Colts: 3 huge missed opportunities at trade deadline
By Adam Weinrib
1. Keeping Marlon Mack
Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like trading Marlon Mack was a foregone conclusion, and that by the deadline he’d be … well, far gone.
Instead, here we sit, a world where the Colts haven’t maximized their assets whatsoever and have opted to release Jordan Wilkins and use Jonathan Taylor less than they should, both by deemphasizing the running game and giving snaps to Mack, who announced wanted to leave a long time ago.
What … are we doing?
Sure, perhaps Ballard felt that he wasn’t getting a fair return for Mack in any of the proposed deals, but to that we propose the counter: when you’re stuck in mud and going nowhere and somebody wants to trade for your third-string running back, maybe you do it?
This isn’t meant as an indictment of Mack the player, who did a very good job in establishing himself as a viable lead back with the pre-JT28 Colts. But at this moment, if the Colts work their way back into the division or Wild Card races somehow, a stroke of brilliance from the third head of their running back triumvirate doesn’t seem like the most likely way that’ll happen. It’ll be because the defense improved, or the team got healthier, or they made an impact addition or two at the deadline like a safety or guard, which we screamed about earlier.
Mack’s narrative in Indianapolis is all but complete and we thank him for his service. But Ballard’s response to his trade request involved adding to his plate as a showcase, then not trading him at all, which officially makes no sense now that the deadline has passed.
