Two Colts players that other teams may try trading for during 2024 offseason

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard loves two things: young players and speed. Ballard has made it a point to get young players in the draft and speedy players to fill big shoes. Outside of some veterans, the Colts have a young roster going into 2024.

With promising young players on the roster, emerging stars, and established veterans, the Colts have a few players that other teams could come calling for in the offseason. Let’s jump into the list.

Teams could call Colts about DeForest Buckner

The first and most obvious choice is DeForest Buckner. A product of Chris Ballard trading a first-round pick to the 49ers a few years ago, Buckner has more than played out his worth. This season his cap hit is about $23 million and Chirs Ballard doesn't like big deals for one player. Buckner is 30 entering this season and probably has a few more good years left, but the Colts could look to move on from the aging veteran.

A few candidates would include the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs could lose Chris Jones in free agency after the holdout situation and the one-year deal. Buckner could fill the role and provide interior pressure from the defensive line. Another candidate would be the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals have lost J.J. Watt to retirement recently and let Patrick Peterson go a few seasons ago. Arizona is lacking a defensive leader and a veteran to lead the young team they are trying to build— Kyler Murray isn't that person.

Another fit would be the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones loves big flashy names and Buckner could be a person to fill that role. With an already stacked defense, the Cowboys could use some interior defensive linemen to get some pressure on the quarterback. With Micah Parsons playing like an elite talent, Buckner could fit right into a defense that is already stacked.

Teams could call Colts about E.J. Speed

The breakout linebacker for the Colts has seen success in the defense run by Gus Bradley. Reminiscent of Bobby Wagner, the young talent has seemingly made a name for himself as a tackling machine. EJ Speed could be a trade candidate due to the need for speedy linebackers in the NFL. Players like Micah Parsons and the recently released Shaquille Leonard have changed the game entirely. Speed would garner a low second or a high third-round pick at the very least but teams desperate for a linebacker could pay more.

A few teams I could see trading for him are the Chicago Bears with connections to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus who's presumably in a win or you're fired mode. Eberflus could look at a few of the Colts players to come in to help a defense that was awful last season. They also have a huge draft haul with the trade from the Carolina Panthers last season for the first overall pick in the draft.

Another team I could see is the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams' fall from Super Bowl grace has been interesting and with an aging defense including Aaron Donald who seemed reluctant to come back in 2023, the Rams may try to look to outside help and spend draft capital on a defense that needs some help. The final team I could see making a move for a linebacker is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are going to have some hard decisions to make this offseason with Kirk Cousins and could look to bolster a defense that played much worse than they looked on paper.

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