Tragedy struck the Indianapolis Colts Thursday afternoon when wide receiver Daurice “Reece” Fountain suffered a devastating ankle injury in practice. Onlookers winced and shuddered as the second-year hopeful was fitted with an air cast and carted off the field to nervous applause.

The injury has been diagnosed as a fractured and dislocated ankle, which is the same injury that was suffered by Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker in their 2018 season opener. Head coach Frank Reich spoke solemnly after the practice session:

“You never wanna lose a guy,” Reich continued. “You just don’t want to lose a guy, and then to an injury like this, it’s just unfortunate. But, you know, we’ll just support him in every way we can.”

Injuries of this magnitude are always upsetting. But Fountain’s strong showing all summer makes this particularly gut-wrenching.

“A significant ankle injury. He’s at the hospital. Gonna get the best care in the world. We’re gonna do whatever it takes to support him, and he’s gonna bounce back. He’s had a great camp, he’s worked extremely hard and looked extremely good.”

The 2018 fifth-round selection out of Northern Iowa was in the midst of a breakout training camp. The product of hard work that began with reshaping his body in the offseason and culminated prematurely with his five-catch, 63-yard performance last week in the Colts preseason opener. Progress that certainly wasn’t lost on Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni:

“Really what I’m really impressed with Reece is that he’s starting to show more consistency,” Sirianni said. “He’s got that body that you want from a receiver. He’s big, strong and physical. Now he’s starting to get a little quicker.”

Sorrowfully, Indianapolis Colts and Daurice Fountain fans will have to wait a while longer to witness of the fruits of his labor. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of his story.

Next man up after Fountain

This crushing loss likely opened the door for another wide receiver to make the 53-man final roster. My previous belief was that Fountain was the odds-on-favorite for the fifth spot behind veritable locks T.Y. Hilton, Devin Funchess, Parris Campbell, and Chester Rogers. That leaves one spot if the team only keeps five receivers as they did to begin the 2018 season.

If the team opts for continuity and utility, then Zach Pascal is the answer. Pascal was a core special-teamer for the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. His 191 snaps (per PFF, subscription required) with the kicking and receiving units led all offensive players. He also chipped in 27 receptions, 268 yards, and two touchdowns with only one drop. He’s a safe, reliable option — the exact type of player that typically fills out the back of rosters. If not for Fountain’s injury, Pascal may have forced the team to keep six guys.

Marcus Johnson also made the Colts opening roster in 2018. Unfortunately, his season was cut short after appearing in just five games thanks to a torn ankle ligament. He caught two passes for 27 yards in Buffalo last week. His first on-field action since surgery last October. His seven snaps on return and coverage units tied Pascal for most by a wideout. Before the injury last season, Johnson saw 60 snaps on special teams over five contests. Another safe option, but likely behind Pascal if the coaching staff views their roles as redundant.

The return of Deon Cain

Deon Cain made a habit of eliciting oohs and aahs from 2018 training camp crowds. Then, a preseason injury (torn ACL) ended his rookie season unceremoniously. A story now far too familiar, and heartbreaking, given recent events.

Last August, Cain competed for the starting Z role opposite four-time Pro-Bowler T.Y. Hilton. This season he is merely looking for a roster spot. A testament to the Indianapolis Colts current depth at the position. Cain recently spoke of the increased level of competition:

“It’s really a flat line right now. Everybody is literally on the same page because everybody is out there competing and making plays and stuff like that. I don’t really try to buy into it too much because I just have to focus on doing my job,” Cain said. “As of right now, I’m excited with these guys right now. I’ve never been around so much talent with these guys and seeing how these guys come out to practice and work every day – it’s great. It’s a great thing.”

While Cain possesses tremendous upside offensively, he has not contributed on special teams. In fact, a total of 51 players registered at least one special teams snap in the preseason opener. The former Clemson product was not among them.

This makes Cain an incredibly difficult player to the roster in today’s National Football League. Teams can only retain 53 players and, worse, only 46 can dress on game day (an absurd limitation but that’s a story for another time). Thus, contributing on special teams is critical, especially for non-starters.

Who makes the final cut?

I previously speculated Penny Hart may have a shot if he could supplant Rogers as the primary return-man, but a stubborn hamstring has kept him out of action. I expect he will Daurice Fountainbe stashed on the Injured Reserve List.

The guess here is the Indianapolis Colts take five receivers into the 2019 season with Zach Pascal being the fifth. I just don’t think they will be able to roster Deon Cain without him carving out a role on offense over these last three weeks of the preseason. Even if they do opt to keep six, I think Anthony Johnson might have the edge.

Ken Grant is a writer for PFN covering the AFC South. You can follow him @KenGrantPFN on Twitter.