Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - TRADE!: Indianapolis Colts Send Zaire Franklin to Green Bay Packers for Colby Wooden

Starting point is 00:00:01 The Indianapolis Colts have made a trade as they have swapped linebacker Zaire Franklin for defensive tackle Colby Wooden of the Green Bay Packers. 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. Welcome to Locked on Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network around. Hello, everyone. My name is Zach Hickshaw, resident film nerd of horseshoe huddle.com. I'm joined, as always, by Jake Arthur of Roundtable Sports. Today, we are joining you on a Saturday because we have some breaking news from the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have traded linebackers, Zaire Franklin, for defensive tackle,

Starting point is 00:00:54 Colby Wooden of the Green Bay Packers. It appears to just be a straight up player for player swap between the two teams. So a very, very rare thing that we're seeing here in the NFL. But Jake, let's talk about this immediate fallout of Zyer, Franklin being on the move. The Colts do save a good chunk of cash with this. I think by moving Franklin, you haven't heard in the notes, Jake, and you can probably clarify better for me. $7 million associated with Zyre Franklin. Wouldn't only one year left at $1.3 million. So the Colts inch closer and closer to being cap compliant before Tuesday's

Starting point is 00:01:27 deadline. Yes. So I just checked over the cap before we hopped on here. It looks like they were Johnny on the spot already had everything ready. So the Colts, you know, they're reading about $7 million of Zaire Franklin's contract. So it's pretty loft-side. You can see kind of what the Colts were going for here. Wooden is a defensive tackle with starting experience. Not very statistically productive from a pass rush standpoint, but he's only got 1.3 million of a cap hit.

Starting point is 00:01:59 One year left on his deal, Zaire 7. So this now brings the Colts up to, they're under the cap now finally. They're $154,000 under the cap. So like if they had to, if they had to submit their salary cap report right now, they could technically do it. But this is just one of what I assume is going to be at least a handful of moves to get under the cap by Wednesday afternoon. So Zaire, this, God, what was it? It's not even been a week since it's been announced that he's been on the trading block. And so they're moving him to Green Bay, Green Bay, which is dealing with, you know,

Starting point is 00:02:38 Koi Walker is a free agent. So they might lose him. They're bringing in a veteran. The Colts are bringing in some needed depth. I'm going to assume without knowing too much about Wooden yet that this is a three-tech backup for DeForest Buckner. He's like 274 pounds, I think. So he's 6-4-274. So he's not a huge guy.

Starting point is 00:03:00 But yeah, it's, I can see what the Colts are going for here. gets them cap compliant. And it gets, you know, some, some fresh new blood on the defensive line that they earned money in doing so. So I'm all for it. Yeah. Younger and Foster 7, and this is the first step towards getting there. Look, Franklin had been a fine player for a couple years. And we'll talk more about what this means with Franklin being on the move.

Starting point is 00:03:27 But with Colby Wooden, you know, you get a 25-year-old who still has another year left on his rookie contract. and he's been, again, he started 16 games last year, right? So this wasn't just a throwaway, like, bottom of the roster guy from the Green Bay Packers. You know, he played a lot of snaps last year to up and down results. Like he wasn't perfect by any means, but a former fourth round pick tested pretty well for his size. I think he's actually played some more like one tech as well, too, with the Packers. Like it wasn't just three tech type stuff and did show some good ability as a run defender, probably a little bit better of a run defender than Atatomio.

Starting point is 00:04:02 where Atatomiwa was a better pass rusher. So just adding more guys into that rotation to have a more diverse attack up front rather than it just being, you know, just Tommy Wah and Grover Stewart if DeForest Buckner is not good to go. I do wonder this, and maybe this is for like a future show, Jake. I wonder if a trade like this, though, does signify, again, some lingering concerns with DeForest Buckner going into next season. Sure. Major surgery on his neck at his age. Something you don't want to see, obviously. So I wonder if just continually beefing up that defensive line with, like, again, this isn't a nose tackle, right?

Starting point is 00:04:40 You didn't bring in a 340 pound nose tackle to back up Grover Stewart. This is like another at a Tommy Watt type player. This is another like pass rusher guy who can play a little bit on base down, but more so you want. You know, he's a little bit smaller for what you're looking for typically. So I wonder if this does also say, like, hey, DeForest Buckner, we're not too sure what the future looks like with him. Yeah, I think there's two big things you can take away here. They finally are going to, like, I do think they're trying to be cognizant of DeForest Buckner and be, you know, real about what he's going to be facing if he does play moving forward. because he needs to be on a rotation.

Starting point is 00:05:24 He probably needs to be playing 25-30 snaps a game at this point. So you get another capable guy who could probably move inside and out because at 274, knowing Lou Aniruma, that kind of sounds like a big end as well. Like I'm going to guess this guy moves around a little bit or at least will with Lou. So I see that. I see more rotation for DeForest Buckner.

Starting point is 00:05:45 But the linebacker remake is officially on. Zair Franklin was the face of that linebacker group, obviously. I've had my doubts on whether Jermaine Pratt's coming back. I kind of doubt it. He's getting up there. I think he's like 29. Speed is earliest thing. So I think the Colts are officially remaking this linebacker group.

Starting point is 00:06:05 They're trying to bolster the defensive line as well. So we are seeing what Chris Ballard is talking about with kind of remaking that front seven. So I do still think the draft is probably where they'll wind up looking to a date the linebacker room. They need a mic, though. That's the thing now. That's what people need to realize now. They need to find someone who specifically can be a green dot.

Starting point is 00:06:29 It's, you know, a will, this draft is rich and will linebackers, but there's only a handful of, like, key guys who I think who could call a defense. So that'll be really important going forward into the draft. Jacob Rodriguez, come on down, baby. I know you're a little bit small. Jake Gold Day as well, but they might have to trade up to get him. Yeah, with all those picks they have. But yeah, with Rodriguez at least, I know he's a little small,

Starting point is 00:06:53 but he was just a green dot on one of the best defenses in college football. So just throwing a little bit of draft there. But coming up, guys, we're going to continue this conversation about this trade, Zaire Franklin for Colby Wooden, and more so approach it from the Zire Franklin side of it all. The Colts are losing a team captain, losing a player who was one of Chris Ballard's best success stories, going from seventh round pick to perennial starter and all pro even one year in the NFL. what this means for the Colts going forward and what this kind of means for,

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Starting point is 00:09:20 you and book your appointment. All right, welcome back, everybody. We are joining you for a little emergency pod today. The Colts have traded stud linebacker, Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Colby Wooden. Zire Franklin is the one that's got a little more luster in this trade, but the salary is lopsided. The Colts are getting rid of about $7 million with Zire Franklin.

Starting point is 00:09:50 And Wooden entering the final year of his contract is like, Jesus, it's a million dollars. The Colts are now $150,000 under the salary cap. So they did it everyone. The offseason has been achieved. They can just barely afford one of us now, Jake. Yeah, exactly. I'll go for the vet minimum.

Starting point is 00:10:08 That's fine. So let's go into wood and just a little bit more, and then we'll go more broad strokes of what this means. So again, this guy's a former fourth round pick back in 23 with the Packers. He's 6'4, 273 pounds, 25 years old. Like Zach mentioned, he had pretty good draft testing back in 23, 33 and three-quarter inch arms. He ran a 4-7-9-9-foot-7-inch broad jump. So he's got some explosion to him. He has started 17 or 47 games. All of them came, though, in the last two years. Started 16 of them

Starting point is 00:10:44 last year for Green Bay. Last year, he put up 50 tackles, which is pretty good for a defensive of tackle and had a pass breakup and 28 stops, according to PFF. One thing I'm a little concerned about, though, is no sacks. I think he's got like a half of a career sack in 47 games. So we're going to have to go hit the film on that and see what's up with that. But regardless, if he's a good run defender, like there's some, you know, if he started 16 games, there's got to be something he excels at. So I'm excited to learn more about one.

Starting point is 00:11:14 Yeah, 270 pound nose tackle baby, the complete antithesis of everything I've ever wanted. But again, if you can defend the run in the NFL, especially at his size when the Colts go to their five-man defensive fronts, their grizzly fronts, he can probably boost out wide to their four tech, three tech on those and just be a good compliment to Grover Stewart. So I do have to watch a little bit more film on him. I know I liked him a little bit as a prospect a couple years ago, but got to see how his career has progressed, I guess, with the Green Bay Packers. I did like that he started 16 games last year. So again, this isn't just a throw-in of a bottom-of-the-roster like traitsy guy. This is a guy who has played in the NFL, and you're getting him at a very cheap contract. This is why it's so rare to see player-for-player deals in the NFL because rookie contract guys are making so much less than anybody after the rookie contract.

Starting point is 00:12:04 So that disparity in what you're getting in the trade is pretty nice for the receiving team of a rookie contract. So we'll see what Wooden's able to bring this next season. But I did kind of want to pivot a little bit before we leave this show, Jake, and probably to set up future. shows for us when it comes to Zyre Franklin. You know, this is the first step it feels like for the Colts, not only in getting younger and faster on defense, but also shaking up that leadership group that has been a part of multiple late season collapses, whether it was 2023, this past season, 2021. They've had so many late season collapses with the same guys wearing Cs on their jersey.

Starting point is 00:12:42 And I'm not going to sit here and blame it all on Zire Franklin. Like that would not be fair to him whatsoever. But again, you have to shake up something at the core of this roster when the same thing keeps happening to your team. So just from that perspective, like I have nothing negative to say about Zair Franklin as a person or, I mean, not even that much as a player. Like he had a great career for a seventh round pick with the Colts. But it was time to get that necessary shake up and just say, hey, this is not good enough. So, you know, he could be the first of a few captains that we don't see return. because the big question, I guess Michael Pittman Jr.

Starting point is 00:13:17 wasn't a captain last year. Or was he? He has been one time. I don't think he was this last year. Yeah, I don't think he was last year. But again, like that similar type of group of players, that's another player that's coming up here. So I think this is the first and maybe a couple steps to change some of the voices that are in that locker room. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:13:33 I mean, when one guy like that exits, it kind of forces somebody else to step up and take that role. Like Quinn Nelson has always been a leader on this team. but when Ryan Kelly left last offseason, Quentin really felt a need to step up and like take a leadership role and set accountability and not let anyone skate by. And I mean, you could say that had mixed results, but not from Quentin. Like we all noticed clearly starting in the off season and in the summer

Starting point is 00:14:03 how much of a leadership role he seemed to be taking on. So with Zaire Franklin going, it's going to force, you know, the hierarchy of the leadership to shift in the locker room. on defense because Zaire was also there like a rah-rah guy before games in him. He was the one trying to get everybody juiced and hyped and ready to go for a game. So it's going to be interesting. His presence is going to be missed.

Starting point is 00:14:29 Like they'll be able to tell he's not there anymore for sure. Very vocal leader. But a polarizing guy as well. He's not the kind of guy you're going to agree with everything that he does. I do think he gives you for, in most, In most scenarios, he gives you good football. He's coming off the worst season of his career, though. Statistically, everything was as bad as it's been throughout his career as a starter.

Starting point is 00:14:54 But, like, I think in the right system, he's going to be fine. I don't know what Green Bay is really going to run now without Jeff Haffley. So I don't, I can't tell you right now if he's a scheme fit, but like, if he would have gone to, like, the Gus Bradley tree or gone to, like, even the Eberflew tree where he could run and chase a little bit more, I think he would excel. Again, I don't know what lies ahead from in Green Bay, but I mean, Green Bay is getting a productive player. I don't think there's any side that necessarily won this.

Starting point is 00:15:24 I think the Colts accomplished what they set out to, which is build more de-line depth and rid themselves of some salary cap. So we'll see. It's going to be interesting moving forward because this was one of the most prominent figures in the locker room. Yeah, no, for sure. And one thing I'll close out this episode by saying, which again, I know a lot of fans don't feel the same sentiment towards Franklin, but I will always say from my personal dealings with him, from talking with him on and off, you know, online or in person, a very, very respectful guy. I could see he's a person that people gravitate towards. And I've always appreciated that about

Starting point is 00:15:59 him. Say what you want about his play on the field. Ups and downs for sure. Some good moments, some bad moments. And I do think it was time for the Colts to move on from the asset that was Zeyer Franklin. You could even say from the personality to a degree, because the podcasting and all the stuff off the field was just a distraction for a not good football team. But I just do want to say, like, thank you, Desire Franklin for how he's always treated members of the media, people in general, in person especially. Like, I think he's always been a very respectful and good dude. And I'm excited to see what he can do in Green Bay.

Starting point is 00:16:32 I hope he can find some good footing there and do some and play some good football. But I'm also excited to find out what Colby Wooden can do here with the Indianapolis Colts, especially when it comes to a defensive line room that has a lot of question marks aside from, I guess, aside from Grover Stewart and Layout Tu Latu. So that's all we have for today, guys. But don't worry, we'll have plenty more content coming in the future, especially when it pertains to what this defense looks like without Zyre Franklin and with Colby, wouldn't going forward. So thanks again for tuning in today to this bonus episode of Locktown Colts. We'll be back probably tomorrow.

Starting point is 00:17:04 I mean, knowing how this new cycle is going. You did tell them yesterday on Friday show that we would probably be back this weekend and it's less than 24 hours later. We'll probably back again tomorrow. I don't know. We have a lot going on here. Jake and I are on call at all times this off season. So make sure you subscribe to our show to get all the latest episodes. And if you don't already, make sure you're following at Lockedon Colts. At Jack Hicks 2, all on socials. And if you never miss an episode, then remember the Every Day or Club is built for you.

Starting point is 00:17:31 Get Locked on Colts audio ad free plus members-only Discord access and much more. Head to LockdownColts.com to join the club or follow the link in our show notes right now. Thank you all for tuning in. you guys again, probably back here tomorrow afternoon to talk more Colts.

Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - TRADE!: Indianapolis Colts Send Zaire Franklin to Green Bay Packers for Colby Wooden

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