Indianapolis Colts sign Stevan Ridley, cut 10 players

He was drafted by the Patriots in the third-round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

The Patriots apparently weren’t interested, as the Indianapolis Colts announced Sunday that they were signing Ridley.

“Now, we’re down to one big back, which is me”, the 6-foot-2, 226-pound Washington said.

Given his background and given the fact that New England finds itself shorthanded at the running back position, it’s worth examining the negatives and positives regarding the thought of a potential Ridley reunion in Foxboro. Zach Zenner, an undrafted rookie past year, appears to be in position to earn a spot on the roster again.

It was going to be a steep climb for Ridley to overcome the younger players, who also stand out on special teams.

During his three-year career at LSU from 2008-10, Ridley rushed for 1,419 yards and 19 touchdowns, including 1,147 yards and 15 scores during his junior season alone. He rushed for 1,263 yards in his second season in New England in 2012 but hasn’t looked the same since a 2014 ACL tear. “He’s still got obviously some juice left and he’s a good player, just in our situation we just did what we think is best”.

Gore hasn’t missed a game since 2010, but his injury risk is considerable at the age of 33, so bringing in a veteran player with a history of success like Ridley is a logical move from Indy’s perspective.

The cons? The 5-foot-11, 230-pounder hasn’t been anywhere near the old version of himself since a knee injury midway through the 2014 season that cost him the rest of that year.

Undrafted rookie Cole Wick and journeyman Matthew Mulligan both have had an opportunity to show what they can do without the team’s tight ends available to take reps. He carried nine times for 27 yards in the team’s two preseason games thus far.