A polarizing former Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle has found a new home with an AFC playoff contender heading into the start of 2025 training camp.
According to the team’s official transaction wire, the Cincinnati Bengals signed former Colts defensive tackle Taven Bryan on Sunday in a series of pre-camp roster moves.
Bryan appeared in every game for the Colts during the past two seasons, starting in 13 games for their defensive interior. Despite being a former first-round talent, though, he struggled to consistently win his matchups as a pass rusher and proved to be a liability as a run defender, making just eight stops in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Colts still have eight free agents who have not signed with new teams for the 2025 season, including veteran Raekwon Davis, another former interior defensive lineman.
Colts Have Dynamic DT Duo, But How Deep Are They?
Bryan turned out to be a relative disappointment for the Colts, who invested in his first-round potential over his limited production. He tallied just three sacks in 34 games for them, tying the career-high number he recorded in 2022 with the Cleveland Browns.
To Colts general manager Chris Ballard’s credit, he recognized his mistake with Bryan and allowed him and Davis to walk in favor of other options during the 2025 offseason. Whether Ballard found the right personnel to replace them, though, remains uncertain.
While the Colts have veterans DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart giving them one of the best defensive tackle duos in the NFL, the depth they have assembled behind their two 31-year-old starters is questionable at best. They signed veteran Neville Gallimore in free agency, but his performance was arguably worse than Bryan’s in 2024.
The Colts also drafted Alabama’s Tim Smith in the sixth round, adding him to a room that also includes a 2022 fifth-round pick (Eric Johnson II) and a 2023 fourth-round pick (Adetomiwa Adebawore). But while that is a nice stockpile of draft investment, it will take at least one of them emerging as a real contributor for the Colts to feel secure.
Colts Signed DE J.T. Tuimoloau to Rookie Contract
In other news about the Colts’ defensive line, Indianapolis agreed to terms Friday with second-round rookie defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau on his four-year rookie contract.
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson, Tuimoloau’s contract is worth $9.942 million and includes a $4.135 million signing bonus. His deal also guarantees him roughly 88% of his contract’s total value, which is a notable increase from the nearly 78% guaranteed that last year’s No. 45 overall pick (Green Bay linebacker Edgerrin Cooper) received.
With Tuimoloau signed, the Colts now have every member of the 2025 draft class under contract before rookies are scheduled to report for training camp on July 21.
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