With the NFL preparing to enter a new league year, the Indianapolis Colts have reportedly made multiple veteran starters available for trade.
On Wednesday, March 15, the NFL’s new league year starts. With that day comes free agency and trades as teams work to get better. After a 4-12-1 season, the Indianapolis Colts should be aggressive this offseason to get things turned around. They’ve already hired a new coach, and should be selecting a quarterback in the draft, and they also need to make upgrades to the roster in free agency.
Part of that process could involve moving on from some veteran players on the roster. Over the last few weeks, several teams have made some tough cuts or traded players that have been key players for a specific franchise. It’s now being reported that the Colts could be the next team to take part in this process.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN wrote in a recent piece that Indianapolis is looking to possibly trade a couple of veterans. Fowler wrote that Indy’s center, Ryan Kelly, is available for trade and could possibly be released. The same goes for tight end Mo Alie-Cox. Destin Adams of Sports Illustrated also reported that the list goes beyond Kelly and Alie-Cox.
Ryan Kelly and Moe Alie-Cox are two that have been reported already.
— Destin Adams (@TheDestinAdams) March 13, 2023
But the number of #Colts vets who have been made available goes beyond those two. https://t.co/xYxzTfSuzx
Colts could be moving on from Ryan Kelly and Mo Alie-Cox
Indianapolis moving on from Alie-Cox makes a lot of sense. It’s been understood that he could be a cap casualty due to the emergence of Indianapolis’ young tight ends. With Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson, and Drew Ogletree, the Colts could be comfortable letting Alie-Cox go.
Ryan Kelly, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated of a situation. There’s an argument to move on from Kelly because his play has declined some, and he has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit greater than $12 million in each of the next two seasons. However, although Kelly has struggled, he’s still Indy’s best option at center. With the offensive line really needing to improve, would it be better to bank on Kelly returning to a quality level of play, or gambling on someone who hasn’t shown their ability to be elite yet?
If the Colts do ultimately decide to move on from Ryan Kelly, they will have more cap space to work with, and that cap space needs to be utilized on creating a better offensive line that will give Indianapolis’ offense a chance to be productive. Whatever Indianapolis decides to do will come to light in the coming days.
READ MORE: Veteran quarterbacks Colts can sign as an insurance option