Should the Colts Make These Trades?
The opening rounds of free agency may be over, and the NFL Draft may have passed, but there are still plenty of roster moves to be made before training camp opens next month around the NFL.
Bleacher Report (B/R) posted a series of trades they thought each team should make before training camp begins. The Indianapolis Colts were involved in two of these deals.
Obviously the first was their suggestion for the Colts, and the second was for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to do a deal with the Colts.
First, B/R thinks the best move the Colts could make is to bring in cornerback Marcus Peters from the Baltimore Ravens for a 2023 3rd-round pick.
The 29-year-old Peters was one of the most dangerous turnover threats in the NFL until his injury. He has 31 interceptions and 86 pass breakups in seven seasons and has become a much more trustworthy option in coverage compared to his first two years in the league.
Indianapolis would be a natural landing spot as it goes all-in around Matt Ryan. The current array of options across from Stephon Gilmore is a gamble, as Brandon Facyson hasn't even put together a full season of consistent play yet. Peters would raise the ceiling of that unit considerably in 2022. -- Ian Wharton, B/R
A 3rd-round pick for Peters may be a little rich for the Colts. While Wharton mentions Facyson in his summary for the deal, third-year man Isaiah Rodgers appears to be a very good option at cornerback heading into the 2023 season.
We consider Rodgers one of the NFL's best-kept secrets, and Wharton may have just proven that to be true. Rodgers had a coverage grade of 71.8 last season according to PFF, significantly higher than the 42.5 from Facyson on a similar number or defensive snaps.
The second trade involving the Colts came from the suggestion that the Buccaneers should be looking to get an upgrade at edge. Tampa sends wide receiver Tyler Johnson to the Colts while Ben Banogu goes the other direction.
A second-round pick in 2019, Banogu has been a complete nonfactor for the Indianapolis Colts. The 6'3", 250-pounder checked every athletic box to be worthy of development. Unfortunately, the athleticism hasn't translated to any on-field success. In fact, Banogu has spent more time inactive than he has on the field.
Meanwhile, Tyler Johnson could fill the slot-receiver role for the Colts. He's a nice possession receiver who has played well when given the chance. The Colts have dealt with a slew of injuries at the position, so adding a young but promising talent in exchange for Banogu makes sense. -- Ian Wharton, B/R
A former 5th-round pick, Johnson had 360 yards on 36 catches in 2021 for the Buccaneers. Still just 23 years old, he could be a solid return for the thus-far disappointing Banogu.
In the dog-days of summer, it becomes the speculation season. While the odds of these moves coming to fruition are slim, they're still worth exploring as possibilities as general manager Chris Ballard continues to build a playoff contender around Matt Ryan in 2022.
