The Indianapolis Colts opted against making a blockbuster trade for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and it seems it came down to poor timing as the Chicago Bears were negotiating.
It was a point of emphasis for the Bears to move the top pick as quickly as possible, and the Colts simply weren’t ready to pull the trigger on a deal of that magnitude because they hadn’t completed their evaluation of the quarterback class.
According to The Athletic, the Colts were involved in trade talks for the pick, but the timing wasn’t right.
The Colts (including Poles’ former colleague in Kansas City, Chris Ballard) were also involved but only to a certain point; the timing just wasn’t right for Indianapolis and some other clubs.
Part of it was likely due to the fact that the Colts spent a strong portion of the early offseason finding their new head coach. They landed on Shane Steichen, a worthy hire, but it took roughly 35 days for the process to complete.
This echoes what general manager Chris Ballard said during the NFL owners’ meetings last week. The Colts simply never felt convicted enough to pull the trigger on what would have been a blockbuster deal to acquire the No. 1 overall pick.
Now, the Colts hold the No. 4 overall pick as their evaluation process enters the home stretch. They have workouts scheduled with all four of the top quarterback prospects this week so they should have an idea of what they want to do.
That could mean holding still at No. 4 because they’re confident in all four quarterbacks. It could also mean they feel convicted enough to move up to the No. 3 overall pick in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals.
Regardless, we know the Colts were involved in trade talks for the No. 1 pick, and now it becomes a waiting game to see how they feel about this class.
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