Getty Head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts made a roster change along their defensive line on July 29.
General manager Chris Ballard identified rotational roles at defensive tackle as one of the key position battles for the Indianapolis Colts this training camp. For that battle, the Colts have added another competitor.
The Colts announced on July 29 that the team has signed free agent rookie defensive tackle Caeveon Patton. In a corresponding move, the Colts also released defensive end Bryan Cox Jr.
This is the second time this offseason that Indianapolis has signed Patton. The Colts originally added him to the roster a few weeks after he went undrafted. But Patton became one of the two players Indianapolis waived to add wide receivers Isaiah Ford and John Hurst on July 27.
Patton is now back, though, to compete with six other defensive tackles for snaps behind starters DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
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What Patton Potentially Brings for the Colts
Standing at 6-foot-1 and 291 pounds, Patton is undersized as an NFL defensive tackle. His college experience was at Texas State. While that’s an FBS school, Texas State only faced four Power 5 opponents during Patton’s career.
But Patton arrives in Indianapolis as a battle-tested player. He saw constant coaching turnover during his five years at Texas State, and he missed a season because of a herniated disc and torn pectoral muscle.
But in his last two years on the field, he earned All-Sun Belt honorable mention. As a senior last season, he posted 51 total tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and a pass defense in 11 games.
Across his entire career, he recorded 179 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 6 pass defenses, 3 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 44 games.
The Colts signed Cox on June 10 for depth at defensive end. He has posted 31 combined tackles and 0.5 sacks for three teams in 26 NFL games.
Competition Heating Up for Colts at Defensive Tackle
Patton is likely a long shot to make the Colts roster. His release on July 27 in favor of a veteran wide receiver was a clear indication that Patton was at the bottom of Indianapolis’ pecking order at defensive tackle. That probably hasn’t change despite his return to the team.
But returning to the Colts, Patton will have his shot to beat out the other defensive tackles for a backup role.
Dayo Odeyingbo and Eric Johnson are the front runners to carve out the biggest roles behind the Colts starting defensive tackles. Johnson just returned to the team on July 28 after beginning training camp on the Active/Non-Football Injury list (NFI).
Patton will also be competing with Byron Cowart, Curtis Brooks, Chris Williams, and RJ McIntosh.
The Colts claimed Cowart off waivers from the New England Patriots on July 23. He started 14 games for the Patriots in 2020.
Indianapolis drafted Brooks in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Williams is also a young player, having come to the Colts as an undrafted rookie last year.
McIntosh is a former fifth-round pick of the New York Giants from the 2018 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 18 NFL games and posted 18 combined tackles with 2.0 sacks, 2 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits. But McIntosh hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2019.