Phillip Taylor

Broncos take flier on defensive tackle Phil Taylor

The Denver Broncos signed defensive tackle Phil Taylor, formerly of the Cleveland Browns.

What It Means:

The 21st overall pick in the 2011 draft, Taylor flamed out of the NFL last season due to chronic knee problems, in addition to on-field ineffectiveness. He's kept himself in shape working out for the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers since his September 2015 release. Turning 28 years-old in April, nose tackle-sized Taylor is a worthwhile flier for Wade Phillips' 3-4 defense.

Taylor has only played 44 games out of a possible 80 in his career. Still, he provides interesting depth in this defensive unit as a run-stopper. He has 109 total tackles and 7.0 sacks in those games and joins a Broncos unit that ranked first in the league in Adjusted Defensive Net Expected Points (NEP) per play in 2015.