Sio Moore Acquisition Low-Risk, High-Reward Move for Colts Defense Lacking Depth

Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson is many things. The type who sits on his hands isn't one of them.

And that most certainly extends to the lost art of NFL trades.

However, whereas Grigson's previous forays into wheeling and dealing have more often than not left the Colts with egg on their grills, on Friday Grigson pulled a move that has very little chance of blowing up in the team's face.

As Mike Chappell of the Indy Star reported, the Colts sent a sixth-round pick west Friday for Oakland Raiders linebacker Sio Moore, who tallied 90 tackles in 11 starts for the Silver and Black a year ago:

Moore himself also took to Twitter to bid adieu to the Bay Area:

"

This has been more than a home to me... So much if my heart is in the bay... My teammates RaiderNation Yall are family to me. Will miss Yall

— Sio Moore (@MrOakTown55) September 4, 2015"

It's not exactly a surprise that Moore is leaving Oakland. Despite those 90 tackles, 22 starts over two years and a respectable (albeit unspectacular) ranking of 32nd among 4-3 outside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus in 2014, Moore appeared to have fallen out of favor with the new staff in Oakland.

Maybe it was Moore's surgically repaired hip. Maybe it was free-agent acquisition Malcolm Smith's arrival. But whatever the reason, new Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio didn't exactly gush about Moore while speaking with Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com recently:

"

Guys pretty much get what they earn. In his case, he missed an awful lot of time. He fell behind. I let coaches play (whom) they wanted to play. We got him in. We got him a little time. That’s how it went. That’s how we see it.

"

The proverbial glowing recommendation, that ain't.

Still, just because Moore wore out his welcome in the Bay Area doesn't mean the third-year pro can't play.

After all, as a rookie Moore posted 50 tackles, added 4.5 sacks and finished the season as a top-10 player at his position, per PFF. That after the NFL Network's Mike Mayock hailed the Raiders' use of a third-round pick on the former UConn standout:

"

When I say trust the process, the process means East-West, combine, pro day. He excelled in all those. Coaches love that he'll line up on the slot, inside and cover man to man. He came from nowhere, but because of his work ethic, he's now a third-round pick. With the Raiders, this is a solid double.

"

Mind you, this isn't to say Moore will start in Indianapolis any more than he appeared set to in Oakland. In inside linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman and outside linebackers Trent Cole and Robert Mathis, the Colts would appear locked in in that regard.

Key word in that sentence being appear.

Mathis is 34, coming off a torn Achilles that cost him all of 2014 and is iffy at best for Week 1. Cole has been relatively durable throughout his career, but he's well past 30 himself. Freeman missed four games last year and was limited in others. Jackson is 31 with a lengthy injury history all his own.

And behind them, with all due respect to the likes of Bjoern Werner and Nate Irving, there isn't a whole lot—especially for a team with their sights set on Santa Clara and Super Bowl 50.

Even if Moore isn't a starter for the Colts, he offers youth. And depth. And a player capable of playing both inside and outside.

All for what should wind up being a low sixth-rounder.

No, the acquisition of Sio Moore wasn't a splashy deal. Not like when Grigson traded a first-rounder to Cleveland for Trent "Two Yards and a Cloud of Bust" Richardson. Or when Grigson dealt Jerry Hughes to the Buffalo Bills for Kelvin Sheppard.

For those keeping track, Hughes just got a fat contract extension after tallying double-digit sacks (again) in Buffalo. Sheppard is in Miami.

Still, maybe Grigson learned something from those missteps.

That the best way to make a splash is to stop being so splashy.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter @IDPSharks.