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Colts: Should Indy consider blockbuster trade for Trevor Lawrence during 2021 draft?

By Thomas Carannante

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers runs with the ball during the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The LSU Tigers topped the Clemson Tigers, 42-25. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers runs with the ball during the fourth quarter of the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The LSU Tigers topped the Clemson Tigers, 42-25. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /
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The Colts should be ready to potentially trade up to draft Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence.

Here we go! Speculating about a year out. We wouldn’t have it any other way, and the 2020 Indianapolis Colts are a team that begs for such chatter.

Philip Rivers is under a one-year deal. Jacoby Brissett’s contract will also expire after this season. Jacob Eason is far from a surefire prospect. So, regardless of how the Colts perform this year, should they do the unthinkable and sell the farm to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence?

It would sure cost a lot, but if the team who ends up with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft doesn’t need a QB, why wouldn’t Indy consider a blockbuster deal?

https://twitter.com/LockedOnColts/status/1235306469660282883?s=20

The case of the Colts is an intriguing one. This team already has a pretty incredible core that features star offensive lineman Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard, both of whom are already among the league’s best after just two seasons. Indy just traded for and signed DeForest Buckner to a long-term extension and also possess one of the best OLs in football.

When you throw in the fact they just had a tremendous draft by adding wideout Michael Pittman Jr., running back Jonathan Taylor and safety Julian Blackmon, one can assume they’re pretty set assuming those transitions to the pro level happen as expected.

Their secondary is perhaps a bit suspect, but let’s not forget Indy will have the most cap space by far once the offseason rolls around (over $86 million). Guys like Jalen Ramsey, Justin Simmons, Desmond King, JC Jackson, Anthony Harris, Marcus Williams and others will be free agents after 2020, so the Colts can just spend on guys like that instead of going through the draft.

If we look back to 2014 when Washington traded up for the No. 2 pick to select Robert Griffin III (the same draft the Colts took Andrew Luck No. 1), a potential deal for Indy won’t be cheap, especially if they want to trade all the way up to No. 1 assuming they have a successful campaign.

Washington gave up their first-round pick (sixth overall) and second-round pick in 2014 as well as their first-round picks in 2014 and 2015. The sixth overall pick is much more valuable than, say, the 22nd overall pick (that’s assuming Indy finishes with 10 wins and makes the playoffs, if we want to be safe), so it’s possible the Colts would have to surrender another future first- or second-rounder depending on who they’re bidding against.

Is that worth it, Colts fans? You’d get five years of Trevor Lawrence with a roster that possesses a strong foundation. Throw in the cap space and GM Chris Ballard could easily build around the Clemson QB. In the end, you can forget punting the draft for three years if you’re a Super Bowl contender over that span, right?

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