Colts release former 1st-round pick Bjoern Werner

The Indianapolis Colts announced the release of former first-round pick Bjoern Werner on Tuesday.

Werner was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, but failed to live up to his draft status.

The 25-year-old was a poor fit in the Colts' 3-4 defense, as he played predominantly as a 4-3 defensive end in college.

Werner flashed some potential in the first half of the 2014 season, racking up four sacks in the first seven games, but when his production faltered, the Colts moved him over from rush linebacker to the other side of the line in order to maximize his skills as a run defender.

However, Werner failed to lock down a starting role last season, appearing in 10 games and registering 13 total tackles and zero sacks.

With one of the Colts' main weaknesses being their pass rush, the move to release Werner at this time is indicative of how far he has fallen.