As part of roster cutdowns taking place, the Colts are reportedly waiving second-year offensive tackle Jake Witt, according to Joel Erickson of the Indy Star.
In an offensive line room where the Colts are returning all five starters, along with adding tackle Matt Goncalves and interior lineman Tanor Bortolini in the draft, this quickly became a crowded room.
Prior to training camp beginning, GM Chris Ballard mentioned that the backup swing tackle role was up for grabs, however, from the jump, Witt was never a part of that battle. That was a competition solely between Goncalves and Blake Freeland.
Witt was a seventh-round pick by the Colts in 2023 out of D-II Northern Michigan. He came to the NFL with a raw skill-set but impressive size at 6-7 – 302 pounds and excellent athleticism, posting a near-perfect RAS of 9.80.
As a rookie, Witt was placed on injured reserve prior to rosters being set last summer, which ended his first season prematurely. Realistically this summer, he was the fifth tackle on the depth chart, behind Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, Freeland and Goncalves.
Erickson adds that the Colts hope to be able to sign him to the practice squad this season if he clears waivers. If Witt were to be claimed, he would have to be added to that team’s 53-man roster.
There is still a ton of developmental upside that the Colts will hope to unlock.