Colts: 3 Jack Doyle trades that make sense for Indy

Here are three trades the Colts should consider for tight end Jack Doyle.

Now that Trey Burton has been activated off injured reserve and is seemingly fully healthy, the Indianapolis Colts have a surplus of tight ends.

While it’s currently unclear whether Burton or Jack Doyle will emerge as the preferred No. 2 option for Philip Rivers, what we do know is that third-year pro Moe Alie-Cox is the undisputed starter in light of his scorching hot start to the season.

Through three games, the former VCU basketball star has dominated in lieu of the team’s expected starters. He’s also been one of the most dominant blocking tight ends in the league, earning a staggering 93.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. To put it simply, Alie-Cox has the starting spot locked down.

We know the Colts love utilizing their tight ends in the passing game, but it would make zero sense for them to keep three serviceable players at the position on the roster. That brings up the burning question: Should Burton or Doyle be kept ahead of the 2020 trade deadline?

The Colts’ coaching staff clearly thinks highly of Burton, so we seriously doubt they would unload him before his one-year contract expires at the end of the season. Doyle, on the other hand, hasn’t offered much following Andrew Luck’s retirement and his deal runs through the 2022 campaign.

Doyle checks all the boxes in terms of a player who should be dealt midseason, so let’s dive into a few realistic trades general manager Chris Ballard could pull off prior to the end of October.

3. Doyle to the Cardinals

By acquiring all-world wideout DeAndre Hopkins from Houston this past offseason, the Cardinals proved they are willing to build around young quarterback Kyler Murray. Hopkins is quite literally the perfect complement to the likes of Christian Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald, so Arizona doesn’t have to do more — at least not before the conclusion of the season — to upgrade its receiving corps.

The same, however, cannot be said for the tight end position, as former undrafted talent Dan Arnold has been manning down the starting spot. Through three games, he’s posted just five receptions for 58 yards while playing 59% of the offensive snaps.

We get that Hopkins is a stud, but the fact that he has 46 targets across the first four weeks just speaks to the Cardinals’ lack of a security blanket. That’s not to say Murray is force-feeding Hopkins targets, but it’s coming very close to reaching that territory.

Doyle would make a seamless transition to Arizona’s high volume passing game and his elite blocking ability would only prove to bolster their elite rushing attack. The Colts, especially under Ballard, are renowned for hitting on late-round draft picks, so why not acquire a sixth- or seventh-rounder in exchange for an expensive player in Doyle who has fallen down the pecking order at tight end?