Vick Ballard burst onto the scene and led the Indianapolis Colts in rushing during the 2012 season, but injuries have cut his stint with the team short following a tumultuous preseason.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Colts waived Ballard on Tuesday because of the running back's recurring hamstring injuries. Since Aug. 1, Ballard has been sidelined on three separate occasions with a hamstring injury, with the most recent aggravation occurring in the Colts' preseason finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ballard rushed 12 times for 41 yards against the Bengals, and he seemed to be assuming vintage form after appearing in just one game during the 2013 and 2014 seasons because of ACL and Achilles ailments.
"It’s sick. I’m sick about it," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said following the Bengals game, per ESPN.com's Mike Wells. "He was doing a nice job too, he ripped off a couple of good little runs. We all know the type of runner he is when he’s healthy. It’s just unfortunate. I hope it’s not a long-term deal with that so we’ll wait and see and evaluate him."
According to the Indianapolis Star's Zak Keefer, Ballard was aware his injury history placed him on the roster bubble entering training camp:
Keefer also noted the decision likely wasn't an easy one for an organization that had become endeared to Ballard's skill set:
A former fifth-round pick out of Mississippi State, Ballard made his NFL debut with the Colts during Week 1 of the 2012 season. And while he handled eight or fewer touches in each of his first five games, he emerged as the team's starter midway through the season.
During his rookie season, Ballard displayed solid vision between the tackles en route to tallying 814 yards and two scores on the ground while catching 17 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown.
Although he's never packed particularly effective burst, Ballard could make another team happy as a chance-of-pace back assuming he can put the injuries in the rearview mirror.
Now with Ballard out of the picture, the Colts are left with three running backs—Frank Gore and rookies Josh Robinson and Tyler Varga—on the active roster.
And according to the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder, the team has expressed "some interest" in free agent Ahmad Bradshaw, who's reportedly healthy and ready to go after serving a one-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Prior to being placed on injured reserve last season with a broken leg, Bradshaw totaled 425 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Colts. He also emerged as one of quarterback Andrew Luck's preferred third-down targets, catching 38 passes for 300 yards and six touchdowns.
Considering Robinson and Varga are still adjusting to life in the NFL, the Colts could benefit from bringing the proven Bradshaw aboard as they seek to regain explosive offensive form in Week 2 against the New York Jets.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2567341-vick-ballard-cut-by-colts-latest-details-comments-and-reaction
RSS Feed
