Another roster move has been reported, with the Indianapolis Colts reportedly waiving defensive tackle Eric Johnson, according to Joel Erickson of the Indy Star.
As a player with fewer than four years of accrued NFL experience, Johnson will go on waivers. If unclaimed, he will become a free agent and can sign where he wishes.
Johnson was a fifth-round pick by the Colts in 2022. He, along with Taven Bryan, were tasked with bolstering the Colts’ run defense depth last season, but struggled to do so.
In the first six games of the 2023 season, the Colts surrendered just 3.7 yards per rush with Grover Stewart on the field. Over the next six games without him, they gave up 4.9 yards per attempt.
With DeForest Buckner, Stewart, and Raekwon Davis at the top of the defensive tackle rotation, along with the emergence of Adetomiwa Adebawore this summer, making the roster quickly became an uphill battle for Johnson.
In the preseason, the Colts run defense depth as a whole remained up and down, while Johnson would total three pressures on 32 pass rush snaps. With a defensive front full of pass rushers, Johnson’s path to making the team was going to consist of standing out as a run defender.
It’s possible that the Colts do keep just four defensive tackles on the 53-man roster with Dayo Odeyingbo and Tyquan Lewis able to play inside.
