On a day that saw one legendary Indianapolis Colts wideout handed his walking papers, could the Indianapolis Colts have found his short-term replacement?
This past Friday, the Indianapolis Colts announced that the team would not be re-signing their beloved 14-year veteran wideout in Reggie Wayne. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears traded their talented, yet tumultuous wideout in Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets for a meager 5th round round pick:
Bears getting only a low round pick for Marshall is telling. Teams knew he'd be released. Would've traded him for a ham sandwich.
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) March 6, 2015
Earlier, we acknowledged that the 6’4″, 230 pound, Marshall would’ve made a great deal of sense for the Colts, as a big-bodied possession wideout. Still only 30 years old, Marshall is coming off a very productive season in which he caught 61 receptions for 721 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns despite shaky starting quarterback play.
Instead, the Colts sat on their hands and did nothing. Fifth round picks can sometimes turn out to be productive players, but that compensation seems “like nothing” for a wide receiver as talented as Marshall, especially when the Colts are in desperate need for a proven veteran wideout:
Something to note: #Colts must make a move at WR. They are uncomfortably young (Hilton, Moncrief, Carter, etc). Possible vet signing
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 6, 2015
However, the Colts reportedly had no interest in Marshall, which seems somewhat bewildering considering they previously reportedly kicked the tires on obtaining his services:
For those asking why the Colts didn't go after WR Brandon Marshall, I was told they had no interest in him.
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) March 6, 2015
Marshall seemed to be the best player available in a somewhat limited market of proven veteran wideouts. He was due a $9.575 million cap hit in 2015, but given that the Houston Texans Andre Johnson may command $10 million in base salary on the open market, that seems like a relative bargain.
Johnson may have the edge on Marshall in terms of veteran leadership, but he’s also set to turn 34 years old. In order to replace Reggie Wayne‘s leadership, the Colts don’t necessarily have to find the oldest wide receiver possible. Johnson can still be a productive wideout if used appropriately, but that $10 million dollar price tag seems prohibitive.
Right now, it looks as though the Colts have their eyes set on Johnson per reports, especially since they clearly passed on Marshall despite being able to acquire him for a “ham sandwich”. Time will tell whether that was the prudent football decision.
Dec 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (80) on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. The Texans defeated the Jaguars 23-17. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports