Colts Add Speed to the Roster
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is know to like speed in the secondary. He found some on the waiver wire on Friday.
The Colts announced ahead of their Week 7 matchup with the Cleveland Browns that they claimed cornerback Ameer Speed off waivers from the New England Patriots.
In a corresponding roster move, the Colts waived wide receiver Amari Rodgers.
The Patriots drafted Speed at No. 214 overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft. The rookie played five games for New England, recording 3 tackles, all of which were solos.
Speed mostly played on special teams. He lined up for 73 special teams snaps in the five contests for New England. He also played 10 snaps on defense.
There's definitely an irony to Speed's last name. After not attending the NFL combine, he impressed NFL scouts at his Michigan State pro day, where he ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash. Speed has size too, standing at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds.
While Speed is a rookie, he turned 24 years old this month. Thanks to a typical redshirt and an extra year of eligibility due to COVID, Speed played six years in college.
He spent the first five seasons of his college career at Georgia. He played 7 games, making 13 total tackles, for the Bulldogs during their first championship season in 2021.
Last year, Speed appeared in 12 games for the Spartans. He posted 62 total tackles, including 1 tackle for loss and 5 pass defenses.
To make room for Speed, the Colts released Rodgers, who is in his third NFL season. He signed with the Colts in early August after the Houston Texans waived him in July.
Rodgers didn't play in the first three games of the season, but he had appeared in the past three contests. He played a season-high 20 offensive snaps and 18 special teams snaps in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rodgers received 2 targets but didn't catch either one. He also didn't touch the ball on special teams.
