Another week and another Indianapolis Colts victory as Indy move to 6-1. An offensive showcase as they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers on the road. The Colts finally scored their first signature win of the season and hopefully this will quiet the last of the doubters that still linger.
This season has gone very differently for most who thought to start the season. Obviously, the argument is alive and well of who is the main culprit of their success. You can argue Jonathan Taylor. You can argue Shane Steichen. You can even argue Chris Ballard. Yes, that Ballard that the entire fanbase wanted eliminated from our thoughts last season.
For the sake of argument, let’s go with Daniel Jones. The success of Jones could now be a huge factor in how the Colts staff makes decisions as they head toward the NFL trade deadline on November 4th.
While you may think it’s because they are contenders and contenders make win-now moves. Let’s dive into another reason why they can afford to go all in on this season and seasons to come.
The success of Daniel Jones allows the Indianapolis Colts to be buyers at the trade deadline
The NFL trade deadline is typically a quiet time for them. Unlike the NBA trade deadline where moves come fast and furious and involve multiple players and teams. The NFL is typically more subdued, and you will see small moves or some teams selling off assets to build for the future. That has typically been the same for Ballard since he took over.
This year I can see them going in a different direction and being buyers and sellers this time around. The reason boils down to the success of Jones and this franchise finally finding a “franchise quarterback.” A franchise quarterback that we have not seen since the retirement of Andrew Luck. It’s safe to say that the Anthony Richardson experiment is over.
With the projected certainty of Jones returning, it opens the possibility of the Colts to really making some moves before the trade deadline. Every team wants to make sure the quarterback position is set before making any substantial move. The Colts now have that luxury with Jones.
Before that, it was Richardson who kept us guessing. When you are uncertain, the front office staff is hesitant to give up draft capital. You never want to give up draft capital with an uncertain quarterback because you will need as much as you can to potentially obtain a new one, whether through free agency or the draft.
The Colts have struck gold with Jones and were able to simply sign him off the street. It's uncommon to see this with an untested player, but given the team's ongoing defensive issues under Ballard, trading draft capital could finally help them overcome their longstanding challenges. The defense has been the one area that has struggled and needs some immediate attention.
Plenty of names that the Colts could look to move before the deadline to build more draft capital to make an even bigger move. The Colts had another devastating blow to the secondary with star DB Mooney Ward placed on IR. It was expected as this was his second concussion in five weeks, and he will need more time to heal properly.
The Colts hope to get back DB Mike Hilton, DB Jaylon Jones and LB Jaylon Carlies in the coming weeks. The franchise needs help at CB, LB, and edge rusher. Some names we could see Ballard dangle to make available include (but not limited to) and some names to watch out for in the coming weeks.
Edge rusher Kwity Paye
I know that getting rid of the EDGE position when you need pass rush help is not ideal but if you can move Kwity Paye and some draft capital for an upgrade like Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson or Dolphins DE Bradley Chubb. Hendrickson is on an expiring contract but is still playing at a high level.
Chubb would bring some new life to the pass rush and has a reasonable contract number and is signed through the 2027 season. I think we can all agree that Paye has been underwhelming, and he will likely command a new huge deal that the production has not matched.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson
As mentioned above, this is clearly Daniel Jones team now and the Richardson era is over. We all wanted it to work but it appears some maturity issues and developmental abilities have spurned his growth with the franchise.
I am not saying he cannot blossom somewhere else, it just will not be in Indianapolis anymore. Teams that need some quarterback depth include Pittsburgh, NY Jets, and Las Vegas. Unfortunately, we will be negative on receiving capital back, but this is a time where you build up as much as you can to make a larger move.
Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell
I am going to get hammered for saying this about moving AD Mitchell. I know he is arguably the most talented route runner on the roster, but his maturity continues to be an issue. We saw how Steichen handled this with Richardson, and I think it might be the same as Mitchell now.
If you truly believe you can re-sign Pierce this offseason (and we should) then moving on from Mitchell doesn’t seem far-fetched. Micheal Pittman Jr, Pierce, Josh Downs and Ashton Dulin have been the core so far this season.
If you can move these three players (or more) for some draft capital and be willing to part with more could we see the franchise, take a big swing with someone on team that will be in selling mode? Like say the New York Jets, will need a new QB as soon as next year and willing to develop him? Moving both Richardson and Mitchell gets you new draft capital to stockpile.
A local Colts beat writer Destin Adams brought up a scenario that I loved. The ultimate prize for this team, if they can get it would be Jets CB Sauce Gardner. Just signed a fresh contract with New York but with things going south quickly it could be time for them to move off large contracts.
The pairing of Ward and Gardner would be the best in the league. It allows Kenny Moore to stay in the slot, and you can rotate Justin Walley (next season) and Mekhi Blackmon. Gardner also shores up this secondary for a potential deep playoff run.
Getting Gardner would probably involve a high draft pick along amongst the plethora of picks we would have to give up but having the quarterback situation solidified allows us to make more justified moves instead of making swings and seeing if works. This Colts team is a contender and it’s time to make moves like a contender should.