Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts Trade Candidates 1 Week Ahead of NFL Deadline

Starting point is 00:00:00 The NFL trade deadline is just a week away. Will the Colts stay put or will they make a move? Let's get to it. You are locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All right. What's up, everybody? Thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network,

Starting point is 00:00:40 your team every day. And today's show is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. What's up all? I am Jake Arthur of HorseshoeHuddle.com. And today we are talking the Colts and the NFL trade deadline that's coming up.

Starting point is 00:01:03 Spooky season, Halloween 4 PM. All teams must be done making all their trades for the remainder of the season. By then, last year we saw Naheem Hines get dealt at the buzzer. So let's go through offense, offense and defense, see which players could be on the move. You know, which players make sense for other teams to want. And, you know, it players make sense for other teams to want. And, you know, it has to make sense for the Colts to kind of deal them away as well. We'll also kind of look at some outliers that have maybe been rumored, but perhaps don't quite make a whole lot of sense. And then we'll wrap things up talking about the offense and how things might change a

Starting point is 00:01:39 little bit over the remainder of the season. We've kind of seen some developments. Jonathan Taylor's back and looks really good. Michael Pittman Jr. had some things to say. Jelani Woods is still yet to return. So let's look at some of those things and see how the offense might evolve. But first, let's go ahead and talk about the offensive side of the ball with trade candidates. And I feel like the most glaring one right now is we got to talk about Michael Pittman Jr. He has been rumored in trade rumors throughout the offseason, really. And now after the Colts lost to the Browns on Sunday, showed a little bit of frustration, spoke with Nate Atkins of the Indy Star and said, maybe I'm just not a big part of the offense. Basically pointing out he only had a handful of targets, I think just five targets in that one, only two

Starting point is 00:02:28 catches. On the season, he is far and away the Colts' leading receiver, you know, receptions, targets, yards, all of it really. But when you look at it, like there's numbers to it. In the first three games, he was targeted an average of 11.3 times, but in the four games since, just 7.8 targets. And in those four games, there's only been one game where he's been targeted more than seven times. That was that Jaguars game. I think he had like 13 targets. So he was getting targeted quite a bit in the early portion of the season, but then it fell off quite a bit with the exception of two weeks ago ever since then and yes he's the leading receiver he's being targeted the most I if I'm putting myself in his shoes I think the frustrating part would probably be the consistency because the numbers are there overall

Starting point is 00:03:19 but it's like from half to half game to game you don't know if you're going to be targeted a couple times or what, because we've seen a couple times now this season where he's only been targeted like once or twice in whole halves. You know what I mean? There was one game that escapes me earlier in the season. Had a really big output overall for the game, but like it almost all came in the second half. And, you know, he said, you know, when I'm targeted, when I get my hands on the ball, I do stuff with it. And that makes sense.

Starting point is 00:03:48 He's had, he's had a handful of big plays this year showing off his yak ability, showing off his deep, deep catching ability as well. I'm all for getting, getting the guy more targets, or at least in a more consistent basis. Like, cause he's projected to have a huge season. Like it's going to be a career year for him. It looks like, but do it more consistently. You know what I mean? Like the game plan is going to change week in and week out.

Starting point is 00:04:17 You're going to run the ball more. You're going to want to attack over the middle of the field with like your slot receivers and tight ends more like it's going to change. But if I'm him, I'm just probably looking for more consistency. So I get that. Now looking at him as a trade candidate, I can see why other teams would want him. He's a fringe wide receiver one, like high end wide receiver two for a lot of other teams. So a lot of a lot of people like to compare him to like T. Higgins. They kind of put them on a similar scope. Yeah, T. Higgins is maybe a one on a lot of teams, but you put him next to Jamar Chase, and he's like an awesome wide receiver too.

Starting point is 00:04:55 That could be what you're looking at with Pittman. But regardless, he's going to be paid like a wide receiver one. He's going to hit the open market this next offseason if he's not locked up sooner that's a guy that's going to make well over 20 million dollars a year so for the colts they have to weigh you know how much do we want to pay for that because that's the going rate for guys like this and however they feel about running backs we obviously saw they finally paid jonathan taylor but teams are a lot more willing to pay receivers nowadays. So if they don't lock up Pittman, another team certainly will.

Starting point is 00:05:31 So that's something they have to weigh is if another team comes calling with a super enticing offer, of course. But overall, he's a really valuable player. To me, I think you just keep adding players around him. Like he's he's definitely an asset. He's a really valuable player. To me, I think you just keep adding players around him. He's definitely an asset, and he's right. When he gets the ball, good things do tend to happen. So he is probably the most glaring name to keep an eye on just because he's the most often rumored. I personally don't think it's going to happen.

Starting point is 00:05:59 I think the Colts would like to prioritize bringing him back, but we'll see. Until the trade deadline passes, we're going to keep hearing that name. And then I think the next ones you look at on offense, this is a really deep tight end group. So Jelani Woods, of course, is kind of the X factor because he's still on IR with that hamstring injury. But you've got Kylan Granson, who's been productive. Mo Alley-Cox is there doing his thing. He's not been used much as a receiver, but Will Mallory has stepped up. Drew Ogletree has been really good. Only seven catches for Ogletree, but six of them have been at least for a first down or touchdown.

Starting point is 00:06:34 So you've got a deeper than average tight end group at a position in the NFL where it seems like it's just everyone's scraping the barrel. Like not many teams have even a couple tight ends that they really, really like it seems. So the Colts have at least three or four guys who could play on, on a lot of offenses. So that's a group I would keep an eye on, you know, Kylan Granson and Mo Alleycox. They're both free agents after 2024. Mo Alleycox has no dead cap after this

Starting point is 00:07:08 season as well on his contract. So those are some tradable players. I think they'd be much more likely to hold on to Drew Ogletree. They obviously just drafted Will Mallory. So Granson and Mo Alleycox, that's a couple guys I could see other teams maybe wanting. I mean, Alleycox has put out good film on tape before, uh, some other team could be enticed by what they've seen him do. Uh, he actually has been a kind of a big play receiver throughout his career. A lot of his catches have gone for touchdowns or chunk plays. I mean, he's not the most nimble guy in the world, but it can't be denied that the guy can make some plays down the field. So I would definitely keep an eye on that because Woods,

Starting point is 00:07:49 I mean, I'm not going to say he has no value right now, but he has to get back on the field for another team to want to go for him. Yeah, I don't know. Drew Ogletree, I think he has been the one who's probably shown the most consistent high-ceiling ability since he's been back on the field this season. So I don't know. Tight end is a really deep group that another team might look to poach. As far as the offensive line goes or the receivers goes, I don't really see much movement happening there. Now they do have Blake Freeland who's been getting some extra snaps,

Starting point is 00:08:26 but they've needed it. Like Braden Smith's been hurt. Bernard Ryman was hurt earlier. So they kind of need to have all three quality tackles. Don't really see anything happening there. So here in a moment, we'll look at the defensive side of the ball, maybe some players that make sense for other teams to want there. But first, a word from our sponsors.

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Starting point is 00:11:29 channel. All right, dudes, let's talk defense. So when you're talking trades, you're talking the Colts, you're talking defense. I feel like the first name everyone gravitates to is Shaquille Leonard. And I think this one has more validity now than it did at the beginning of the year because Leonard is back and playing his his usage is increasing uh he's starting to make a couple more plays he hasn't had the big turnovers or anything yet but you can see him really active out there like his film is showing a player who is not just fading and into the into the

Starting point is 00:12:02 mist like he kind of was earlier in the season so i mean the colts have ej speed they have zyre franklin franklin has been one of the better linebackers in the nfl this year ej speed gets better all the time the dude just makes plays kind of got robbed of having arguably the biggest play of his career near the end of sunday's game against the browns so that kind of makes leonard the odd man out and he's game against the Browns. So that kind of makes Leonard the odd man out. And he's easily got the biggest price tag. I mean, he's got 12 million. So it's just 12 million in dead cap over the next two seasons.

Starting point is 00:12:37 But if you live out the rest of his contract, it's over $60 million. And that's for a player who's not really necessarily playing at that price anymore. So again, that's just going to be one, man, the Colts aren't really ones to lock themselves into contracts where they just don't make sense at that level anymore. I mean, we saw it with like, we've seen it with Quentin Nelson. He had kind of a dip in his play, but he got better. He got healthier and he's looking like Quentin Nelson again. Leonard, we haven't seen that yet. And he's kind of being overshadowed by his teammates in Franklin and Speed. So in terms of just the return on investment that they're getting, that's when I would keep an eye on. Now, will another team want to take

Starting point is 00:13:25 that on? That's iffy because I mean, the Colts have the luxury of having three really good linebackers because Leonard is still a really good linebacker. It's just the price that is the question mark, you know? So if there are other teams out there that are hurting for linebacker play, if we see an important linebacker around the league go down with a significant injury in the next week or so, then maybe it makes sense. I mean, Leonard still has the uncanny ability to turn the ball over and make plays where other guys can't. That's not a skill you lose. Now, we haven't seen it yet this year, but again, you don't lose that. You know how to punch the ball out. There's so much that goes into it. Plus he's just always, he like across the middle of the field,

Starting point is 00:14:09 he always seems to find himself in the right spot with a pass breakup or even a pick that stuff's coming. We all know it's coming at some point. The guy's just got to, you know, continue getting his feet under him and getting more comfortable. But yeah, with, with the trade deadline just a week away, is it going to be the Colts that see that? Probably. I think it's not very likely that Leonard gets moved by the trade deadline. The timing just doesn't make sense there. We're not seeing him play like the maniac yet for another team to want to come in and absorb that contract

Starting point is 00:14:43 or give the Colts any amount of compensation that would make sense. So I don't think Leonard gets moved. But if he were to, it would probably happen in the offseason. And then they've got a couple other interesting areas. I'll go over these guys real quick. So Grover Stewart and Kenny Moore are both going to be free agents after this season. Grover, of course, is dealing with the six-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances. That's a tricky situation because obviously no team is going to want to take that on right now. But he's one of the best nose tackles in the league. Again, I wouldn't put much validity to that. I mean, he's getting older and he's only got a year left, but

Starting point is 00:15:26 I feel like nose tackles play at a high level for a pretty long time. And there's no reason for the Colts to want to move on from that. Kenny, he's been reinvigorated as well. Like that guy is just again, playing out of his mind. I think he has seven tackles for loss this season as a slot cornerback. That's great. He has a one and a half sacks. I think he's like fourth on the team in tackles. He has really been kind of reinvigorated, reignited. Like that guy is playing really good football. So again, he's a free agent after the season, but they really need him, especially after we don't know how long Juju Brents will be out, but we've seen how fragile that cornerback depth is for this team.

Starting point is 00:16:07 So I wouldn't move on from Kenny. Now a group that makes sense. We were talking about tight ends earlier with offense. Let's talk about the safeties. So they've got three playable safeties, Rodney Thomas, Nick Cross and Julian Blackman. Blackman's been the best this year. He's starting to make a lot more plays. He's got picks in two of the last three games. He's kind of like Leonard in that

Starting point is 00:16:30 he knows how to make these uncanny special plays on the ball. We don't see it as much from him, but he also tends to kind of get robbed of those as well. The play will be whistled dead or it'll be overturned, have you but um blackman is starting to play really really good football lately nick cross is a guy everyone wants to get on the field but it's like they can't find the snaps for him like he you want to get him on the field 20 25 snaps or so a game but like the flow the game just doesn't dictate it and it's like who do you take off uh rodney thomas finally his first pick of the flow of the game just doesn't dictate it, and it's like, who do you take off? Rodney Thomas, finally, his first pick of the year against the Browns. So you got three guys who really are jockeying for two positions, because as much as the Colts want to, I just

Starting point is 00:17:17 really don't think they can get all three guys on the field as much as they want. And Cross is the youngest one, and he's probably the one with the highest upside but he's the one they just can't find the playing time for so i don't know i know recently i saw julian blackman was listed as a potential uh trade asset now he might have the most value but he's the one playing the best football right now so i don't i don't know if you want to move on from that you'd have to be really confident that Nick Cross can come in and provide that eventually within, you know, the next year. Cause you don't want to have some huge drop off for the next year after you get rid of Blackman. But again, you have these two guys. If the intention is that

Starting point is 00:17:58 you're going to let Blackman walk in the off season though, why don't you go ahead and get something for him now? It it's again it's just tricky because you ship the guy off and you have you're you're getting rid of your best safety and what do you say for the rest of the season that one's kind of tricky now Rodney Thomas that one's that one's just really iffy because I mean he was your leading interceptor last year with four as a rookie, but only just now got his first one. And he hasn't made a lot of plays yet to this point in the season. So how do you weigh that value? Because, I mean, he showed all that flash as a rookie, so you know it's there.

Starting point is 00:18:39 And, I mean, he just made a really acrobatic interception against the Browns. So I don't know. It's a group that holds trade value. I mean, let me know what you guys think in the comments here. If the Colts are going to trade out of any position, I think tight end and safety probably makes the most sense. Coming up here, we are going to wrap it up by talking about how the offense might evolve a little bit based on kind of recent events. But first let's hear another word from our sponsors. Buying tickets to your

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Starting point is 00:20:31 So the Colts have been kind of going through it on offense when it comes to the defenses they've played. They've played a bunch of really good run defenses especially. But we've kind of seen them break through a lot of those like the the titans were arguably the best run defense in the league at the time colts blew them away there zach moss had a great game last week against the browns the browns were and probably still are the best defense overall in the league again colts rolled through 150 yards zach moss was really good jonathan taylor was really good so they Taylor was really good. So they're

Starting point is 00:21:05 starting to get out of kind of this gauntlet of awesome defenses. They do still have some top 10 matchups to go against. New Orleans this week, they have the fourth rated defense. New England is ninth. Atlanta's third and Las Vegas is 10th. But overall, they don't have these killer matchups, like these really daunting ones. But the thing of it is we've seen them overcome those. And the biggest problem has been the turnovers. That's just, that's just been the biggest, most frustrating part. And you've heard us harp on it the last couple of weeks is if you're going to have some offensive success and you're moving the ball and you're scoring points, like turning the ball over is just such it,

Starting point is 00:21:45 like it just gets magnified. Like turning the ball over in general is bad, but when it's literally costing you the games and putting you in positions like last week against Cleveland, where the referees are able to decide the outcome on the final drive, it shouldn't get to that point. So looking at things, I think there's some factors that can make the Colts offense a little more secure. First and foremost, Jonathan Taylor is back and he looks like Jonathan Taylor. They're ratcheting up his involvement. Been back for three weeks now. He went from a 15% snap share to 42% the next week and then to 50 with Zach Moss last week. So I think we're going to see that start to continue a little bit,

Starting point is 00:22:27 maybe like 65, 35. But eventually, I mean, Jonathan Taylor, I don't think he's going to like dominate the backfield occupancy, but I think it's going to be where he's definitely in control, but it won't be, I don't think it'll be a 50, 50 split anymore. But just the way he's moving, like he's shown that he's still got burst and that elusiveness, he's able to break tackles. He's running through arm tackles, but I also really like how they've been using him, you know,

Starting point is 00:22:57 split them out wide, run them on a slant. We've seen him used on those, um, direct snaps plenty before when Frank reich was here um so they're keeping that up but i would like to see them add kind of more diversity to that like can he pass out of that like not like i mean we're talking like wildcat stuff just like simple stuff like we've seen christian mcafree ladania and tomlinson do just like 10 15 yard throws like if you're going to have them take direct, direct snaps, maybe add those wrinkles into it. And that's probably in the playbook. It's probably just stuff we haven't seen yet. Um, but I just really liked that they

Starting point is 00:23:35 are taking advantage of his explosive capabilities with the new coaching staff. I feel like every coach who has asked about Taylor, they talk about how explosive he is, his home run ability. So I expect this to kind of get back to more to where 2021 was. I don't think they'll have to totally hide the passing game like they did with Carson Wentz. But I think this can be a much more run centric offense based around Taylor and Moss. And then, you know, just have Minshew take what the defense gives him and fingers crossed that he's not turning the ball over so much. And then I think the offense can be a lot more effective that way. And then I think another big thing, let's hope for the starting five offensive linemen

Starting point is 00:24:20 to be healthy all at the same time again. Maybe they can string a few weeks together where they're all as one. Now, they haven't really had any performances this year where it's been a complete disaster. They've had to face some guys like Miles Garrett where they obviously are going to take their lumps. They're going to get TJ Watt later this season. But just at least having all five guys healthy and playing together

Starting point is 00:24:43 would be a big bonus. They've obviously been missing Braden Smith lately. Before that, it was Bernard Ryman, Will Fries, and Ryan Kelly this time. So getting all five guys together, they haven't really had that since week two, I don't think. So that'll be huge. Again, the offensive line has already been playing really well, but I think we'll see them take another step once all those guys are together again. And then I'm very curious as to how things will stack up in the passing game.

Starting point is 00:25:12 I think Pittman is going to continue to be the guy, but I think Downs' target share is going to start going up more as well. He's not just been a little shifty slot receiver. The guy's making plays downfield as well. Everyone raves about his football IQ, and he knows where to be at the right time. just been a little shifty slot receiver like the guy's making plays downfield as well um everyone raves about his football iq and he knows you know where to be at the right time that breakdown that offsides um where he had the long touchdown on sunday with gardner minchu that was a really heads-up play by minchu but it was also a really heads-up play by downs uh to keep going and know

Starting point is 00:25:41 they had a free play with the offsides going so that guy's he's just going to keep going and know they had a free play with the offsides going. So that guy, he's just going to keep getting more and more involved. Eventually, we'll see if Jelani Woods is out there, if they can activate the window for him, the 21-day practice window. He's going to be a big wrinkle. Imagine the things they've done with Will Mallory and Drew Ogletree, getting those guys the ball downfield. I think we'll see that with Woods. I'm really intrigued.

Starting point is 00:26:06 I think everyone else is to see what Woods could look like in a Shane Steichen offense. I think that's going to be really nice because with a quarterback like Gardner Minshew, who takes advantage of tight end matchups, I think Woods could become one of his favorite targets, and we could right away see him be a pretty big part of the offense. And then last thing is kind of alec pierce emerging uh we finally saw a couple downfield shots for him uh he had three catches for first downs on sunday um one big thing we've kind of been waiting to see is are those you know down the sideline shots but like he could do other

Starting point is 00:26:42 things get him going over the middle those slants he did that a couple times on Sunday um but just big like I think him and Minshew were starting to get on the same page another example that Myles Garrett had another offsides on Sunday and so Minshew knew he had a free play and he lofted it downfield to Pierce so that's another guy who we could see start to get a little more involved. It just doesn't have to all be the deep shots. Like the guy can make chunk plays in other, in other ways. And he's a, he's a big bodied guy who can pick the ball out of the air. You know, he's going to have a wider catch radius than a lot of guys he's going against. So we will see how all of that develops, but I think that is it for me today, guys. If you don't already follow at locked on Colts at Jakets, at JakeArthurNFL, and at ZachX2 on Twitter.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts Trade Candidates 1 Week Ahead of NFL Deadline

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