Could AFC Contender Pursue Trade for Colts' Jonathan Taylor?

On Monday Night Football, Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb suffered a horrific knee injury that is believed to involve multiple torn ligaments while likely keeping him out for the rest of the NFL season.

I’m told there were initial discussions of #Browns RB Nick Chubb potentially needing 2 surgeries to address his injuries following MNF in Pittsburgh—with the 1st surgery coming w/i the next 7-10 days & the 2nd occurring several weeks after, per source. This is preliminary talk.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) September 20, 2023

The Browns were coming off of a solid AFC North victory against the Cincinnati Bengals but would ultimately lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers as Chubb exited the game early. With Chubb being such a huge part of the Browns’ offense could there be a push for another dynamic running back to replace the workhorse?

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Cleveland Browns signed running back Kareem Hunt to a one-year deal late Wednesday morning.

Being built to win now and make a deep playoff run, there’s a Hail Mary chance that the Browns could push to acquire Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor via trade. It sounds insane, especially with Kareem Hunt visiting the Browns on Tuesday. But, Taylor and Deshaun Watson are deadlier than Watson and Hunt, with all due respect.

If the Browns and coach Kevin Stafanski want to give themselves the best chance to take the AFC North, they may look Taylor’s way. Also, given the situation still brewing between Taylor and the Colts, it could happen and would give the Browns the best possible scenario to not skip a beat.

Now, the Browns do have cap issues heading into 2024. But, with stars like DE Myles Garrett (27), Watson (28), WR Amari Cooper (29), and G Joel Bitonio (31) being considered veterans, the clock isn’t stopping and Cleveland’s door isn’t going to be open forever. While the stars aren’t old, they also aren’t considered young by NFL standards.

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Taylor is still only 24 years old and may prove to outpace Chubb if given a chance in Cleveland’s offense with Watson. It’s too hard to tell right now.

What also needs to be mentioned is what general manager Chris Ballard would want in exchange for the Colts superstar back. Well, rest assured that with Ballard it would involve draft picks.

The Browns hold second and third round picks, among others, in the 2024 NFL Draft as of now. This would likely entice Ballard, given how badly Cleveland needs a star to operate the backfield like Chubb did, and the Colts want to keep building youth for the future. However, it would likely be a third-rounder and nothing higher given the value of the running back position and the offers the Colts received for Taylor before roster cuts needed to be finalized.

Outlook

While it’s more probable that Hunt will rejoin an offense he knows and was just with a year ago, it’s also fair to say Taylor would help this Browns team stay on top of pushing for a deep playoff run. Could Stefanski and co. think about making an offer so they can compete with the best weapon possible after Chubb’s unfortunate injury?

It’s football season, and while it’s a small possibility, anything can still happen in the NFL with a team that wants to succeed after a major setback.

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