Tag: Nikola Kalinic

Rams activate two players from practice squad for Week 3

The Rams are bringing up Nikola Kalinic and Xavier Smith from the practice squad for Sunday’s game

With Davis Allen, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua all out for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams are bringing in some extra depth at tight end and wide receiver.

The team announced Saturday that it has activated tight end Nikola Kalinic and wide receiver Xavier Smith from the practice squad. They’ll be temporarily elevated to the game-day roster for this weekend against the 49ers before reverting back to the practice squad on Monday.

Kalinic isn’t expected to play any offensive snaps behind Colby Parkinson and Hunter Long unless one of them gets hurt. Smith has a slim chance of contributing on offense, too, but he is a return specialist so perhaps he could get an opportunity there.

Rams sign former CFL tight end Nikola Kalinic

The Rams added another player to their tight end group, signing former CFL and Colts tight end Nikola Kalinic

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There’s another competitor in the Rams’ tight end room. The team announced it has signed Nikola Kalinic, who spent last year on the Colts’ practice squad.

Kalinic, 26, is from Toronto and played two seasons in the CFL for the Tiger-Cats after being selected in the second round in 2019. He caught 23 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns in his two years in the CFL.

The Colts waived Kalinic back in May and had been a free agent until the Rams scooped him up. He did work out for the Packers, Browns and Falcons, according to ProFootballTalk.

Last season in Indianapolis, he played seven games and made two starts but he did not catch a pass and played just 47 snaps on offense. He also played 42 snaps on special teams.

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9 in-house Colts free agents remain unsigned

These in-house Colts free agents are still on the market.

While the Indianapolis Colts have seen a majority of their in-house free agents join other teams this offseason, there are still a handful of players who wore the horseshoe in 2022 available on the market.

The biggest name still available is quarterback Matt Ryan, but it remains to be seen what his future looks like in the NFL. He accepted a role as an NFL analyst with CBS Sports, but he also made it clear he’s not keen on retiring just yet.

The other big name on the list is defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who led the Colts with 9.5 sacks during the 2022 season. He’s likely to find a new home sooner rather than later, though it is a bit interesting why he hasn’t signed with a team yet.

The Colts also released veteran quarterback Nick Foles and waived tight end Nikola Kalinic following the 2023 NFL draft so they appear on the list as well.

Here’s a quick look at some of the Colts’ in-house free agents who remain unsigned in the market:

Colts waive five more players following 2023 draft

The Colts waive five more players.

The Indianapolis Colts waived five more players following the 2023 NFL draft, the team announced Thursday.

After opening the week by waiving four players, the Colts continue to make room for their massive 12-man draft class. They also have a pretty big undrafted rookie free agent class coming in.

Here are the five players who were waived Thursday:

How Colts signing Pharaoh Brown impacts TE depth chart

Here’s a look at how the signing of Pharaoh Brown impacts the TE depth chart.

Free agency acquisitions are an ongoing process for the Indianapolis Colts, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

The team ranked near the bottom of the league in multiple categories as the 2022 season ended, leaving many to wonder how general manager Chris Ballard would remedy that.

Eight offensive players have been claimed or signed, including the most recent addition in tight end Pharaoh Brown. Brown brings veteran experience and blocking skills to the tight end room.

This is what the Colts’ tight end depth chart looks like:

TE1: Mo Alie-Cox

TE2: Kylen Granson

TE3: Jelani Woods

TE4: Andrew Ogletree

Backups competing for a roster spot: Nikola Kalinic, Jalen Wydermyer, Pharaoh Brown

It’s reasonable to assume Brown will not overtake anyone for starting reps, but he would be decent depth, and his blocking skills could prove essential as the initial roster takes shape on the road to September.

It’s important to remember the team could also want to keep Brown as an insurance option for Drew Ogletree, who is returning from injury and will likely need a measured return to football.

Finally, with Mo Alie-Cox potentially on the trade block, the team is taking no chances on having players to fill its tight end room.

Keep up to date with the latest news, signings and rumors through our free agency tracker for the Colts.

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Colts promote TE Nikola Kalinic to active roster

Here are the roster moves the Indianapolis Colts made Tuesday.

The Indianapolis Colts signed tight end Nikola Kalinic from the practice squad to the active roster and waived wide receiver Keke Coutee, the team announced Tuesday.

Kalinic had already used up his maximum of three standard gameday elevations from the practice squad so if the Colts wanted him available to play in games, he needed to be signed to the active roster.

Coutee hasn’t done much outside of provide some special teams help but with the emergence of cornerback Dallis Flowers as a return man, the veteran wideout became expendable.

The Colts also announced they signed wide receiver Robert Foster to the practice squad.

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Colts elevate two players from practice squad for Week 12

The Colts elevated two players from the practice squad for Monday night’s matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated tight end Nikola Kalinic and linebacker Forrest Rhyne from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Monday.

Kalinic is likely being called up due to the injury status of Kylen Granson, who was questionable—then downgraded to doubtful—for the matchup due to an illness. He didn’t practice all week. Kalinic will join Mo Alie-Cox and rookie Jelani Woods, who makes his return from a shoulder injury.

Rhyne will be called up from the practice squad to add some depth on special teams with Zaire Franklin also battling an illness. Franklin initially didn’t have a designation but was then downgraded to questionable on Sunday. It still isn’t clear if he’ll be able to play.

If Franklin can’t play, it’s likely that E.J. Speed will take his spot while Rhyne contributes on special teams.

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Colts elevate two players in Week 11

Colts call up two players from the practice squad for Week 11.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated defensive end Kameron Cline and tight end Nikola Kalinic from the practice squad ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team announced Saturday.

As Kwity Paye misses another game, the Colts are bringing up Cline, who can play a limited role on the strong side of the defensive line.

Kalinic gets his second consecutive call-up from the practice squad, replacing rookie tight end Jelani Woods, who is set to miss his second game due to a shoulder injury.

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Colts place LB Shaquille Leonard on IR among several moves

LB Shaquille Leonard placed on IR among several Colts’ roster moves.

The Indianapolis Colts placed linebacker Shaquille Leonard on the injured reserve list among several roster moves, the team announced Saturday.

Leonard suffered a setback during practice this week pertaining to his offseason back surgery, which he underwent in hopes of correcting a nerve issue that was impacting his ankle.

Leonard won’t play in a game until Week 15 (Colts have a bye in Week 14), but there are serious questions as to whether he will suit up again in 2022 considering the direction of the team.

Here’s a look at the roster moves the Colts made Saturday ahead of the Week 10 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders:

Report: Colts waive TE Nikola Kalinic

The Colts are waiving TE Nikola Kalinic.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to waive tight end Nikola Kalinic ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to reduce the roster to 53 players, according to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star.

It’s unlikely the Colts will keep more than three tight ends on the roster after rookie Andrew Ogletree tore his ACL during training camp. Kalinic is a project who could end up on the practice squad, though.

Be sure to keep up with all of the latest roster cuts via our tracker.

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