Grading the Colts’ Latest Moves: Do Cam Taylor-Britt and Jerry Tillery Move the Needle in Indy?

Let’s be brutally honest for a second. When the opening bell of NFL free agency rings, every fanbase wants their general manager out there dropping $100 million contracts like they’re playing with Monopoly money. We want the splash. We want the fireworks. So why did the Colts sign more depth players like Jerry Tillery and Cam Taylor-Britt?

But anyone who actually covers this league will tell you a hard truth: Super Bowls aren’t usually won on the first day of free agency. They are won in the margins. They are won in the trenches when your starters are exhausted in the fourth quarter of a brutal December game, and you desperately need a rotational guy to step up.

Indianapolis Colts Make Under The Radar Signings

That brings us to the Indianapolis Colts. On Tuesday, Indy made a pair of under-the-radar signings that won’t necessarily break the internet, but they might just save the defense on a rainy Sunday this fall. The Colts scooped up former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt on a one-year deal and brought in veteran defensive tackle Jerry Tillery.

Let’s put on our scouting hats, grab a cup of coffee, and grade these moves.

The Reunion Tour: Cam Taylor-Britt

Grade: B-

If there is one phrase to describe Cam Taylor-Britt’s four-year run in Cincinnati, it’s “rollercoaster.” When this guy is on, he looks like a legitimate shutdown corner. Over his first two seasons in the league, opposing quarterbacks had nightmares testing him. He allowed a microscopic 54% completion rate, batted away passes like they were annoying mosquitos, and racked up 38 pass deflections and seven interceptions during his tenure.

But then, 2025 happened. The wheels got a little wobbly.

He struggled with consistency, gave up chunk plays (surrendering an average of almost 15 yards per catch), and eventually found himself as a healthy scratch in Week 7. To add injury to insult, his season ended abruptly with a Lisfranc tear in Week 11. Ouch.

So, why are the Colts taking a flyer on a 26-year-old coming off a foot injury and a benching? Two words: Lou Anarumo.

The Colts’ defensive coordinator knows exactly what makes Taylor-Britt tick. Anarumo was his defensive caller in Cincy for three years. He knows the player, he knows the person, and he clearly believes the talent is still there.

On a reported one-year “prove it” deal, this is a masterful low-risk, high-reward gamble. Best case scenario? The Colts just grabbed a highly motivated, chip-on-his-shoulder defensive back who already knows the system. Worst case? He’s a veteran depth piece in a secondary that desperately needs bodies. I like the swing.

Beefing Up the Trenches: Jerry Tillery

Grade: B-

Look, nobody is going to confuse Jerry Tillery with Aaron Donald. But if you want your defense to survive a grueling 17-game NFL schedule, you need massive humans who can eat up blocks and occasionally make a quarterback sweat.

Enter Tillery. The former 2019 first-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers has built a solid, albeit unspectacular, career as a rotational interior pass rusher. His greatest ability? Availability. The man simply does not miss football games. In a league where defensive tackles go down like bowling pins, having a guy you can blindly pencil into the lineup every week is a luxury.

In 2025, Tillery managed 12 pressures. If you look at the analytics, Pro Football Focus ranked him 96th out of 121 eligible defensive tackles in pass rush win rate. I know, I know—that stat doesn’t exactly make you want to jump out of your seat and cheer.

But context matters. Tillery isn’t coming to Indianapolis to be the savior of the defensive line. He is here to spell DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart so those absolute monsters can catch their breath. If Tillery can give the Colts 15 to 20 solid snaps a game and push the pocket just enough to make a quarterback uncomfortable, he will be worth every penny of what is assumed to be a very team-friendly contract. If he struggles? The Colts can cut bait during training camp without losing any sleep.

The Final Verdict

Are the Colts suddenly the betting favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy because they signed Cam Taylor-Britt and Jerry Tillery? Absolutely not.

But championship-caliber rosters are built from the bottom up. By adding a young, hungry cornerback with a point to prove and a durable veteran to eat up snaps on the defensive line, Indianapolis just raised the floor of its defense. It’s the gritty, unglamorous side of NFL free agency—but it’s the exact type of roster gymnastics that pays dividends when the weather gets cold.