Indianapolis Colts

Colts Sign CB Darryl Morris; Waive CB Frankie Williams

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Monday that the team has signed cornerback Darryl Morris and waived fellow cornerback Frankie Williams in a corresponding move.

Originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2013, Morris has also spent time with the Houston Texans (2014-15) and New York Jets (2016) organizations–the latter being this offseason.

The 5’10, 188 pound cornerback has appeared in 36 career games (1 start), recording 37 tackles, 7 passes defensed, and an interception.

Meanwhile, the Colts waived undrafted Purdue rookie cornerback Frankie Williams to make room for Morris, who initially survived the 53-man roster cuts on Saturday.

The 5’9″, 190 pound cornerback held his own as a nickelback for the Colts in preseason, finishing with 15 tackles and a pass defensed while also rarely making mistakes in coverage during the team’s 4 preseason games:

Sep 1, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is brought down by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Frankie Williams (46) during the first quarter of a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

“Frankie Williams continues to be a guy that shows up every single day here,” said Pagano on Williams a week ago. “Does exactly what you ask him to do. On gameday, you can see the results of his hard work and his preparation. He makes plays, and it’s not too big for Frankie.”

“We all know where he came from and how he got here, but he continues to impress out there. Obviously, with the injuries, he’s going to get more playing time. He’s a guy that can go in there and play nickel.”

It seems to me that the Colts simply wanted more proven cornerback experience with Morris over Williams, currently having injuries to their key cornerbacks Vontae Davis, Patrick Robinson, and Darius Butler to start the season.

Simply put, the Colts need backup cornerbacks, who can contribute immediately and not necessarily be developmental players on the 53-man roster.

However, with an extra practice squad spot open, as the Colts have only currently filled 9 of the 10 available spots, it wouldn’t be surprising at all if the team attempted to re-sign Williams to their practice squad–should he clear waivers.