Dayo Odeyingbo – Syndication Server

DeAndre Hopkins headlines 5 AFC South trade targets Cowboys must ask about before NFL deadline

If the Cowboys are going to contend, they’ll need to reinforce several problem areas. Here’s who the AFC South has to potentially offer. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys need help. Sure, they were able to stem the tide with their 20-15 win over the New York Giants on Thursday, but things are far from righted. Dallas has two victories on the season, over two teams that, as currently constituted, don’t seem very capable of winning many games.

They played two teams which look like contenders and were blown out. Through four games, clear deficiencies have appeared. There’s little depth behind All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb. The running backs are moving behind a work-in-progress offensive line and aren’t breaking tackles. The defensive line doesn’t appear capable of stopping a top rushing attack. Add it all together and what does it spell? Trade for help.

Picks are a commodity for the Cowboys more so than most teams. That makes it unlikely they want to part with any unless the price is in their favor. But with four comp picks on deck for 2025, perhaps the Cowboys would be willing to part for any of these players who could help.

We first examined the AFC North for help, where entering the weekend, three of the four teams are below .500. The same can be said about the AFC South, with only the Houston Texans looking like legitimate playoff contenders. That means the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans might be willing to part ways with soon-to-be free agents in exchange for draft compensation.

Here are five players the Cowboys should make calls about, to see if there may be a trade that can be worked out.

WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10)

Hopkins is dealing with yet another underdeveloped quarterback and the veteran simply doesn’t have that much time left in his career to waste. Now in his 12th season, he bounced back in 2023 to haul in 75 catches and surpass the 1,000-yard plateau for the seventh time in his career. Getting him to Dallas would solve the issues Dallas has had with Brandin Cooks, although the two aren’t similar in size or role. Pairing Hopkins with Lamb and TE Jake Ferguson would give the Cowboys an imposing arsenal at Dak Prescott’s disposal.

DT Taven Bryan, Indianapolis Colts

Christine Tannous USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Bryan has been a part-time starter since coming into the league in 2018 and is set to hit free agency next summer. He’d be a nice rotational pickup who could log some time at either position despite not being the prototypical size for a Mike Zimmer DT (6-foot-4, 291 pounds).

DE Dayo Odeyingbo, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (54)

Sitting behind Kwity Paye in the rotation, Odeyingbo has notched 13.5 sacks across the last two seasons. In Dallas, he may be helpful as a rotational 3-tech as opposed to an edge player, but he certainly offers more in both departments over draft classmate Chauncey Golston.

RB Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

This one’s more likely a pipe dream, but closed mouths don’t get fed. The Jaguars owner said he expects to win now and the team is winless. They drafted an impressive Tank Bigsby last year and perhaps they’d be interested in recouping a second-round pick for a talented back that will require a second contract before the club gets good again. If things fall down further in Jacksonville, the Cowboys should be prepared to make an offer for the exciting dual-threat runner with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons and who’s under the fifth-year option for 2025.

RB D’Ernest Johnson, Jaguars

More than likely the Jaguars are going to hold on to Etienne, so if rebuffed Dallas should focus on the backup’s backup in D’Ernest Johnson. He’s proved his worth as a depth piece over the years with a strong 3.07 yards-after-contact per attempt metric throughout his career, including 4.29 this season, albeit on only seven carries through Week 3.

An increased role for Colts’ Dayo Odeyingbo inside in Buckner’s absence?

With DeForest Buckner out, will the Colts look into Dayo Odeyingbo seeing an increased role inside during his absence?

The Indianapolis Colts already struggling run defense is going to have to navigate at least the next four games without high-impact defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

So, in Buckner’s absence, in an effort to bolster their porous run defense, could Dayo Odeyingbo see more snaps inside?

This wouldn’t be anything new for Odeyingbo. In 2023, nearly 200 of his 623 total defensive snaps came between the tackles. However, through two games this season, that hasn’t been the case. According to PFF, Odeyingbo has totaled just seven snaps inside.

Giving Odeyingbo more snaps between the tackles feels like a must for the Colts at this point. If not, that means an even heavier workload will be coming for Taven Bryan and Adetomiwa Adebawore.

The Colts issues against the run is a collective failure–it’s on everyone. However, more snaps for Bryan and Adebawore isn’t the path to turning this thing around either. These are two undersized defensive tackles who are pass rushers, not run defenders.

In addition to Odeyingbo lining up inside, Tyquan Lewis can provide some versatility in that regard as well.

This isn’t to say that Odeyinbo seeing more interior snaps will suddenly fix things. As already mentioned, it’s going to take a group effort to do so, which also includes improved play from Raekwon Davis and the Colts’ linebackers.

The run defense isn’t the only issue plaguing this Colts team right now, but without a doubt, it is the biggest. If this team is going to turn things around, it starts with being better against the run.

As we’ve seen through the first two games, when the defense is run over by the opponent, there is a negative trickle-down effect from that which impacts the entire team. Or in short, a really bad run defense is oftentimes just way too much to overcome.

Calf injuries for Colts’ DEs Samson Ebukam and Dayo Odeyingbo

Colts’ defensive ends Samson Ebukam and Dayo Odeyingbo are each deal with a calf injury at this time.

Following the Colts’ third training camp practice on Sunday, both defensive ends Dayo Odeyingbo and Samson Ebukam are dealing with with calf injuries.

At this time, we do not know the extent of the injuries for either player. Odeyingbo did not practice at all on Sunday and was seen on a stationary bike.

Ebukam did practice but had to be carted off, according to Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle, due to the calf injury he sustained.

“They’re both dealing with calfs,” said Steichen after Sunday’s practice.

Ebukam was signed during the 2023 offseason by the Colts and made an immediate impact. He led the team in sacks with 9.5 and was second in pressures, behind only DeForest Buckner. Ebukam also ranked ninth among all edge rushers in PFF’s run defense grade.

Odeyingbo, meanwhile, is coming off a 2023 season where he produced eight sacks and 29 pressures–both of which were career highs for him.

“I think it definitely helps in the sense that you see results in the work you’re putting in,” said Odeyingbo about his confidence after last season. “Production-wise, those are the kind of results you want to see.

“Just seeing consistent growth from year to year and production and in my technique personally is something that is something to be excited about and something I’m looking forward to this year.”

Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan noted that without either Ebukam or Odeyingbo on the field, Tyquan Lewis took over opposite of Kwity Paye at defensive end.

The depth of the Colts’ defensive front will be one of its key features this season, with the team believing they have eight or potentially nine players they can rely on over the course of a game–creating a constant barrage for the opposing offensive line to deal with.

The Colts’ defense is coming off a season where they produced a franchise record 51 sacks–the fifth-most in the NFL in 2023–but if there is one area where this unit can improve, as DeForest Buckner put it, it’s in the consistency in which they generate pressures.

DE Dayo Odeyingbo named ‘most underrated player’ for Colts

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo was named their ‘most underrated player’ by Touchdown Wire.

Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently named the “most underrated player” on each NFL team. For the Colts, Farrar chose defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo.

Here is a snippet of what Farrar had to say about him:

The 6-foot-6, 286-pound Odeyingbo had already shown the ability to win with speed and power on the edge, and a real knack for bombing opposing blockers from inside the tackles.

Odeyingbo has steadily improved each season that he’s been in the NFL. He is coming off his most productive year, totaling 29 pressures and finishing tied for third on the team with 8.0 sacks in 365 pass rush snaps.

A 2021 second-round pick, Odeyingbo is entering the final year of his rookie deal and faces some uncertainty around his future with the team.

This offseason, the Colts selected Laiatu Latu in the first round of the NFL draft and also picked up Kwity Paye’s fifth-year option for the 2025 season, which comes with a guaranteed salary of $13.38 million next year.

From a salary cap perspective, paying Odeyingbo — especially if he has another productive season — could prove difficult. The Colts currently rank 19th in available 2025 cap space, according to Over The Cap, although it does appear that they will roll over a sizable portion from 2024.

As always, there are cap maneuvers that can be done to create needed space, but doing so reduces future cap flexibility and takes away from adding to other position groups. There’s always give and take when it comes to opening up cap room.

For Odeyingbo, the uncertainty he faces is not front of mind. Instead, he’s focused on consistent growth — the same emphasis he’s had since arriving in Indianapolis.

“I don’t really think about that stuff,” said Odeyingbo on Wednesday. “It’s just part of football.”

Along with Odeyingbo, the Colts have what should be a very formidable defensive front that also includes Latu, Paye, Samson Ebukam, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart and Raekwon Davis.

Colts DE Dayo Odeyingbo not thinking about contract situation

Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo is entering the final year of his rookie deal, however, that isn’t something that he is focused on right now.

Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo is entering the final year of his rookie deal, however, a new contract is not something that’s on his mind at this time.

“I don’t really think about that stuff,” said Odeyingbo on Wednesday. “It’s just part of football.”

Odeyingbo is coming off a 2023 season where he posted 8.0 sacks, a career-high and the third-most on the team. Along with those sacks, Odeyingbo recorded 29 pressures.

With the Colts drafting Laiatu Latu in the first-round of this year’s draft, along with the team picking up Kwity Paye’s fifth-year option for the 2025 season, which comes with a guaranteed salary of $13.38 million, the odds of Odeyingbo being brought back likely took somewhat of a hit this offseason.

Another productive year for Odeyingbo could put him out of the Colts’ price range on the open market.

“Just seeing consistent growth from year-to-year and production and in my technique personally is something that is something to be excited about and somethingi I’m looking forward to this year.”

As of now, the Colts are projected to have $16.92 million in cap space next offseason, which ranks 19th in the NFL–although they are positioned well to rollover a decent amount of unused cap space from 2024. The Colts also have the ability to create more cap space through contract restructures.

The salary cap is flexible, so if the Colts are determined to bring Odeyingbo back, there is likely a way to make it work. However, there is always give and take, meaning spending more at defensive end reduces the Colts’ ability to add elsewhere.

In order for Odeyingbo to replicate last season’s sack production, he will likely need to get after the quarterback more regularly in 2024. Despite his high sack number, Odeyingbo ranked 45th out of 49 edge defenders in pass rush win rate.

Or, to put it another way, a very high rate of Odeyingbo’s pressures – perhaps an unsustainable amount – turned to sacks.

The Colts invested heavily into the defensive front this offseason. Along with picking up Paye’s option and drafting Latu, they re-signed Grover Stewart and Tyquan Lewis, added Raekwon Davis, and extended DeForest Buckner. This should be one of the more disruptive fronts in football this season.

Highlights from Colts DE Dayo Odeyingbo’s OTA media availability

Following Wednesday’s OTA practice, Colts’ defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo spoke with the media. Here are the highlights.

Following Wednesday’s OTA practice, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo spoke with the media.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights from that conversation. To watch the full interview, click here.

– “Expectations is what you want. That’s what we all work for,” said Odeyingbo about the defensive front. “We’ve built ourselves a platform, so now it’s time to show off and show our true potential.”

– Odeyingbo’s focus is on getting better each day and letting that process compound over the weeks and months. “At this point, I’ve been able to grow consistently, and that’s what I’m trying to continue to do.”

– Odeyingbo on his contract situation: “I don’t really think about that stuff. It’s just a part of football.”

– Odeyingbo says that drafting Laiatu Latu shows that building a great D-line will help you win. He adds that they already have a lot of guys in that room, and adding the “best rusher in the draft” is something special.

– Odeyingbo on where he’s improved the most in his career: He says that consistency in his technique is where he’s grown and also where he wants to continue seeing growth. Odeyingbo adds his confidence on the field has improved as well.

– “We’re a D-line that rotates,” Odeyingbo says that’s what the best defensive fronts in the NFL do. “It’s not about counting the reps, it’s about making the reps count.”

– Odeyingbo on his confidence after a productive 2023 season: “I definitely think it helps in the sense that you’re seeing results in the work you’re putting in.” Production-wise, that’s the results you want to see, and it’s about seeing consistent growth each year. Odeyingbo adds that his technique is something he’s excited about this upcoming season as well.

– “We have a lot of guys that can play all over the line,” said Odeyingbo on the defensive front’s versatility. “It definitely makes it easy to create good matchups for everybody,” along with confusing offensive lines and giving them different looks.

5 Colts set for bigger roles in 2024

These five Colts could see bigger roles in 2024.

With the page turning to the 2024 offseason for the Indianapolis Colts, it is time to take a look at which players are set to take on a bigger role.

There are a couple of players that made an impact in 2023 and have put themselves in a position to compete for an opening-day starting job. While there are a few that had some nice flashes this past year and will have a chance to carve out more playing time in the upcoming season.

Here are five players that are set to take on a bigger role in 2024:

Stock up, stock down from Colts’ 2023 season

The Colts’ stock report from the 2023 season.

When we take a look back at the 2023 season for the Indianapolis Colts, it was a good year for the franchise with several players having their best seasons of their career while having some setting new career-highs.

Finding players who raised their stock was easy but narrowing it down to a few was debated heavily. I went with the ones I believe saw a significant increase. As far as for players who saw their stock drop, that was a little more difficult.

There was a clear one who’s performance dropped off from 2022 but for the last two spots, I went with players that could’ve made more of an impact with their time spent on the field.

Let’s take a look at six Colts’ players who either saw a rise or fall in their stock from the past season:

8 Colts who could receive contract extensions this offseason

Taking a look at eight Colts who could receive contract extensions this offseason.

Ever since Chris Ballard took over as general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, they have been a team not afraid to hand out contract extensions to players they feel have earned it.

This is a big offseason for a Colts organization that is looking to build a playoff contender after narrowly missing out on the postseason. Re-signing some pending free agents to new deals and handing out some contract extensions to players currently under contract will be two ways of doing so.

We’re taking two schools of thought here as it pertains to contract extensions. The first includes pending free agents we believe could earn a multi-year deal before the new league year arrives in March.

The other includes players going into the final year of their current contract. We’ve seen Ballard hand out extensions in the past when players have one year remaining on current deals before that final season arrives. In theory, these deals would likely get done during the summer after free agency and the 2024 NFL draft have already passed.

Admittedly, we’re casting a pretty wide net here. Not all of the players below will receive a new deal this offseason. In fact, the majority of them probably won’t. But if there’s a slight chance they might, we’re going to make the argument as to why it could happen.

Here are eight Colts currently under contract who could receive a contract extension during the 2024 offseason:

Colts’ player of the game vs. Steelers: DE Dayo Odeyingbo

Dayo Odeyingbo is our Player of the Game from the Colts’ win over the Steelers.

Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo continued his breakout season with another strong outing in the 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. He earned our Player of the Game nod.

There were a number of worthy candidates for this recognition. Linebacker E.J. Speed had a fantastic day. Running backs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson stepped up into bigger roles while the offensive line play bully ball for the majority of the second half.

But Odeyingbo gets the shout-out here. He finished the day with four tackles (two solo), 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss.

Odeyingbo came through with timely pressure throughout the entire game. He would have had an extra sack added to his total, but it was negated by a Jaylon Jones defensive holding penalty.

Odeyingbo has been a catalyst in the pass rush this season, which is exactly what the Colts needed to see out of the third-year edge rusher.

With three games remaining, the Colts will need him to continue coming through with consistent pressure from the edge as he did in this crucial win over the Steelers.

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