With the NFL trade deadline now just a few days away, should the Indianapolis Colts be buyers, sellers, or stay put?
In a recent article over at ESPN, Bill Barnwell explored these options for a handful of teams who find themselves in that in between of whether they should buy or sell. At 4-4, just a half-game back of a playoff spot, the Colts were included in this group.
Ultimately, Barnwell believes that the Colts should stay put and not buy or sell. In short, with Joe Flacco at the helm, the Colts can win games and potentially make a playoff push–so they shouldn’t sell. However, this is also not a team that’s going to make a Super Bowl push–so they shouldn’t buy either.
The Colts made the switch from Anthony Richardson to Flacco over the week because, as head coach Shane Steichen put it, he gives Indianapolis the best chance to win.
In the short term, this is correct. And as already noted, the Colts find themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff race and they are also in the midst of the most daunting part of the schedule. How these next few weeks play out will carry a lot of weight in determining whether they can make a playoff push or not.
The big question for the Colts is whether or not the short-term gain of possibly making the playoffs is a worthwhile exchange for extending Richardson’s learning curve as an inexperienced quarterback who needs reps to work through the ups and downs he’s experiencing.
Either way, there’s no guarantee the Colts get the outcome they want. Going to Flacco won’t guarantee a playoff berth and sticking with Richardson doesn’t mean he’s going to figure it out–although when it comes to the long-term viability of the franchise, one of those options does make a lot more sense than the other, but I digress.
If the Colts were to make an addition, adding to the secondary or the tight end position would make a lot of sense. Bolstering their depth at running back and defensive tackle would make some sense too.
Cap space isn’t an issue for Indianapolis either, but it’s not as if making an in-season trade hasn’t been in Chris Ballard’s DNA during his tenure as the general manager.
However, having said all of that, everything just mentioned should be a moot point because, again, this is not a team that’s on the cusp of making a Super Bowl push. Trading future draft capital only takes away from future seasons, and for what? To be a wildcard team?
The Colts are in an interesting spot right now. They preached patience with Richardson but have now gone to Flacco, leading to even more unknowns around the future of the quarterback position. They made this move because they believe they can win now, but didn’t make any major outside additions during the offseason, so are they going to start now with a midseason trade?
For a team that seems to be stuck in the middle, staying put and seeing how things play out makes the most sense.
The NFL trade deadline is 4:00 PM ET on Tuesday, November 5th. If Ballard is considering making a move, a win on Sunday will likely play a key role in determining whether or not he goes that route.