The Indianapolis Colts are in need of yet another starting quarterback after Philip Rivers ended his venture with the team after just one season when he announced his retirement.
On top of that, general manager Chris Ballard has already had to take a big spoonful of disappointment this offseason when potential Colts trade target in Matthew Stafford was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams over the weekend.
We know, we know, Stafford was pretty much the perfect fit. But the price and timing weren’t right. Time to figure something else out.
Teams that were interested in Matthew Stafford, per @peter_king: Panthers, Broncos, Colts and 49ers. Washington also made a strong offer, according to @JosinaAnderson. But the #Rams ultimately got him.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 31, 2021
With one of the biggest potential Rivers replacements already off of the market, Ballard needs to dig deep and get to work because this team needs a signal caller for the 2021 season. These three quarterbacks can help a talented Colts roster stay on top of a very winnable AFC South and compete for a championship. Don’t rule out these tricks Ballard might have up his sleeve.
The Indianapolis Colts should try to acquire one of these three potential star quarterbacks this offseason
Jalen Hurts could give the Colts a quarterback of the future at a discounted price.
While Indianapolis makes sense as a potential landing spot for Carson Wentz — the Colts have both the cap space to take on his contract and the coaches that helped him have the best season of his career — there’s a chance that former Colts OC Nick Sirianni might sign off on trading Hurts away because the Eagles appear committed to fixing their expensive quarterback.
Like most rookies, Hurts had a very confusing debut season when examined closely. On one hand, his ability to run the football and make plays on the move helped the Eagles passing game look much more explosive than it did at any point of the 2020 season with Wentz as the starter.
However, Hurts only completed 52% of his passes, and he turned the ball over six times in four games. If anyone can make Hurts into a successful franchise signal caller, it’s a quarterback whisperer like Reich.
While Rivers’ experience and accuracy was definitely a bonus, the fact that Reich was restricted by Rivers’ lack of mobility is inarguable. In trading for Hurts, Reich would get a young quarterback who could start for years to come that can completely change the dynamic of the offense. With a group of receivers that are much better than what he had in Philadelphia, Hurts could take off in Indy.
It would take a lot to get him, but Justin Fields would be a tremendous prospect for the Colts to acquire.
Once thought to be a lock for the QB2 title in the 2021 NFL Draft due to the star power of Trevor Lawrence, Fields has started a very slow slide down draft boards. BYU’s Zach Wilson has, in the minds of some analysts, leapfrogged Fields, who will still be an excellent addition for any team in need of a quarterback. The Ohio State gunslinger was insanely productive during his two seasons with the Buckeyes, losing just two games while showing off a tremendous arm and ability to make plays out of structure.
While Indianapolis has built a very deep team due to their ability to stockpile draft picks, most of the players that they could potentially take in the first few rounds will not start during their rookie season. The Colts are playing in a division that houses the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will be under the command of a rookie quarterback and head coach; the Tennessee Titans, who lost offensive coordinator Arthur Smith; and the Houston Texans, an unmitigated disaster.
The Colts are division favorites, meaning that a potential star quarterback in Fields with enough coaching and support around him could easily help them make a deep postseason run. With tons of cap space this year, Indy could build a dynasty around Fields if Ballard is feeling frisky enough.
Adding a veteran like Kirk Cousins could make the Colts a championship contender
While Cousins served as the archetype for average quarterbacks during the end of his stay in Washington and first year in Minnesota, saying that Cousins is bad is not a defendable position right now.
Not only did he overcome his playoff demons in 2019, but he had one of his best seasons ever in 2020 despite injuries galore on offense, completing 68% of his passes, throwing for just under 4,300 yards, and setting a new career high with 35 touchdown passes.
With the Vikings coming off a 7-9 season and miles away from taking over the division by unseating Green Bay, GM Rick Spielman might want to trade Cousins, and the Colts should be all over him.
The main reason that Stafford was such a valued commodity was the fact that veteran quarterbacks with as much production as him rarely hit the trade market. Rather than take a bunch of gambles on rookies and/or somewhat green young players, Ballard can add a proven quality starter in Cousins and make the push for the Super Bowl.
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