Colts: 3 monster playmakers Indy could trade for midseason

The Indianapolis Colts’ infrastructure figures to help Carson Wentz rediscover his confidence, which he seemingly lost a chunk of with each passing start last year.

As far as the Colts’ offensive line is concerned, well, there might not be a more dominant unit in the entire NFL. What about the running game? We’re glad you asked, as Jonathan Taylor finished third in rushing as a rookie despite a slow start, so no worries there.

The only questions fans can have about Indy’s offense surround their receiving corps, which, despite being as deep as any group in the league, lacks high-end talent. For starters, TY Hilton is on the wrong side of 30 and was invisible for a large portion of 2020.

Then, you get to Parris Cambell, who has the potential to lead the Colts in receiving, but has played just nine games over his first two seasons due to injury. Michael Pittman Jr., meanwhile, was inconsistent as a rookie and had his own injury problems.

As for Zach Pascal, well, he was actually the definition of consistent last campaign, but is any defensive coordinator staying awake nights planning to stop him? Probably not.

That got us thinking: With the Colts presumably done making moves this offseason, what playmakers should they target midseason in 2021?

These 3 playmakers could be midseason trade targets for the Colts.

3. Zach Ertz

Zach Ertz seemed like a surefire bet to be traded during the draft. When that didn’t happen, it became clear he would be dealt at some point this offseason.

Well, with most teams in the NFL departing for summer break following the conclusion of mandatory minicamp, Ertz remains with the Eagles, and each week and month that passes, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll remain in Philadelphia for the start of 2021.

We’ve been advocating for Indy to reunite Wentz with Ertz all offseason, and rightfully so considering they formed an excellent partnership with the Eagles. Though the Colts’ starting quarterback has been injured a lot, he’s responsible for most of Ertz’s career numbers, which are impressive no matter how you slice them.

The Colts would luck out if Zach Ertz isn’t traded this offseason.

Ertz’s 2020 campaign was cut short due to injury, but you couldn’t name a more consistent playmaker at the tight end position over the previous five seasons. During that span, the former second-round pick averaged 86.2 catches for 914.4 yards and 5.6 touchdowns.

We’ve been begging Indy to take the kid gloves off regarding their treatment of Mo Alie-Cox, but given the unlikelihood of that happening, they might as well target a premier TE talent. After all, grizzled veteran Jack Doyle’s production has tailed off significantly in recent years and you can’t expect 2021 fourth-rounder Kylen Granson to play a big role as a rookie.