The regular season is almost here, and with it comes roster cuts. While offseason rosters allow 90 players throughout training camp and the preseason, teams must dial it down to 53 men on Tuesday, August 27th. For the Colts, one of the most surprising cuts could be tight end Jelani Woods.
A third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Woods was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise forgettable 2022 Colts team. Unfortunately, injuries forced him to miss the entire 2023 campaign, but he might not make the roster in 2024. This comes from James Boyd of The Athletic, who says that the tight end has “been inconsistent throughout camp and has rarely received first-team reps…for all of his athletic gifts, [Woods] has failed to show he can be relied upon.”
The Colts might cut Jelani Woods, but the Virginia product should find an opportunity with another organization. Good tight ends are few and far between, so a team like the Carolina Panthers or Los Angeles Chargers could kick the tires on him.
Report: Indianapolis Colts Could Cut Jelani Woods
The Carolina Panthers had arguably the NFL’s worst supporting cast in the league last year. First-overall pick Bryce Young had a rough first season, but any rookie would’ve struggled to succeed in that horrible environment. While Carolina added legitimate weapons in Diontae Johnson and first-round pick Xavier Legette while reinforcing the offensive line, they didn’t do too much to fix the tight end position. If the Colts cut Jelani Woods, he could easily make a difference on this depth chart.
If the season started today, the Panthers would enter Week 1 with Tommy Tremble, Ian Thomas, and fourth-round rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders. While Sanders has some long-term upside as a pass-catcher, Tremble is nothing special and Thomas is not an NFL-caliber player. Jelani Woods might not be a superstar, but the cut candidate could compete for snaps on this underwhelming depth chart. If nothing else, his elite measurables heavily suggest he has the potential to be great, and perhaps the right coaching staff can bring out the best in him.
Help Wherever It Can Be Found
The Panthers might’ve had football’s worst supporting cast last year, but the Chargers hold that title entering the 2024 season. After parting ways with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Gerald Everett, Los Angeles doesn’t have a single proven receiver on the roster. Second-round pick Ladd McConkey has promise, but 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston looks like a bust. At tight end, the Chargers are led by the remarkably unremarkable duo of Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst.
Jim Harbaugh loves tight ends, and Jelani Woods could be a perfect fit if the Colts touch him. While his ceiling is largely untapped, the former third-round pick has the raw potential to fit perfectly in this offense. Harbaugh loves willing blockers, and Woods has the potential to push linebackers around in the trenches. While he only caught 25 passes as a rookie, the Chargers should take their shot on anyone with a working set of hands.
Main Photo: Mykal McEldowney – USA Today Sports
