Colts: Bleacher Report proposes trade with Eagles before start of camp

Could the Indianapolis Colts stand to improve? Sure. Will they with headline-grabbing moves? Most likely not. That’s not how general manager Chris Ballard operates.

Even the trade for Carson Wentz was handled with caution every step of the way. Ballard made sure not to overpay and managed to get conditional picks in the departing package in case the deal didn’t end up favoring the Colts.

While most Indy fans have come to terms with the franchise remaining conservative with its roster decisions, there’s a shred of hope there’s a more aggressive approach at some point. What Super Bowl contenders haven’t made big splashes?

The Bucs added Tom Brady in what was the most notable free agency signing last year. The Chiefs are constantly throwing around big bucks and swinging trades. Though they lost the big game in recent years, the 49ers and Rams had made a number of roster-altering transactions to help get them to that point.

Could there be one more move in store for the Colts before the 2021 season?

Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling thinks Indy should give the Eagles a ring (again) and see if they can pry away tight end Zach Ertz for a 2022 third-round pick before the start of training camp.

"“By now, the bad standoff between the Eagles and Ertz isn’t a secret either, so the Colts can float a cheap offer on the merits of letting Philadelphia get anything at all in return for his departure.“Should Ertz rekindle some of that old spark with Wentz, it will only make the Michael Pittman Jr.-T.Y. Hilton-Parris Campbell trio at wideout more formidable, upping the chances the risky quarterback gamble pays off in a big way.”"

The discussion surrounding the Colts and Ertz has been long-winded and it really grew legs after the acquisition of Wentz. Ertz was Philly’s leading receiver in four of Wentz’s five seasons in Philly, and the only reason he wasn’t in 2020 was because he missed five games due to injury and Wentz was benched for Jalen Hurts in Week 12.

Ertz has proven he’s one of the most dynamic tight ends in the league, but the Colts drafting Kylen Granson crowds their room a bit. Perhaps releasing Jack Doyle to free up cap space would be the answer here since he’s clearly not the player he once was. Mo Alie-Cox has proven to be the better all-around option, too, so the Colts can very much upgrade if they can stomach trading another draft pick to the Eagles.

This move has more than one benefit, however. Ertz reuniting with Wentz will help the QB get used to his surroundings much more quickly, which will be crucial because he has two years to prove he’s going to stick around long term (after that, his dead cap plummets and Indy can free themselves). Additionally, Ertz, who will make the passing game more electric from Day 1, can help impart knowledge upon Alie-Cox and Granson, both of whom figure to be key pieces in the offense moving forward.

All those advantages for a third-round pick and a contract restructure? For the 1,000th time, it’s worth considering.

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