Can the Colts Trade this Draft Bust?
Bleacher Report (B/R) updated their "one trade every team should make" series, and they've doubled down on the Indianapolis Colts moving edge rusher Ben Banogu to the Chicago Bears.
B/R first mentioned the deal last month, and while it has failed to materialize, writer Brent Sobleski isn't giving up.
New Bears head coach Matt Eberflus already brought defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad with him from the Indianapolis Colts. Why not make it a two-for-one deal?
The Colts needed more of an edge rush after the team finished among the league's bottom 10 last season with only 33 sacks.
So, general manager Chris Ballard traded for Yannick Ngakoue to serve as the Leo in Gus Bradley's defensive scheme. The development of second-year defensive linemen Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo should provide more reason for optimism. The Colts also brought back Tyquan Lewis as a reliable part of the rotation. Both Odeyingbo and Lewis provide flexibility with the ability to play along the defensive interior.
Ben Banogu, whom Indianapolis selected in the second round of the 2019 draft, has become the forgotten man. The fact that he's missed 15 games over the last two seasons with zero sacks is a good reason why. Injuries have slowed him, but he still presents some intriguing traits as a flexible and quick edge-rusher when he's on the field.
Maybe room doesn't exist for him in the Colts locker room, but the Bears could use another piece to implement Eberflus' system. - Brent Sobleski, B/R
Banogu has just 19 tackles in his three-year Colts career, and he has failed to live up to his second-round status when he was taken out of TCU in the 2019 draft.
He has appeared in nine games each of the last two seasons and has seen time on special teams as well as spot play on the defensive side of the ball.
Would the Colts like to recoup some of the draft capital they spent on Banogu?
Sure...
Even if Indianapolis were to pry a sixth-round pick from the Bears, they'd likely jump at the chance. That's not much of a return, but it's more than they've gotten from Banogu on the field since drafting him.
