Tag: Marcel DAbo

Colts’ reportedly waiving safety Marcel Dabo as roster cuts take place

The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly waiving safety Marcel Dabo as roster cuts continue to take place.

Another reported cut is taking place for the Colts, with Joel Erickson of the Indy Star reporting that safety Marcel Dabo is being waived.

Erickson also adds that a return to the practice squad for Dabo is “likely.”

Dabo has been a part of the Colts team since 2022 as an International Pathway Player (IPP) from Germany. To learn more about the IPP program, 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.”

Designated an IPP, Dabo is on the Colts roster via an exemption, allowing them to carry 91 players on the offseason roster. If he returns to the practice squad with the IPP exemption, it allows the Colts to carry 17 practice squad players instead of the usual 16.

The caveat, however, is that Dabo cannot be added to the 53-man roster as an IPP designated player.

Dabo appeared in all three preseason games for the Colts this summer, playing 28 total snaps on defense and none on special teams. According to PFF, he made three total tackles and wasn’t targeted in coverage. He spent time at both free safety and strong safety.

Rosters need to be trimmed to 53 players by 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday. So far, 11 roster cuts have been reported for the Colts.

Colts’ training camp roster preview: S Marcel Dabo

Next up in our Colts’ training camp roster preview is safety Marcel Dabo. Here is a look back 2023 for Dabo 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 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.

Colts receive roster exemption for International Pathway player Marcel Dabo

The Colts reportedly received a roster exemption for International Pathway player Marcel Dabo.

The Colts received a roster exemption for 2024 for International Pathway player Marcel Dabo, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC-TV in Houston.

Dabo, who is from Germany, has been with the Colts since the 2022 season as part of the program. To learn more about the International Player Pathway program, 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.”

With the roster exemption, the Colts are able to carry 91 players on their roster through training camp rather than the usual 90.

After training camp, Dabo will be eligible for an international player practice squad exemption. If approved that’s by the NFL, it would allow the Colts to have 17 players on the practice squad instead of 16.

If on the practice squad as an exempt player, Dabo cannot be elevated to the 53-man roster at any point or be signed by another team. If he makes the 53-man roster out of training camp, the Colts do not get an additional roster spot.

Dabo has spent the last two seasons on the Colts’ practice squad. Since joining the team, he has played 86 defensive snaps during the preseason, logging three tackles along with 15 special teams snaps.

The Colts have question marks at safety, and it should be a position that’s on their radar in the draft.

Julian Blackmon will again be the strong safety, playing closer to the line of scrimmage, which provides needed stability.

However, he is only back on a one-year deal, and if the Colts do not add to this position group in the draft, they very well could find themselves in a similar situation next offseason when Blackmon is again a free agent.

Presumably, Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas will compete for the deep safety role next to Blackmon. Last season, big pass plays were an issue for the Colts’ secondary, which ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in that category.

Beyond those three on the depth chart are Kendell Brooks, a 2023 undrafted rookie; Trevor Denbow, a core special teams player; Daniel Scott, a 2023 fifth-round pick who missed last season because of injury; Michael Tutsie, another undrafted rookie from 2023; and Dabo.

Colts sign 9 to futures contracts among several roster moves

The Colts made 14 roster moves Monday to begin the 2024 offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts officially got their offseason underway Monday by making several roster moves, including the signings of nine players to Reserve/Future contracts, the team announced.

Along with the nine futures contracts the team signed, all of which include players from the practice squad, the Colts also signed four players to one-year contract extensions while waiving another player. So in total, the Colts made 14 moves.

As is typical protocol following the end of the regular season, the Colts will be preparing to expand their roster to 90 players for the offseason. Much of that includes signing players to futures contracts.

The expansion of the roster to 90 players doesn’t go into effect until the start of the new league year, which is March 13. That’s why it’s technically a reserve contract. It is essentially stating the player will be on the 90-man roster when the time comes.

There is no limit to how many futures contracts the Colts have as long as they are within the 90-man limit when the new league year rolls around.

Here’s a look at the 14 moves the Colts made to begin the offseason:

Colts’ updated practice squad after recent moves

Here’s an updated look at the Colts’ practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts made already some recent changes to the practice squad since it was initially put together following roster cuts this week.

Here’s an updated look at the practice squad entering the final weekend before the regular season:

1 veteran player on roster bubble at each position for Colts

Taking a look at one Colts’ veteran on the roster bubble from each position.

The Indianapolis Colts are just weeks away from the start of training camp when the team will arrive at the Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield.

Bringing in a rookie head coach and new coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball means there will be a lot of competition taking place throughout the roster.

Training camp and the preseason will be the best time for players to make their cases for the 53-man roster. For this exercise, we’re going to look at veteran players from each position who are on the roster bubble.

We’ll try to include as many relevant veterans as possible, ones who carry some weight but realistically may be on the fringe of the roster.

Here’s a look at one veteran player on the roster bubble from each position for the Colts:

Colts sign 12 players to futures contracts

The Colts signed 12 players to futures contracts.

The Indianapolis Colts signed 12 players to Reserve/Futures contracts, the team announced Monday.

As is typical protocol following the end of the regular season, the Colts will be preparing to expand their roster to 90 players for the offseason. Much of that includes signing players to futures contracts.

The expansion of the roster to 90 players doesn’t go into effect until the start of the new league year, which is March 15. That’s why it’s technically a reserve contract. This is essentially stating the player will be on the 90-man roster when the time comes.

There is no limit to how many futures contracts the Colts have as long as they are within the 90-man limit when the new league year rolls around.

Here’s a look at the 12 players signed to futures contracts to begin the offseason:

Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Cornerbacks

Here is a preview of the CB room entering training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts are less than a week away from the start of training camp when they return to the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

One of the rooms that went through a lot of changes this offseason was the cornerback room. The unit saw Rock Ya-Sin get traded to the Las Vegas Raiders while five-time Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore was added via free agency shortly after.

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

With training camp set to begin July 27, here’s a preview of the cornerback position:

Colts add DB Marcel Dabo through NFL International Player Pathway Program

The Colts added DB Marcel Dabo to the roster through the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

The Indianapolis Colts added defensive back Marcel Dabo to the roster through the NFL International Player Pathway Program, the team announced Tuesday.

Dabo played cornerback Stuttgart Surge (Germany) in the European League of Football during the 2021 season. He also added some special teams work as a kick returner.

Dabo earned a spot on the ELF All-Star team and won the league’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Unsurprisingly, Dabo is an elite athlete in the secondary and shows promise given that baseline of athleticism. We know this is something the Colts value from their most recent draft class.

Dabo will be a part of the roster through the end of training camp. At the end of training camp, he will be eligible for an international player practice squad exemption, which means he won’t count against the active roster. It allows the Colts to hold an extra practice squad member without having to cut a player from the group. There are instances when he can be elevated to the active roster.

The Colts have been all about adding elite athletes to the roster this offseason and we can go ahead and put Dabo on that list as well.

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=71739,71713,71711]

[listicle id=71715]