Colts: Should Chris Ballard entertain a trade for Gardner Minshew?

Yes, we’ve got another QB option for the Colts to consider.

The Indianapolis Colts are currently searching for their fourth starting quarterback in as many seasons, and if the latest update on negotiations with Carson Wentz are indicative of anything, a trade isn’t happening unless the Philadelphia Eagles cut down their initial asking price.

With that in mind, it might not be long (if they haven’t already) before the Colts start considering other potential options.

With free agency failing to offer up any compelling names, they’d probably still be better off exploring the trade market to find their new guy.

Seeing as though general manager Chris Ballard is vehemently against depleting himself of resources, should he look within the division for a potential solution?

And no, we aren’t talking about Deshaun Watson, since he would go for at last three-first round draft picks.

Believe it or not, we’re actually referring to Jaguars gunslinger Gardner Minshew, who will likely return to his role as the backup, assuming they fulfill the prophecy and select Clemson star Trevor Lawrence with the top pick in this year’s draft.

Could Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew be a fit with the Colts?

It’s worth noting that this is mere speculation given that Minshew clearly doesn’t have a future with the Jaguars, who could further expedite their rebuild by trading him and acquiring more draft picks. There haven’t been any rumors linking the 2019 sixth-rounder with Indianapolis and he obviously isn’t everyone’s top choice, but acquiring him wouldn’t be a terrible contingency plan.

Over his first two seasons in the league (20 starts), Minshew has completed 62.9% of his passes for an average of 251.0 yards per game, throwing 37 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions. His 6.9 yards per attempt leaves a lot to be desired, but that can be attributed to his atrocity of an offensive line forcing him to check down several times per game.

The bottom line is that this is a quarterback who, if put in the right situation, could definitely lead a team to the playoffs.

At this point, it’s abundantly clear that the Colts — thanks to their robust offensive line, elite rushing attack and budding defense — are the ideal landing spot for any quarterback, especially an inexperienced one. The pieces they already have in place would allow Minshew to be more of a game manager than a gunslinger; too often in Jacksonville, we watched him forced into making some regrettable decisions.

We know Minshew isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t deny that he checks all of the boxes (accuracy, arm strength, mobility, etc.) that the Colts are looking for in a quarterback — outside of experience. Yes, that’s an important attribute for a team seemingly on the precipice of competing for a championship, but let’s not pretend like some of the other available signal callers this offseason are perennial playoff performers.

Nobody’s saying that Minshew would be the ideal acquisition for the Colts, but they could do a lot  worse from a last resort standpoint, and chances are he would come at a significant discount compared to some of the other names Indianapolis has been linked with thus far.

Colts shouldn’t feel any pressure to raise Carson Wentz offer

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