Over the weekend, the Indianapolis Colts got some bad news regarding their franchise quarterback. According to multiple reports, Carson Wentz suffered a foot injury that could jeopardize some or most of his season. The belief is that surgery is needed, but Wentz is opting to rest the foot, hoping that it heals before Week 1.
The Colts are a team that appears to be ready to win now. They’ve got several big-name players that are eligible for extensions and it seems unlikely they will be able to bring this collection of talent back in 2022 and beyond. For that reason, the team might be interested in trading for a veteran quarterback to start while Wentz is out.
In a recent piece by Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report, he suggested that the Colts should call the Raiders about Marcus Mariota. It’s pretty clear that this will be Mariota’s last year in Las Vegas and the Raiders could move him for the right price. Here is a snippet of Davenport’s thoughts on a potential trade:
“There would be a few hang-ups to overcome here. The biggest would be convincing the Raiders to part with him. Mariota restructured his contract in the offseason and just has a $3.5 million cap hit (plus incentives) 2021, so Vegas doesn’t get much benefit from shedding his deal.
It would take substantial compensation for the Colts to make it worth the Raiders’ while, whether it’s a Day 2 pick or a later-round pick and a player. And after already giving up at least a second-rounder next year in the Wentz deal. Ballard could be reluctant to part with even more substantial draft capital.”
The Raiders would love to get back a Day 2 pick for a player they hope never sees the field in 2021, but that price tag seems a bit rich. But could they trade for another player, such as defensive tackle Robert Windsor or defensive end Ben Ganogu to improve their pass rush? That might be the more appealing offer for the Raiders.
Either way, look for the Colts to explore every quarterback option as Wentz is on the mend. Mariota would be a cheap and suitable option for a team that wants to win the division in 2021.
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