let go of Krishawn Hogan. With that being said, let’s look at a few players that could Colts could release this offseason:
RG Mark Glowinski
Chris Ballard really values offensive line play, and he mentioned in his end-of-season presser that the right side of the offensive line needs to be better in 2020. While Braden Smith is still making the transition from guard to tackle, and struggled a bit last year, Glowinski was arguably worse this year.
After signing a three-year, $16 million contract last offseason, he underperformed in 2019. If the Colts were to let Glowinski go before June 1, it would cost them $2.8 million, but they would save $3.35 million.
If the Colts sign or draft someone and they out-played Glowinski and Indianapolis wanted to release him after training camp, it would cost them $1.4 million for the 2020 and 2021 season, but they would save close to $5 million.
Right now, Glowinski is the starter and that could be the case heading into 2020. But the Colts need to upgrade at the position moving forward.
CB Quincy Wilson
The writing is on the wall for Wilson. In the 2018 offseason, the Colts re-signed corners Kenny Moore and Pierre Desir, plus drafted Rock Ya-Sin with their first draft pick, and took Marvell Tell in the draft and are converting him to corner.
Wilson was a healthy inactive for most of the season, and the Colts were more confident in putting Marvell Tell and Rolan Milligan out on the field over Wilson. In the games that Wilson was active, he played fewer than 40% of the snaps.
Wilson is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so the Colts could simply cut him at any time this offseason and it would only cost them around $583,000 dollars and they would save $1.2 million.
DT Margus Hunt
Another underwhelming player from 2019, Hunt could be a surprise roster cut this offseason.
Last year Hunt started 15 games for Indianapolis and really played well with five sacks and 30 tackles from an interior defensive lineman position. But in 2019 his play fell off, seeing less of the field. Hunt had no sacks and only 17 tackles.
Ballard mentioned in the same presser that the Colts need to upgrade inside on defense, and with Hunt turning 33 before the regular season starts in September, he could very well be out of a job before the Colts start the 2020 season.
This is the final year of a two-year, $9 million contract that Hunt signed in 2019 and if the Colts were to cut him, it would cost them nothing on the cap and they would save $4 million.
DT Denico Autry
While it’s not totally possible both Autry and Hunt get cut this off-season, one could go, and it could really be either. Autry was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2018 after having a nine-sack season, but his play really disappointed in 2019 with only 3.5 sacks.
While Ballard did mention the defensive line needs improvement, he specified they need more from the three-technique position, which is where Autry plays. Indianapolis could draft or sign a player in free agency and let Autry go before 2020.
Autry signed a three-year, $17.8 million contract in 2018, and he’s now in the final year of that contract. Luckily for the Colts, it would cost them nothing to release Autry, plus they would save almost $6 million in cap space.
The chances are closer that Autry isn’t cut but if they feel they need to go in another direction given his age and recent lack of production, it isn’t something to be dismissed out of hand.
