The Colts hosted Margus Hunt on a visit today and saw enough to sign the edge player to a two-year contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Hunt saw action as a rotational player for the Bengals last season but never ascended to becoming a regular starter despite Cincinnati having invested a second-round pick in the 6-foot-8 Estonian. The lanky defender played 322 snaps for Cincinnati last season but hasn’t started a game yet as an NFLer.
An SMU product, Hunt has 1.5 career sacks. He profiles as outside pass-rushing depth for a Colts team that’s spent time rebuilding that area over the past few days. Indianapolis added Jabaal Sheard and John Simon to UFA deals late last week and also signed possible depth piece Barkevious Mingo to a one-year contract.
Hunt will transition from the Bengals’ 4-3 to the Colts’ 3-4, one that will have much younger presences on its edges in 2017 than it did previously. The Colts featured Robert Mathis, Erik Walden and Trent Cole as their primary outside linebackers last season. The latter two are free agents, and Mathis retired after the season. Walden is looking for a new team after announcing the Colts aren’t planning to bring him back.
Wouldn’t Hunt be a more logical fit as a 5 technique in Indy ? I know he played DE in an even front- but that sometimes translates into a Weakside DE in an odd front. It allows him to set the edge against the run (Hunt’s best skill) as well as close passing windows on backside slants on a 3 step drop, which most teams use in short yardage.