Laiatu Latu cannot go it alone for the Indianapolis Colts in terms of providing a consistent pass rush, and for that reason, Indy should take the Minnesota Vikings on their offer to work out a trade involving edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
Ahead of next week's free agency, various outlets reported that the Vikings were open to moving the soon-to-be 29-year-old Greenard. The issue isn't that he isn't good, but that he is expensive. In the next two seasons, he has cap hits of a bit over $22 million. That hit would be less for a team that acquires the pass rusher.
Minnesota is seemingly open to taking a Day 2 pick for Greenard, which would mean a second- or third-rounder. The Colts, of course, do not have a first-round pick this year or next as general manager Chris Ballard traded those to the New York Jets during the 2025 season in exchange for cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Indianapolis Colts should give the Minnesota Vikings a call to see what they'd need for Jonathan Greenard
Would Ballard be bold enough to trade the team's third-rounder this season for Greenard? Maybe. Moving the second-round pick should be outof the question, though, as leaving a team trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020 without selections in the first two rounds of the 2026 draft would be criminal.
Would Indy be able to get a player of Greenard's quality in either of those rounds, though? While he dealt with a shoulder issue in 2025 and missed five games, and he finished with just three sacks, he did have 47 total pressures. That would have ranked second on the Colts this past season, only behind Latu's 61.
Greenard also had 12.5 sacks for the Houston Texans in 2023 and 12 for Minnesota in 2024. He has proven his value as an excellent pass rusher in the NFL.
He is also good against the run, so he is definitely a three-down edge rusher who would be an upgrade over players who might be leaving Indianapolis in free agency, Kwity Paye and Tyquan Lewis. He'd be more expensive, but the team would also get their money's worth compared to the almost always underwhelming Paye.
Currently, the Indianapolis Colts have draft picks in rounds two through five, as well as one in round seven. The team might also add two comp picks, but those won't come until the sixth or seventh rounds. Comp picks will likely be known next week, just ahead of the official start of free agency on Wednesday, March 11.
In other words, Chris Ballard could be bold enough to move on from a third-round selection and give that to the Minnesota Vikings for Jonathan Greenard. Or he might be a bit shy now, after he seemingly gave too much to the Jets in return for Sauce Gardner.