Colts: Fans will appreciate Chris Ballard not making any trades at deadline

Colts fans should appreciate general manager Chris Ballard not making any trades prior to Tuesday’s deadline.

The NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday afternoon, and to call it uneventful would be a colossal understatement. Football fans across the country have every right to be disappointed with the lack of action that transpired, as a total of six trades were completed leading up to the 4 p.m. ET deadline.

What made it even more monotonous was the fact that the consensus lone blockbuster deal, which saw Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue traded from Minnesota to Baltimore, was completed almost two weeks before the Nov. 3 cutoff.

When it comes to the Indianapolis Colts, however, fans should be satisfied with GM Chris Ballard opting against pulling off a trade. Though the team is 5-2 and tied with Tennessee (on overall record) for the AFC South lead, waiting until the offseason to make the necessary upgrades to the roster is undoubtedly the right call.

It might not sit right with some Colts fans that a handful of contending teams in the AFC — Kansas City, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Tennessee — made moves over the last few days to gear up for a potential Super Bowl run, but therein lies the problem: Indianapolis isn’t competing for a championship this season and those four teams have the pieces in place to win it all this year.

Listen, we have ridiculously high hopes for the Colts in 2021 and beyond, but there’s nothing wrong with admitting that they’re a year away from becoming a legitimate threat to come out of the AFC.

For starters, Philip Rivers, as great as he’s played over the last two games is a ticking time bomb under center, meaning that he can flip a game on its head (for all of the wrong reasons) any time he drops back to pass. Even in the slim chance that he takes better care of the football in the second half of the season, Indianapolis isn’t going anywhere with his lack of mobility and declining arm strength.

Waiting until the offseason to evaluate the free agent market and see if some franchise-caliber gunslingers are made available via trade is Ballard’s only realistic option here.

Next, we have the Colts’ depleted wide receiving corps. TY Hilton’s miserable contract year somehow got worse this past weekend as he left Sunday’s win over Detroit with a groin injury. On top of that, second-year breakout candidate Parris Campbell, who’s arguably the most dynamic WR on the roster, hasn’t played since suffering a left knee injury back in Week 2.

Furthermore, 2020 second-round pick Michael Pittman Jr. is still getting back to full speed following foot surgery. We know Indy needs a stud No. 1 option, but go take a look at how many big-named receivers were traded prior to Tuesday. Spoiler alert, the answer is zero.

What about the pass rush? The Colts’ monster rotation has been effective, but everybody knows adding another game-breaking edge rusher to line up opposite Justin Houston is the finishing touch for this defense. However, no conceivable options were made available prior to the deadline.

Making a trade just for the sake of doing so is franchise malpractice, and Ballard knows that waiting until the offseason, where a multitude of players will be made available in two regards (free agency and trade) is a no-brainer move, and our opinion wouldn’t change in the event that the Colts make a playoff run this year.

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