Bleacher Report Identifies This Colts' Offensive Weapon As A Trade Piece
It's unlikely that Indianapolis Colts' General Manager Chris Ballard would trade away a key piece from the team he has built prior to the start of the 2021 season, but should he, Bleacher Report believes he should move a player from a rebuilt Colts' offense: No.4 running back Jordan Wilkins.
With veteran running back Marlon Mack back in the fold on a one-year deal, Wilkins finds himself buried on an incredibly deep, strong depth chart at the running back position in Indianapolis. Knowing that, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon identified Wilkins as a trade candidate ahead of the 2021 season.
Here's what Gagnon had to say about Wilkins being a possible trade candidate.
It was quite difficult finding obvious trade candidates on the Indianapolis Colts roster, but any running back not named Jonathan Taylor makes sense. Taylor emerged in a big way as a rookie in 2020, and there should be little doubt about his status as the lead back entering 2021. That being the case, it might not be necessary for the Colts to continue to carry 2018 fourth-round pick Nyheim Hines, 2018 fifth-rounder Jordan Wilkins and 2017 fourth-round selection Marlon Mack on the same depth chart. Mack is still being eased back from an Achilles injury and is back on a cheap prove-it deal, so the Colts should put both Wilkins and Hines on the block. Hines has a higher ceiling and is a better complement to Taylor, but he'd also likely fetch them more in a trade.
The fact that Gagnon even considered Hines – knowing how important on and off the field he is to the Colts — is ludicrous.
However, tabbing Wilkins as a possible trade pice shouldn't come as a surprise, considering his place on the depth chart, and the fact that he's entering into the final year of his rookie deal and doesn't have a clear path to playing time now or moving forward.
Should Ballard and the Colts consider moving Wilkins ahead of the 2021 season utilizing their depth, it's reasonable to assume the return could be a mid-round draft pick that could be rather valuable for the 2022 NFL Draft.
It's very unlikely Ballard would trade Wilkins away ahead of the 2021 season, unless undrafted free Deon Jackson clearly beats out the veteran running back, forcing Ballard to trade him away — rather than cut him — to recoup some draft capital.
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