Possible Trade Destinations for Colts’ Jonathan Taylor

The Indianapolis Colts face a difficult situation with arguably their best player, running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Indianapolis Colts face a difficult situation with arguably their best player, running back Jonathan Taylor.

Taylor has been involved with contract drama featuring Colts owner Jim Irsay in recent weeks. He’s also formally requested a trade, dispelled injury designations listed by the team, and looked all-around angry at training camp while on the PUP (Physically Unable to Play) list.

Even though Irsay recently proclaimed the Colts wouldn’t trade Taylor under any circumstances, it doesn’t seem either side has made much progress in their respective arguments. During all this, there have been rumors of teams potentially interested in making moves for the running back.

With this in mind, it’s time to dive into a few franchises that could use Taylor’s services and may even be willing to trade for him.

New England Patriots

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Bill Belichick is a defensive-minded coach. However, the New England Patriots offense also operates with a brutalizing ground game headed currently by Rhamondre Stevenson.

Stevenson is a serious runner, but there is still room for Taylor on this team. Now that former back Damien Harris is with the rival Buffalo Bills, it opens the door for this scenario to go down.

Given that the Colts-Patriot rivalry isn’t nearly as bad-blooded as it used to be, could there be a case that Belichick would want to bring on Taylor? It’s possible.

It’s worth noting that Indianapolis will probably need to see a massive offer that is in their favor to ship off Taylor, but the running back position is also at an all-time low in value. Look for this to be a unique situation where the Patriots make this deal and give quarterback Mac Jones serious versatility in the ground attack.

Baltimore Ravens

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Similar to what the Colts have with Anthony Richardson, the Baltimore Ravens have newly contracted quarterback Lamar Jackson at the helm.

The former MVP hasn’t had adequate backfield support that stays consistently healthy for some time. Yes, the Ravens signed veteran Melvin Gordon, but he’s likely not moving any metrics that will blow the socks off of any coach.

Taylor makes perfect sense with the injury concerns of J.K. Dobbins. Like the Patriots before, it could be a two-headed approach that would give defenses big problems.

With a QB as athletic as Jackson and a running back with the explosiveness of Taylor together, it’s a scary thought for anyone having to face off against the duo. While Indianapolis would probably want to ship off Taylor to the NFC, the Ravens also still need playmakers until proven otherwise.

Given the perfect offer, the Colts may accept.

Chicago Bears

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This one makes the most sense and, in my opinion, is most likely.

QB Justin Fields got a big receiving threat in D.J. Moore through a trade with the Carolina Panthers that gave the Chicago Bears a serious haul in return for the number-one pick in April’s draft. They also have a boatload of cash to spend on players to put around Fields.

While Chicago did draft running back Roschon Johnson in the fourth round of the NFL draft out of Texas, it still is a backfield that remains unproven. Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman can make plays, but they’ve not been solidified starters in the NFL yet.

Now, imagine that Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Colts GM Chris Ballard work out a trade to put Taylor in a Bears uniform behind the already-electric Fields (the two teams do have joint practices coming up soon). That is now a team that could compete immediately for the NFC North title with such a potent ground attack.

Outlook

With the Colts saying they’re not trading Taylor, it’s likely going to stick unless something unforeseen happens.

Is there a trade package that the Colts can’t refuse? Could it be from a team that nobody is expecting? We’ll have to see as the Taylor vs. Colts drama continues to unfold on what seems like a daily basis. 

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