3 Ways the Panthers Trade Could Affect Colts' Offseason

Since the Indianapolis Colts' offseason started, there had been trade rumors regarding them in the NFL Draft. The other team in those headlines was the Chicago Bears, who held the top overall pick. "Will Chris Ballard do it?" and "What would the Colts have to give up?" were two popular questions.

Well, as of now, that is already something in the past. The Carolina Panthers traded up with Chicago for the top spot in the draft. In this, the Bears received a serious haul. Below is what they have coming from the Panthers:

Round 1, No. 9 overall in 2023
Round 2, No. 61 in 2023
Round 1 in 2024
Round 2 in 2025
Wide receiver D.J. Moore

While this means the Colts won't be trading for the first pick, it could also mean much more. That will be the subject of this piece, how their entire offseason could be changed in the abrupt flash of a trade; with Carolina potentially snagging who Indy wanted at quarterback. There will be three areas to cover, starting with the offense in general.

Offensive Strategy

New Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen is a “quarterback whisperer” of sorts. He’s coached virtually every type of passer. But, this will potentially shift the offensive attack and its strategy.

With four quarterbacks in the hunt (Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, Bryce Young, and C.J. Stroud), they each bring true strength in different areas to the table. Whoever is selected will take a different path for the offense and usage could change for certain position groups.

Guys like wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce may not see the number of targets they’d like with Richardson or Levis, given how raw they are. There would likely be more of a run-centric strategy to use their legs and blend them into throwing more. Whereas Young and Stroud will throw more often, taking the workload off of the running game a bit.

With the Panthers at the helm, any one of those four could theoretically be selected. Carolina just wanted to leave nothing to chance. The Colts don’t know who they’re taking, so they’ll have to pivot from Carolina’s selection if they see their preferred QB go.

Newly-Assembled Offensive Coaching Staff

The Colts filled out all open coaching spots. A list of new names is all over for the offensive groups.

#Colts coaching staff finalized... pic.twitter.com/e38xtyXvAw
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 7, 2023

Some of the notable ones are Steichen, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, tight ends coach Tom Manning, running backs coach DeAndre Smith, and offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr.

Those new names are in the most crucial of roles for what could be a rookie-led offense. Steichen has never been a head coach, Cooter hasn’t been an offensive coordinator in recent years, and Sparano is coaching the entire offensive line for the first time. Having a clear view of the future franchise QB could be helpful for some new names.

There is still a chance that the signal-caller Indy wants will be available. But, it may affect the coaching staff being new in many areas if they don’t get who they wanted, originally.

Offensive Free-Agency

With needs at positions like wide receiver and guard, Indianapolis will have a chance to fill some gaps that are evident on the roster. One area is the receiver.

But, with more of a pocket passer at QB, you’d potentially invest in outside threats. But with an athletic type, perhaps the Colts move for more speed than anything for quick passes to ease into deeper accuracy.

The offensive line is a must-help, as it was glaringly bad in the previous season. With things trending upward toward the end of the year, there’s reason to be cautiously optimistic. But, the Colts will be sure this time.

There are different styles of guard in the league. One example is Ben Powers. The Baltimore Raven can pass protect on an elite level, but needs more work in run blocking. This makes him a specialist for a pure passer.

For more of an athlete, perhaps Philadelphia Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo would benefit from a signing. He showed an ability to block well for both run/pass game plans. There is also the chance the current Colts guard Will Fries is pushed and is ready to start by Week 1. We’ll see.

With free agency being before the draft and Carolina locking the top spot, it will be interesting to watch how the Colts approach any signings for the team.

Things are different after Carolina made the move of moves. There is a chance the Colts don’t get the man who is at the top of their draft charts. Crazier things have happened in the NFL Draft; any one of the top four quarterbacks could be taken. Will the Colts try to put things in place for a trade? Avoiding the aforementioned scenarios? With the draft over a month away, there’s a chance it could happen.

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and Twitter

Add us as a preferred source on Google