Colts: 3 mistakes Indy cannot make at 2021 trade deadline
By Mike Luciano
1. Trading their second-round pick
The Colts will likely not have a first-round pick this season, as that selection will convey to the Philadelphia Eagles if Carson Wentz continues to start and play most of the snaps. While Wentz hasn’t been perfect, he’s been much better than he was last year and has given no performance-based reason to be benched.
The Colts still have a second-round pick as a result of this deal, but they shouldn’t necessarily part with that if it means they can get a big name. Doing so would be totally antithetical to how Ballard wants to build a team, and would give off the sense that Indy is closer to contending than they actually are.
The Indianapolis Colts shouldn’t trade tons of draft capital.
Indianapolis might have tons of cap space, but Ballard is not the type of guy willing to go crazy in free agency. Tennessee is clearly the better team and the franchise in a better position to win right now, so Indianapolis deciding to mortgage all of their top picks next year would be a reckless move.
The Colts could easily contend for a playoff spot in this year and the next with Wentz and Taylor as the leaders, but Ballard giving away yet another high draft pick would be a sign he views them as a borderline contender, a decision that could prove to be foolish.
