Colts’ continued interest in Zach Ertz trade proves they want to upgrade at tight end

The Indianapolis Colts have done nothing in free agency to improve their offensive personnel since they traded for Carson Wentz early in the offseason, which is pretty shocking given how much he struggled under center last campaign.

Despite being linked with a myriad of in-demand receivers and left tackles, including speedster Will Fuller and ageless veteran Trent Williams, the front office has maddeningly played the hesitation card and let these players sign elsewhere.

And we’re still waiting on those extensions…

While the Colts appear satisfied with their WR corps — as they should given how their offensive scheme emphasizes distribution — the same clearly cannot be said for the tight end position, which has yet to be addressed this offseason.

In fact, the latest buzz suggests that Wentz could be reunited with a familiar face at some point in the near future.

According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, the Colts have continued monitoring Zach Ertz’s situation with the Eagles.

https://twitter.com/PFN365/status/1379150093178318861

The Colts remain interested in trading for Eagles tight end Zach Ertz.

This is what Pauline had to say about why the trade rumors surrounding Ertz, which were prevalent following the conclusion of the regular season, have flamed out over the last few months. He even provided a timeline in terms of when the Eagles star could be moved.

"“I can tell you this, Howie Roseman wants too much in return for Ertz, as has been reported. The trade with the Chargers went south because Roseman wanted a third-round pick, and reportedly, the Bills have since dropped out because of the asking price. I’m told the Colts are still interested.“Roseman must see the weakness in this year’s tight end class and believes he can get better than market value in return for Ertz. What is the market value for Ertz? I’m told it’s a fifth-round pick that could increase in value based on playing time and production. If they don’t trade him before the draft, I think Ertz gets moved on draft weekend.”"

It bodes well for Indy that the Chargers and Bills have reportedly backed out of negotiations for Ertz, as they were previously pegged as his most likely destinations. However, we’re not entirely sure what compelled them to do so, because a conditional fifth-rounder, assuming that intel is accurate, is hardly a steep asking price from the normally-irrational Eagles.

It’s duly noted that Ertz endured his worst season since his rookie year in 2020, but that can be attributed to a a lingering ankle injury and a completely dysfunctional display on offense from the Eagles, who ranked 24th in total yards and 26th in points per game.

Assuming that campaign was an anomaly for Ertz, who tallied at least 74 receptions, 816 receiving yards and four touchdowns in his previous four seasons, we wouldn’t even second-guess endorsing the Colts to trade for him.

In the simplest of terms, adding Ertz would severely lessen the pressure on Wentz, as the two formed one of the best quarterback-tight end duos in the league over the last five seasons.

For as many questions fans in Indianapolis have about the team’s pass-catching repertoire, acquiring Ertz via trade, especially for as little as a conditional fifth-rounder, would nip those concerns in the bud on a permanent basis.

Colts: Does reuniting Carson Wentz with Zach Ertz make any sense?

Does reuniting Zach Ertz and Carson Wentz on the Indianapolis Colts make any sense for Indy? What if a trade doesn't need to be part of the equation?