5 NFL Teams That Should Not Trade for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor
It's been over a month since Jonathan Taylor demanded to be paid or traded by the Indianapolis Colts. With the franchise thus far unwilling to give the star running back a contract extension, a trade could be the most likely outcome to this untenable situation.
According to The Athletic's Mike Jones, Taylor is seeking an extension worth between $14 and $15 million annually. That means a team must not only be willing to shell out some serious draft capital—ESPN's Stephen Holder reported the Colts want the equivalent of a first-round pick in return—but also have the salary-cap space to ink the back to a new contract. Despite the hefty asking cost, Jones reported that NFL execs believe that Taylor will be dealt.
Holder noted that the Colts put a deadline of Tuesday on Taylor finding a suitable trade, noting that six teams have inquired about their back. While plenty of clubs should be interested in Taylor, not all of them would be a great fit for the 24-year-old.
While the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos would be desirable landing spots, other teams don't have that luxury. Taylor's impending extension could cause financial woes for some cash-strapped squads. Some squads already have potential stars on their roster whose breakout seasons could be hindered by the addition of a high-volume back into their platoon.
Any team with a running back making $10 million or more in AAV was not considered, as it's unrealistic to expect them to pay their incumbent and Taylor.
With those factors in mind, here is a list of the least desirable trade destinations—among the teams that would potentially have some serious interest—for Jonathan Taylor.
5. Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears appear poised for their best season in years and don't need to tinker with the roster any further right before the start of it. While a proven running back like Jonathan Taylor could help this up-and-coming club, the Bears are ready to succeed without him and have the right pieces in place to do so.
Chicago's renaissance is set to be led by emerging star quarterback Justin Fields. Fields showed immense growth as a passer during his second season in the league last year and still managed to lead all players at his position with 1,143 rushing yards. Things weren't perfect by any stretch—he threw 11 interceptions and took a league-high 55 sacks—but the 24-year-old has a lot more support heading into 2023.
Following the draft and the team's decision to trade down from the No. 1 overall spot, the offense looks loaded with talent. Not only does Chicago now employ an elite receiver in DJ Moore, but it also has a stacked backfield with veterans D'Onta Foreman and Khalil Herbert along with rookie fourth-round pick Roschon Johnson brimming with upside as a tertiary option. There's little space for Taylor in their plans.
Fortunately, NFL insider Adam Schefter confirmed on ESPN 1000 (h/t ClutchPoints' Jackson Stone) that the Bears aren't planning to trade for Taylor. That could just a smokescreen, but ideally Chicago will stand pat with the guys currently on the roster.
The Bears have a decent amount of salary-cap space at this moment—nearly $13 million according to Spotrac—but they'll want to keep a bunch of that earmarked for Fields' eventual extension and contracts for other important pieces rather than giving up most of it on a new deal for Taylor. The backfield should be set for years to come thanks to Johnson's presence, providing the team a cost-effective rusher through the 2026 campaign.
4. Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens revamped their offense this offseason with a heavy focus on surrounding Lamar Jackson with more weapons. While the Ravens will likely remain a run-heavy team due to the damage their superstar quarterback can do with his legs, they don't need to bring in a high-volume rusher like Taylor at this moment. Baltimore should instead be focusing on getting its talented stable of pass-catchers—that now includes veteran wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie receiver Zay Flowers—as involved as possible.
The Ravens should have a great running back on their hands already anyway. J.K. Dobbins may have seen his first three seasons in the league marred by injury, but he's flashed greatness when healthy. The back displayed immense promise as a rookie in 2020, generating 805 yards and nine touchdowns on just 134 carries. He was set to take over the backfield in Year 2 but wound up missing the entire campaign with a torn ACL.
After returning from a knee cleanup that cost him six contests last season, Dobbins went off for a 397 yards and a score on his 57 carries between Weeks 13 and 16. He fared well in Baltimore's narrow playoff loss to the rival Cincinnati Bengals too, picking up 62 yards on 13 totes. He added strong contributions as a pass-catcher in that matchup, reeling in four of his five targets for 43 yards and a TD.
If Dobbins can finally stay healthy, he should rate among the NFL's best backs in 2023. The 5'10", 214-pounder was a second-round pick for a reason, as he has all the tools to be a star. He'll get plenty of support from the reliable tandem of Gus Edwards and Justice Hill—who can step into the RB1/2 roles respectively if Dobbins goes down again—and deserves a chance to shine after battling back from so many injuries.
3. Arizona Cardinals
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The Arizona Cardinals are trending toward a lost season and should not add another potentially disgruntled star into the mix. The team recently parted ways with one by cutting DeAndre Hopkins and shouldn't be interested in taking on Taylor at this time.
Arizona already has a capable back in James Conner to shoulder the load while star Kyler Murray recovers from the knee injury that cut his 2022 season short. Conner has been a big part of the Cardinals offense since signing in 2021, earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first campaign with the club and racking up a total of 1,534 yards and 22 touchdowns on 385 totes during his tenure in the desert.
While the depth behind Conner is full of unproven young prospects, expending high-value draft picks—especially ones likely to end up near the top of the round—for a running back who has already shown to be injury-prone is not a shrewd move for a rebuilding franchise. The Cardinals can afford to be patient with the position, using middle-round picks in the upcoming drafts to unearth the future of their backfield.
That's a much more palatable option than giving up valuable capital for a player who, even as one of the top running backs in the NFL right now, likely wouldn't be able to will this pock-marked roster to a playoff berth.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles came so close to securing their second Lombardi Trophy of the last half-decade, falling by a mere three points in the most recent Super Bowl. While the loss certainly stung, Philadelphia shouldn't overreact by trading for Jonathan Taylor. This group should feel confident in its current core of talent taking it back to the Big Game soon, even after starting running back Miles Sanders defected in free agency following the disappointing defeat.
Though Sanders was the team's leading rusher, the Eagles averaged the fifth-most yards per game on the ground last year due to strong depth in their platoon, the brilliance of quarterback Jalen Hurts and an excellent offensive line. The Eagles are arguably deeper at running back this year than they were in 2022 after signing a pair of proven veterans in D'Andre Swift and Rashaad Penny. While they have both been injury-prone during their careers, Philly has competent backups in spades with both Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott returning to the fold.
Factor in that Hurts—who is only entering his fourth NFL season—amassed 760 yards and a team-high 13 rushing touchdowns on 165 carries, and it's hard to see a scenario in which this group isn't going to be a force on the ground. Taylor would be a frivolous and costly addition who wouldn't provide enough benefits to justify his trade cost or the type of extension he's seeking.
1. Detroit Lions
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The Detroit Lions are another rebuilding franchise on the cusp of contending. The team, which already boasted one of the league's most high-powered offenses last year, made some drastic changes to its backfield this offseason and does not need to make any more waves at the position before the campaign kicks off.
While it stung to lose both pass-catching specialist D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams—the league's leading touchdown generator on the ground last year—in free agency, the Lions did a solid job replacing both talented backs. The team not only signed a capable veteran in David Montgomery, but it also added one of the best backs in the draft by taking Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall.
After investing such a lofty draft pick into Gibbs, the Lions cannot afford to double down on the position with Taylor. The team had one of the worst defenses in football last year and needs to continue allocating resources toward quality prospects to fill holes on that side of the ball. While the Lions should make strides defensively in 2023, they need to use some more early picks to become a truly dominant force.
It would be a flippant waste of valuable draft capital to trade for Taylor, especially when the team already has a potential star of its own in Gibbs. The Lions should be focusing on getting the rookie as many touches as possible to help him find his footing in the NFL, not bringing in a carry hog like Taylor to dominate their backfield.
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