The Indianapolis Colts announced a pair of roster moves on Monday, following rookie minicamp.
The Indianapolis Colts announced a pair of roster moves on Monday, following rookie minicamp.
The team signed undrafted free agent center Mose Vavao, and to make room on the roster for him, the Colts waived defensive tackle Joe Evans.
Vavao was brought in during rookie minicamp as a tryout candidate, while Evans was initially signed as an undrafted rookie out of UT-San Antonio.
Evans played in only five games last season, but in 2023, he was one of PFF’s highest-graded interior run defenders.
Vavao measured in at 6-02 during the pre-draft process and weighed 305 pounds. He posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.56, which included a 5.14-second 40 time.
Vavao is an extremely experienced collegiate player, seeing 3,359 offensive snaps during his five seasons at Fresno State. Over the last three seasons, Vavao made big strides in pass protection, going from allowing 27 pressures in 2022 to 15 in 2023 to just six this past season.
In 2024 specifically, Vavao ranked 15th among all centers in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric. For what it’s worth, by PFF’s metrics, Vavao has routinely graded out better in pass pro than as a run blocker.
For more on Vavao, here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft report:
“A four-year starter with plenty of game experience, Vavao lacks the size and length teams covet from interior offensive linemen. He plays with inside hands and adequate core strength at the point of attack. However, he will have issues getting to his landmarks as a move blocker and mirroring athletic pass rushers when singled up. Vavao’s lack of adequate quickness and length will make his journey an uphill climb.”
Generally speaking, interior offensive line depth was one area coming out of the draft where the Colts could have still used a boost.