Tag: Isaiah Land

Impressive preseason from Colts’ DE Isaiah Land puts him in position to make team

An impressive preseason from Colts’ DE Isaiah Land has put him in a position to make the team’s final roster.

Final roster cuts for the Colts and the rest of the NFL are now just one week away, taking place on August 27th, and defensive end Isaiah Land has positioned himself well to make the team.

In addition to defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore putting together two highly impressive performances in the preseason, Land has done much of the same.

Land has been able to make an impact both as a pass rusher and in the run game. In the two games against Denver and Arizona, he has totaled four pressures, two of which were quarterback hits and another was a sack, in 37 pass rush snaps. In the run game, he’s recorded seven total tackles, six of which were solo.

Land, an undersized defensive end at 6-4 – 235 pounds, would go undrafted in 2023 out of Florida A&M where he was a highly productive pass rusher, totaling 90 pressures and a whopping 27 sacks, according to PFF, during his final two seasons.

Land would sign with the Dallas Cowboys after that draft but was released during roster cutdowns in late August of 2023. The Colts would then claim him off waivers. Defensively, Land would play only 31 snaps with the Colts, and had a red-shirt-like year on the 53-man roster.

Coming into training camp, it didn’t look like there was room on the roster for Land, but the unfortunate injury to Samson Ebukam did open up a potential roster spot. Had no one emerged over the last few weeks, the Colts might have rostered only four defensive ends, but Land’s play coupled with his upside has now made him a prime candidate to make the team.

We often hear about the Year 2 leap for NFL players, which is where their biggest developmental jump can often take place. Now with a full year in Gus Bradley’s defense along with having a full offseason to focus on his craft, Land appears to be in the midst of taking that next step.

Colts’ training camp roster preview: DE Isaiah Land

Next up in our Colts’ training camp roster preview is DE Isaiah Land. Here is a look back at 2023 for Land and what’s ahead in 2024.

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 defensive end Isaiah Land. To stay up to date with our other previews, be sure to head over to Colts Wire.

2023 Season Review

The Colts claimed Land off waivers following roster cutdowns last season after he was released by the Dallas Cowboys.

Defensively Land appeared in six games last season with the Colts, playing 31 total snaps. On those plays he recorded two pressures, one sack, and made four total tackles, including two run stops. Land also played 14 special teams snaps as well.

Land was an undrafted rookie in 2023 out of Florida A&M, and signed with Dallas following the draft. In his final two seasons, Land was dominant as a pass rusher, recording 90 pressures and a whopping 27 sacks. At 6-3 – 236 pounds, Land is on the lighter side for a defensive end.

Here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about Land in his 2023 scouting report:

“Historically, a player with Land’s lack of mass and length would face an uphill battle trying to make it as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, but his ability to threaten the pocket should generate interest from teams. Land is a very natural, instinctive rusher with the get-off, counters and fluidity to stress some tackles. He doesn’t have enough sand in his pants to hold up against the run and teams might try him as a 4-3 outside linebacker with sub-package rush ability off the edge. Land might need a year or two on a practice squad to continue to develop.”

2024 Season Preview

With the addition of Laiat Latu in the draft, an already deep defensive end position for the Colts has gotten even deeper. With Latu, Dayo Odeyingbo, Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, along with Tyquan Lewis just signing a two-year deal, there may not be any roster spots available.

However, given Land’s college production and upside, he will be a prime practice squad candidate as a developmental player in his second NFL season.

Colts vs. Texans: Final injury report for Week 18

The final injury report for the Colts and Texans in Week 18.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-7) and Houston Texans (9-7) released their final injury reports Thursday ahead of the Week 18 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Colts in Week 18:

Notes

  • C Ryan Kelly practiced in a limited fashion, giving him a chance to play this weekend. His status is still very much up in the air.
  • CB Chris Lammons didn’t practice all week and even though he’s questionable, it’s difficult to see him playing.
  • LG Quenton Nelson was a limited participant for the final two practices but is still listed as questionable.
  • RT Braden Smith, CB Kenny Moore II and RB Zack Moss are all questionable but should be expected to play considering they logged full practices twice this week.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Texans in Week 18:

Notes

  • DE Jonathan Greenard leads the Texans with 12.5 sacks and will not play.
  • With WR Noah Brown out, Nico Collins is the main wideout to focus on.

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Colts vs. Texans: Updated injury report for Week 18

Here’s the updated injury reports for the Colts and Texans on Wednesday.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-7) and Houston Texans (9-7) released their updated injury reports Wednesday ahead of the Week 18 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here’s a look at the updated injury report for the Colts in Week 18:

Notes

  • The Colts returned to practice Wednesday after starting the week with a walkthrough.
  • C Ryan Kelly continues to miss practice and was seen wearing a walking boot. He still has a chance to play, but it’s something to keep in mind with one practice remaining this week.
  • Encouraging news that CB Kenny Moore II, G Quenton Nelson, RB Zack Moss and RT Braden Smith all practiced in full Wednesday.
  • The Colts will release the final injury report with designations Thursday afternoon.

Here’s a look at the updated injury report for the Texans in Week 18:

Notes

  • All four defensive linemen on the Texans injury report are the team’s sack leaders. They have all yet to practice entering Thursday.
  • Starting LT Laremy Tunsil returned to practice Wednesday.
  • Houston could be without two of its three starting wide receivers with Noah Brown and Robert Woods listed as DNPs entering the final practice day.

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Colts vs. Texans: Initial injury report for Week 18

Here’s a look at the initial injury report for the Colts and Texans in Week 18.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-7) and Houston Texans (9-7) released their initial injury reports Tuesday ahead of the Week 18 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here’s a look at the initial injury report for the Colts in Week 18:

*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*

Notes

  • The Colts held a walkthrough Tuesday so participation levels are estimations.
  • C Ryan Kelly and G Quenton Nelson emerged with some injuries from Week 17 but were able to finish the game.
  • CB Kenny Moore II was inactive in Week 17 but would have started the week as a limited participant.
  • It seems Braden Smith avoided a setback in his first game returning from a knee injury, but he should still be monitored the rest of the week.

Here’s a look at the initial injury report for the Texans in Week 18:

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Colts place TE Jelani Woods on IR among several roster moves

Jelani Woods will start the season on the injured reserve list.

The Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods was placed on the injured reserve list among several roster moves, the team announced Wednesday.

Woods has been dealing with a torn hamstring since the start of training camp, which was the reaggravation of the injury he dealt with during the spring workouts.

The second-year tight end was held out of the majority of training camp and the entirety of the preseason. Because he was placed on the injured reserve list after the waiver process concluded, he will be eligible to return but after he’s forced to miss the first four games of the season.

The Colts made three roster claims Wednesday in the forms of offensive tackle Ryan Hayes, guard Josh Sills and linebacker Isaiah Land.

In order to make room on the roster for those three waiver claims, the Colts waived defensive tackle McTelvin Agim and guard/tackle Carter O’Donnell. They also released wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, who was almost immediately re-signed to the roster.

Jabril Cox, Isaiah Land among cut Cowboys signed by new teams

From @ToddBrock24f7: Cox goes to the Commanders; Land makes the Colts’ 53-man roster. WR Dennis Houston will suit up for the Giants’ practice squad.

Tuesday was a day for letting go of talent for NFL teams; Wednesday is a day for getting some back in the building as practice squads are assembled.

As expected, several players cut by the Cowboys yesterday have been snatched up by other clubs, including at least one promising rookie the team had very much hoped to re-sign for further in-house development.

From the first wave of new signings around the league, here are three now-former Cowboys who will be sporting enemy colors the next time they step on a football field.

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Colts claim 3 players from waiver wire

The Colts claimed three players off the waiver wire.

The Indianapolis Colts claimed three players from the waiver wire Wednesday following the league’s massive cutdown day.

Going into the first official waiver period of the 2023 regular season, the Colts had a few areas they could have addressed. Chiefly among them all was the offensive line. Two of the three waiver claims they made Wednesday came at that position group.

The three waiver claims came in the form of Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Ryan Hayes, Philadelphia Eagles guard Josh Sills and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Isaiah Land.

The Colts will have to make corresponding moves in order to have room for these new waiver additions.

Players recently cut that could interest the Detroit Lions

Here are some recently cut players that stand out as guys Lions GM Brad Holmes could go after.

Roster cutdowns can be an opportunity to build up a roster. Players who didn’t make one team, for whatever reason, might wind up being a good fit for another. For the Detroit Lions and GM Brad Holmes, it’s an opportunity to potentially churn the bottom of the roster even after the initial 53-man unit has been established.

Waiver claims right after the roster cutdown aren’t terribly common. but they do happen. This is how the Lions added Romeo Okwara to the roster back in 2017. There is now an opportunity for another player or two to join Okwara as a roster cutdown waiver claim who can become a long-term Lion.

The Lions are 18th in the waiver wire order by virtue of their 9-8 finish in 2022; the waiver wire order is based on the final result of the prior season at this point. Remember: players claimed on waivers go directly to the 53-man active roster, which means someone who initially made the Lions would have to be removed from the active roster — be it a cut or a move to the injured reserve.

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While I don’t expect the Lions to be very active on the waiver claim front, there are a few players who got cut by other teams that could fit roles in Detroit. Here are some that stand out as players GM Brad Holmes could go after.

Small-school UDFA Isaiah Land now hopes for same Cowboys fate as college teammate

From @ToddBrock24f7: Cowboys DC Dan Quinn says he has a vision for Land, the Florida A&M prospect he first noticed while he was scouting Markquese Bell.

In the spring of 2022, Florida A&M linebacker Isaiah Land watched a supremely talented Rattlers teammate go the entire NFL draft weekend without hearing his name called. With one year left, he worried he might also fall through the cracks for having attended a lesser-known program, despite having just turned in a record-breaking junior season.

Land took some drastic steps to boost his draft stock and perhaps change his own fate for 2023. A year later, though, he is following the exact same path as that college teammate.

Now instead of trying to write a different ending for himself, Land is hoping he’ll also wear the star this fall, right alongside Markquese Bell as an official member of the Dallas Cowboys.

Fitting, since it was the club’s initial interest in Bell that first got Land noticed by Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

“I’ve had my eye on ‘Zay’ for some time,” Quinn told reporters this weekend at the conclusion of the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp. “I first saw him [while] looking at Bell from a year ago, and he had a fantastic junior year, Zay did. He had over 20 sacks and really lit it up. ‘Who is this guy?'”

Land’s breakout junior year had a lot of football front-office types asking that same question. After posting decent stats as a redshirt freshman and then seeing the Rattlers’ 2020 season wiped out due to COVID-19, Land was a man possessed in 2021. He led the nation in sacks as well as tackles for loss and was named the Buck Buchanan Award winner as the FCS national defensive player of the year.

But after watching Bell go undrafted through seven rounds of the 2022 draft, he immediately entered the transfer portal. Several premier programs apparently came calling; Land’s own social media suggested that Texas, Auburn, LSU, and national champs Georgia were among the Power Five suitors to line up and make their sales pitch to the 6-foot-4 Buffalo native.

Even Cowboys Hall of Famer Deion Sanders took notice but urged Land, “Be the change; don’t run to change,” while speaking in an interview.

Sanders, it could be argued, ending up ignoring his own counsel by bolting Jackson State for Colorado after the 2022 season.

Land was turned off by Coach Prime’s advice, arguing that, thanks to their high-profile coach, Jackson State’s players “are taken care of as if they’re in the FBS,” and his own Rattlers team occupied a very different place within the larger college football landscape.

Nevertheless, he stayed at FAMU, the school that gave him a shot when no one else would.

But Land’s final collegiate campaign got off to a rocky start when he and two dozen other Rattlers players were declared ineligible to start the season. The players called out “poor academic advice and compliance” as the cause of the punishment, which was rectified in time for Land to appear in FAMU’s second game of the schedule.

His senior season at that other school in Tallahassee didn’t result in the same eye-popping numbers as 2021, but a certain NFL defensive coordinator 900 miles away was still keeping watch.

“I kept up with him through the time, even with Markquese,” Quinn explained. “I remember telling Markquese at the combine, ‘Hey, Zay ran well. He did really good.’ He said, ‘He’s a dog.’ So, from that time, I’ve always had my vision on him: the size, the length … I know he can rush.”

Land, just like Bell, didn’t hear his name announced on draft weekend. But, as with Bell, Quinn and the Cowboys came calling shortly thereafter. And now Land looks to follow the same trajectory: making the final roster and perhaps even getting onto the field, as Bell did for over 100 snaps as a long-shot rookie.

Even if he doesn’t make an impact right out of the box, Land has intrigued Quinn for long enough that the coordinator seems content to play the long game with the 23-year-old, possibly turning him into a linebacker/edge rusher hybrid along the lines of Micah Parsons.

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“He’s somebody that I’m excited to see,” Quinn said, “and there is no timeline on that. Development takes time. You’re not going to get there in one day or two days. We’re going to be in this for the long haul and see what they can do.”

Small school, big school, draft pick, UDFA: none of it really matters now that Land is in the building. It’s what he does with the opportunity right in front of him.

Quinn expects Land to do what he did 29 times before when an opposing quarterback was unlucky enough to find himself in the same spot.

“I don’t want a player to play slowly because they’re overthinking,” Quinn said. “My job is to make them play fast and clean and where they can go and they can go hit.”

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