Stephen

Morris

Morris’ stock took a nosedive during a highly inconsistent senior season, but he’s got a big arm and very big hands (10 1/8") with plus athleticism. He’ll certainly be worth a mid- to late-round draft flier based on talent.

Morris has been bouncing around the league since signing with the Jaguars as an UDFA in 2014. Edwards was a fifth-round pick of the Titans in 2013.

The Colts needed to clear a roster spot for Trent Cole (back), who was activated from injured reserve on Thursday. Morris backed up Scott Tolzien in last week’s Thanksgiving loss to Pittsburgh. Now that Andrew Luck (concussion, shoulder) is on track to play, Morris is no longer needed.

It’s a clear sign the Colts are expecting to be without Andrew Luck (concussion) for Thanksgiving night against the Steelers. Scott Tolzien will get the start, and Morris will serve as his backup. It’s a situation to avoid.

Giddy up. Per reporter Stephen Holder, it was the “consensus” in the media room that this is what Pagano meant with his Thursday comments. A 2014 UDFA, Morris has never played in the regular season, but the Colts may be reaching “how much worse can he be than Scott Tolzien?” territory. The Colts will be unwatchable if Andrew Luck (shoulder) misses regular season time.

They also released C Brian Schwenke and TE Brandon Williams. Morris performed better than expected in camp but became expendable when the Colts acquired Jacoby Brissett from New England. Scott Tolzien and Brissett will hold down the fort at quarterback until Andrew Luck returns from shoulder surgery.

He’s been Indy’s best quarterback through two preseason games, completing 24-of-35 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. It looks like Morris has moved ahead of Phillip Walker, but he’s unlikely to supplant Scott Tolzien, who figures to start Week 1 if Andrew Luck (shoulder surgery) can’t go.

“They both moved the offense and did a good job,” he said of Scott Tolzien and Stephen Morris. Pagano continues to leave the door open for Morris, though Tolzien remains the odds-on favorite to start against the Rams in Week 1. Whoever comes out on top will be a massive downgrade for the Colts, who are likely to be without Andrew Luck (shoulder) for the first handful of games.

Fisch spent the 2011-2012 seasons as the Hurricanes’ OC, working closely with Morris as he turned in a particularly promising junior year (21 TDs, 7 INTs, 58.2 completion rate). With Fisch gone to the NFL in 2013, Morris’ performance sunk (21 TDs, 12 INTs, 57.6% completions) along with his draft stock. It’s a note to file away for the late rounds of May’s draft. Morris has NFL-caliber arm strength and athleticism, but struggles mightily with ball placement and consistency.

Dolphins backup Matt Moore is entering the final year of his contract and is expensive ($4 million base salary in 2014). Third-stringer Pat Devlin has shown little progress. Therefore Morris, who has plenty of NFL tools, could be a viable late-round flier as a developmental prospect.