Colts roster cutdown day moves highlight Chris Ballard's failures in 2024 NFL Draft

The NFL player pool virtually got halved ahead of the league's roster cutdown deadline at 4 p.m. ET on August 27th. Several notable players got cut, including some drafted this past April. For example, the Indianapolis Colts parted ways with three rookies they selected earlier this offseason.

On Tuesday, the Colts made 29 transactions ahead of the cutoff point to trim their roster from 90 to 53 members. Of those moves, three stood out. They waived a trio of first-year pros: Cornerbacks Micah Abraham/Jaylin Simpson and defensive tackle Jonah Laulu.

Abraham, Simpson and Laulu had their names called less than a handful of months ago. Despite this, they failed to crack Indy's 53-man unit. No matter how you put it, it's hard to justify the unfortunate reality, underscoring the team's 2024 NFL Draft shortcomings.

Colts roster cutdown day moves highlight their failures in the 2024 NFL Draft

Considering the Colts are particularly thin at the corner position, moving on from Abraham and Simpson is questionable. Neither is ready to step into a significant role and are considered developmental projects, but they can't grow without reps. So, taking that opportunity away from them feels counterintuitive.

Simpson was a fifth-round pick from Auburn, and Abraham was a sixth-rounder out of Marshall. The former logged a measly two total tackles across three preseason games. Meanwhile, the latter recorded 10 combined tackles (one for loss), earning a 79.5 overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) player grade.

Laulu, who the Colts chose in the seventh round, amassed four tackles, though PFF wasn't as high on him as they were on Abraham (56.4).

None of the three rookies necessarily lit up the box score. Colts general manager Chris Ballard ostensibly saw enough to cut bait on them. Nevertheless, the Indianapolis executive either pulled the plug too quickly or made poor enough draft choices that merited the verdict. Regardless, it's a brutally futile and concerning development.

James Boyd of The Athletic ($) reported that the Colts "would probably like to bring all three back to its practice squad." But they're now subject to waivers, putting the decision out of Indy's hands.