Will the Indianapolis Colts be getting a player from the Chicago Bears this offseason?
With former Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, now in Chicago as the head coach of the Bears, many have to wonder who is most likely coming to Indianapolis.
Last season, when Nick Sirianni left Indianapolis to be the Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Colts got Carson Wentz and Matt Pryor via different trades.
Will we see a favor like that again this offseason? Maybe.
With the connections that the Colts are building around the league, they could get some players in return. It would not be surprising if someone is moving down from Chicago to Indianapolis this summer.
2021: Nick Sirianni leaves as a Colts Coordinator to become Eagles Head Coach, Eagles trade Carson Wentz to the Colts.
— Seats Teichen (@JayVeeThree) January 24, 2022
2022: Matt Eberflus leaves as a Colts Coordinator to become Bears Heads Coach… pic.twitter.com/GOQrUj0ssl
Could the Colts land another quarterback?
In a shocking turn of events, the Colts receive Justin Fields via a trade that requires two future first-round picks and a third-round pick this season.
Would be nice, right? Sadly, that is unlikely to happen. The Bears invested way too much into moving up in the draft to acquire Fields last year. It would be surprising if they move on from the quarterback after cleaning out the front office.
Weirder things have happened, like Josh Rosen being drafted 10th overall, followed by the Arizona Cardinals drafting Kyler Murray first overall the next season. The difference: Justin Fields is not Josh Rosen.
New pressure off the edge
Khalil Mack would be an incredible talent that could come to Indianapolis and would allow the Bears to get some additional draft capital in the future. With Mack getting older, the Bears could get younger and obtain draft picks from the Colts.
Mack coming to the Colts would beef up the defensive line that needs to be focused on this offseason. Pairing a premier talent like Khalil Mack with DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, and Kwity Paye increases our production in pass-rushing scenarios to be much more favorable.
Bringing on Mack would cost a lot, but it’s something the Colts could manage with their cap space. This trade would likely come after June 1st, as the Bears would save an additional $14 million.
With his contract, the Colts could potentially offer much less to eat that cap space from the Bears.
Things don’t have to happen right away
These deals happen every offseason. As teams get closer to June 1st, they will try to find a trade partner to get rid of massive contracts. This will eliminate having to cut a player for absolutely nothing in return.
Labor Day wknd:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2020
🏈2019 Dolphins trade Tunsil and Stills to Texans for two 1s, a 2+
🏈2019 Texans trade Clowney to Seahawks for 3+
🏈2018 Raiders trade Mack to Bears for two 1s, 3, 6.
🏈2017 Pats trade Brissett to Colts for Dorsett.
🏈2016 Eagles trade Bradford to Vikes for 1, 4.
Do the Bears commit to success this offseason and try to retool and get better? Or will Eberflus decide to part ways with aging veterans or players he might not want, in order to get some draft capital this year?
Of course, let’s not think right before the season doesn’t matter either. In recent years, both the Colts and Bears have made a trade to acquire new talent that immediately helped that season.
Colts 7-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Indy adds offensive weapons
Seven-round mock draft for each of the eight Indianapolis Colts picks in the 2022 NFL draft. A look at what prospects the team could land.