Colts: 3 players that must be moved off roster by trade deadline
By Mike Luciano
The Indianapolis Colts need to shake things up at the trade deadline. Sitting a few games back of the rival Tennessee Titans in the AFC South, they need to either acquire some game-changing pieces or sell off spare parts to recoup the draft capital they traded away earlier in the season.
The Colts are currently under .500 and behind a very complete rival in their division, so the idea of selling some players, especially in a year in which they will likely lack a first-round pick, might be the wisest way to go about their business, as this team is far from a championship contender right now.
This roster is solid, but there are plenty of issues. They have holes in their secondary, their offensive line is not what it once was, and their pass rush is dependent on some young draft picks (and it’s still not good). Chris Ballard needs to address these positions in the offseason, and some deadline moves could be a predecessor to that.
If Ballard is in a selling mood at the trade deadline, he could look to send some of these players elsewhere to switch it up by giving others more playing time or acquiring some late-round draft picks. These three Colts may not be in Indianapolis when the deadline passes.
3 Indianapolis Colts players Chris Ballard might trade
3. DE Tyquan Lewis
Lewis is one of three second-round pass rushers (Kemoko Turay, Ben Banogu) that haven’t performed up to their draft position. With two consecutive 2021 draft picks used on pass rushers in Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo, Indianapolis is clearly eyeing a separation from these players.
Considering that Lewis has played over half of Indy’s defensive snaps in every game so far this season, he might be the only player in that trio that could coax a team to part with some draft capital, however infinitesimal it may be, at the deadline. At the very least, Lewis is versatile and holds his own as a run defender.
Tyquan Lewis is running out of time to help the Colts.
Ultimately, Matt Eberflus has not been able to get the same pass rush production out of Lewis in the pros that he exhibited at Ohio State. With 7.5 sacks in four years, the Colts are better off letting Paye and Odeyingbo get as many reps as possible.
Paye has already proven to be a serviceable pass rusher in the NFL, and while Odeyingbo is coming off of a serious injury, his college tape showed that he’s a top-shelf athlete. Knowing when to admit you’re wrong is a tremendous benefit in life, and Ballard could help the Colts by cutting ties with his second-round flops.