Tag: Eric Johnson

Colts sign DT Taven Bryan: How Twitter reacted

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Colts signing DT Taven Bryan.

The Indianapolis Colts agreed to a one-year deal with former Browns and Jaguars defensive tackle Taven Bryan on Wednesday.

The Colts need to get better in the trenches. Owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard know that. Behind All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and defensive tackle Grover Stewart, the production has been sorely lacking.

Chris Williams and Eric Johnson had just six tackles last season, and with no sacks coming from the duo, help is needed.

A first-round selection in the 2018 draft, Bryan hasn’t lived up to the hype. However, given the deal the team gave him, Ballard sees how Bryan can be valuable and wants to provide some extra depth to the defensive line.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the Colts signing Bryan:

Grading every rookie from Colts’ 2022 draft class

The Colts’ rookie class now has a full season under its belt. Here’s how we graded them.

The 2022 season has come and gone, which means we got a strong look at the Indianapolis Colts’ rookie draft class.

Grading a rookie based on his first season is a bit ridiculous. While some rookies make the transition look easy, it is anything but. There are several factors both on and off the field that impact a player’s performance during his rookie season.

We should also remember that these players, for the most part, are still extremely young. They are still growing up and learning how to deal with the delicate balance of professional sports and life outside of football.

So these grades aren’t concrete, and they certainly can change even as soon as the end of the 2023 season. Think of this more as a review of their rookie campaign with some insight into how they impacted the Colts during their first season.

Here’s a look at the grades for the Colts’ 2022 rookie draft class:

Colts remove DT Eric Johnson from NFI list

The rookie DT will make his training camp debut.

The Indianapolis Colts removed defensive tackle Eric Johnson from the Active/Non-Football Injury list (NFI), the team announced Thursday.

Johnson was placed on the list just before the start of camp but wasn’t expected to stay there long. General manager Chris Ballard told reporters during his pre-training camp press conference that Johnson tweaked his back while working out over summer break.

Because he did so away from the team, he went on a different list. Had he been injured during a team practice, he would have gone on the PUP list like Shaquille Leonard and Mike Strachan.

Johnson was a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Missouri State. He will be competing for one of the rotational spots on the interior defensive line behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.

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Key injury updates entering Colts’ training camp

A roundup of key injuries as the Colts begin training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are set to officially begin training camp Wednesday at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

After roughly a month and a half off following the conclusion of the spring practices, the Colts are gearing up to compete for the top spot in the AFC South.

As training camp commences, there are several injuries to keep an eye on. Some are significant while others aren’t expected to keep players out for a long time.

Here’s a look at the key injury updates as the Colts enter training camp.

Colts made flurry of roster moves before training camp

Here are the roster moves the Colts made before training camp.

If you woke up this morning with a little extra pep in your step, it’s likely because the Indianapolis Colts are officially beginning training camp on Wednesday.

After the team reported to camp on Tuesday, the stage is set for the Colts to make their run for the top spot in the AFC South for the first time since 2014.

But before that comes to fruition, the Colts made a flurry of roster moves leading up to training camp. More moves are likely to come during camp between injuries and transactions.

Here’s a look at the roster moves the Colts made before the start of training camp:

Colts’ Eric Johnson not expected to miss a lot of time

Rookie DT Eric Johnson isn’t expected to miss a lot of time.

Indianapolis Colts rookie defensive tackle Eric Johnson was placed on the Non-Football Injury list (NFI) before the start of training camp, but the injury isn’t expected to keep him out for a long time.

Johnson was a surprise addition to the list as the Colts officially open training camp with their first practice Wednesday. The Missouri State product was a fifth-round pick during the 2022 NFL draft.

Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star reported that the injury isn’t considered serious at this time.

The NFI list is similar to the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) with a slight difference in its definition. While it does pertain to players who suffered injuries, they can only be placed on the list if they injured themselves during activities away from the team.

This typically happens when players get injured during their personal offseason workouts or if they suffered a significant injury during their final collegiate season. For example, Colts defensive tackle Dayo Odeyingbo was on the NFI list to begin training camp last year. The same happened with Anthony Castonzo during his final season with the Colts.

Johnson can come off of the list at any point before Week 1 once he’s medically cleared, and it seems like that is the expectation before training camp officially arrives.

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Colts place Darius Leonard, 3 others on PUP list

The Maniac and three others open training camp on the PUP list.

The Indianapolis Colts placed linebacker Darius Leonard on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list along with three others, the team announced Sunday.

Leonard going to the PUP list isn’t a surprise considering he had back surgery during the offseason. The expectation is that he will miss some of training camp but, at this point, is expected to be ready for Week 1.

When it comes to the PUP list, there is no set timeline during training camp and the preseason. If a player goes on the PUP list, he can return whenever he is ready. These players also count toward the 90-man roster so no corresponding moves will need to be made.

The Colts also placed rookie defensive tackle Eric Johnson II on the Active/Non-Football Injury list.

Here’s a look at the full list of moves made Sunday:

Under the radar players to watch at Colts training camp

These Colts are flying under the radar entering camp.

Can you feel it? No, not the heat wave that is going on across the country. It’s the NFL season that is less than 50 days away and teams are gearing up to get training camp underway. The Indianapolis Colts are set to open up their training camp on July 27.

Head coach Frank Reich is entering his fifth season with the organization and will be looking to set up his team for a successful 2022 campaign. That all starts in the dog days of the summer as players will be competing for a spot on the 53-man roster and of course, for playing time on the field.

If the Colts are going to go on a playoff run this year, they will need role players to step up and be more significant contributors.

Here are some under-the-radar players that will be looking to impress at training camp over the next month:

Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Defensive Tackle

DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart lead the DTs into Colts training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are just over a week away from the start of training camp at Westfield where the interior defensive line will boast some strong competition.

The starting spots will remain the same in Gus Bradley’s new defense. It’s the depth roles that will be the ones to watch when the team officially returns from summer break.

Not many additions were made to the interior defensive line outside of two intriguing Day 3 picks in the 2022 NFL draft, and this unit will have a lot of say in the type of production the entire defense has in 2022.

Be sure to check out the other position previews ahead of training camp:

As training camp is set to begin July 27, here’s a preview of the defensive tackles for the Colts:

Colts’ 2022 draft picks get their jersey numbers

The 2022 draft class has its jersey numbers.

The Indianapolis Colts have assigned jersey numbers to all eight members of the 2022 NFL draft class.

While these numbers aren’t guaranteed to be the same by the time the regular season rolls around, we at least get a starting point for these rookies as rookie minicamp begins Friday.

Here’s a look at the jersey numbers for the Colts’ draft picks:

  • WR Alec Pierce — No. 14
  • TE Jelani Woods — No. 80
  • OT Bernhard Raimann — No. 79
  • S Nick Cross — No. 20
  • DT Eric Johnson II — No. 93
  • TE Andrew Ogletree — No. 85
  • DT Curtis Brooks — No. 97
  • DB Rodney Thomas II — No. 25

We will see what the future holds for these numbers, but they all seem pretty strong to begin their careers with.

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