Pro Football weekly

The Indianapolis Colts have signed Brayton.||||||| Coach Jim Caldwell says the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Brayton gives the Colts depth and experience. The 31-year-old Brayton was drafted No. 32 overall in 2003 by the Oakland Raiders before leaving for Carolina in 2008. In eight NFL seasons, Brayton has 229 tackles, 15.5 sacks and one interception.

Brayton was fined $15,000 by the NFL for hitting Atlanta's Chris Owens out of bounds in last week's game. The fine was levied on Friday, but not made public. Brayton hit Owens in the head after the Falcons player was forced off the field during a punt return last week.||||||| Fox Sports showed a video of the incident from Week 14. The grainy coaches film shows Brayton walking up from the bench area toward the field as Owens is engaged with a Carolina defender. Brayton then drops Owens with what appears to be an elbow to the head.

The Carolina Panthers will have at least one starting defensive lineman returning next season after agreeing on a three-year deal with defensive end Tyler Brayton.||||||| Brayton signed a two-year contract before the start of the 2008 season and has started 31 games over the past two years. He was eighth on the team with 45 tackles last season and had five sacks. He'll likely be paired with much younger players next season. The Panthers let defensive end Julius Peppers leave for Chicago in free agency and cut starting tackle Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu.

The Panthers have added depth to their defensive line by coming to terms with free-agent Tyler Brayton on a two-year deal. Brayton's agent, Tom Mills, said Wednesday the defensive end chose Carolina after getting an offer from the Indianapolis Colts.||||||| Brayton was Oakland's first-round pick in 2003, but managed only six sacks in five seasons as the Raiders struggled to find a spot for him. Brayton moved from defensive end to linebacker to defensive tackle. He did not start a game last season. In Carolina, the 6-foot-6, 280-pound Brayton is expected to contend with Stanley McClover and Charles Johnson for the starting defensive end job formerly held by Mike Rucker.