With Jack Doyle set to miss this weekend’s game against the Eagles, the Colts have added a tight end to their active roster. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the team has promoted Erik Swoope from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the Colts waived cornerback Lenzy Pipkins.
After having spent the first four-plus seasons of his career with Indy, Swoope was released by the Colts last week. He ended up catching on with the team’s practice squad, a move that should pay off this weekend. Doyle is set to miss several weeks as he recovers from a hip ailment, leaving the Colts to roll with only Eric Ebron and Ryan Hewitt. Swoope will at least provide the Colts with some reinforcement at the position, even if he’s at the bottom of the depth chart.
The Colts were hoping they landed the next Jimmy Graham or Antonio Gates when they signed the undrafted free agent back in 2014. Up to that point, Swoope had never played organized football, but the six-foot-five forward did play 110 games for the Miami Hurricanes basketball team over four seasons. After appearing in only a single game as a rookie, Swoope proceeded to play in 16 games (four starts) in 2015, hauling in 15 catches for 297 yards and one touchdown. He sat out all of the 2017 campaign after undergoing minor knee surgery.
Pipkins was traded by the Packers to the Colts in late August for linebacker Antonio Morrison. He was waived prior to the regular season, but he caught on with the practice squad and was later promoted. In 12 games with Green Bay in 2017, the former undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State compiled 15 tackles and one pass defended.
Coincidence they sign a guy with the last name Swoope the week they play the Eagles who has a mascot named Swoop?