Veterans and rookies for the Indianapolis Colts will report for training camp on July 24th, with the first practice taking place on July 25th.
Between now and then I will be previewing the Colts’ 91-man roster with a look back at each player’s 2023 season, along with what’s ahead for 2024.
I’ll be going through the Colts’ roster alphabetically, so up next is safety Marcel Dabo. To stay up to date with our other previews, be sure to head over to Colts Wire.
2023 Season Review
A terrific athlete, Dabo has been a part of the Colts team since the 2022 season as part of the International Pathway Program. To learn more about the IPP, click here.
“Established in 2017, the IPP program aims to provide elite international athletes with the opportunity to compete at the NFL level, improve their skills, and ultimately work to earn a spot on an NFL roster.”
Dabo has spent the last two seasons on the Colts’ practice squad via an exemption as part of the IPP, allowing the team to carry 91 players during the offseason and 17 players on the practice squad instead of the usual 16.
Since Dabo has been on the practice squad as an exempt player, he cannot be elevated to the 53-man roster or be signed by another team at any point during the season. If he were to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, the Colts would not get an additional roster or practice squad spot.
Dabo has played 86 defensive snaps in the preseason for the Colts, logging three tackles, in addition to also playing 15 special teams snaps.
2024 Season Preview
Starting for the Colts at safety will be Julian Blackmon and either Nick Cross or Rodney Thomas, depending on who wins that competition this summer. However, with the season-ending Achilles injury to Daniel Scott, perhaps there is now a back-end roster spot up for grabs, depending on how many safeties the Colts choose to roster.
Last season, on the Colts’ initial 53-man roster, they kept just four safeties, which included Blackmon, Cross, and Thomas, along with Trevor Denbow. It’s a safe bet that Denbow will be on the team again, given his ability on special teams, finishing last season third on the team in snaps and first in tackles.
If Dabo is going to make this final roster, while of course, performing well on defense will be a prerequisite, his play on special teams will likely be the determining factor since that is where his playing time will likely come from.
“Literally every day, every practice is a game to me,” Dabo said via the team site during his first season. “You can’t compare it to football in Europe — every day there’s so much pressure that goes with American football because what people see on TV is just a game, but what really happens behind the scenes — that’s really football.
“… You have to approach every rep as if it were your last. Because every rep could be your last.”
Also at the safety position for the Colts are Kendell Brooks and Michael Tutsie. But when it comes to these final roster spots where special teams play is crucial, Dabo is not only competing with his position group, but also with other core special teams contributors at cornerback and safety.
With Dabo still being new to the game of football relative to the rest of his teammates, another year to develop on the practice squad, where the Colts get an exemption, is the most-likely landing spot for him in 2024.