Realistic Draft Trade Possibilities for the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are focused on building a legitimate contender in the AFC this offseason, and while they have plenty of picks to work with in the 2015 NFL draft, they may be dealing a couple of those to move up or down over the course of the three-day event.
General manager Ryan Grigson will have some big decisions to make starting on Thursday, especially considering how close this Colts team is to making a potential Super Bowl run. Playmakers like Andre Johnson and Frank Gore have made the Colts offense one of the biggest storylines for the upcoming season, but there are still some weaknesses on the depth chart.
Draft-day trades aren't out of the question for the Colts, either. According to Stephen Holder from the Indianapolis Star, Jim Irsay didn't rule out the idea of making some trades on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
"It's not an impossibility that we'd trade down of or trade up even," Irsay told Holder. "So it'll be interesting as the day comes upon us."
While no rumors have come out about any specific trades on draft day, there are a few scenarios that would make sense. With that in mind, let's take a look at a few trade possibilities that would be realistic for the Colts.
Colts Trade No. 29 for Days 2 and 3 Picks
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A lot of things can happen on Thursday before the Colts are on the clock with the No. 29 overall pick. At that stage, the Colts can look for the best player available, but if all of the guys that they like are already off the board or the players remaining are at positions they don't really need, Grigson will likely start listening to some phone calls.
Teams have been eager to trade back into the first round in the past. Just last year, the Minnesota Vikings traded their second and fourth-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks so that they could take Teddy Bridgewater.
There are a couple of prospects that teams might want to trade up into the first round for if they're still on the board. Washington's Shaq Thompson would exactly fit with Greg Manusky's defense, but another team might already be in love with his skill set and feel like he's worth trading up for.
Dorial Green-Beckham and Jaelen Strong have drawn a lot of interest as well, and a receiver-hungry team like the Jacksonville Jaguars or Oakland Raiders might want to move up to take one of them. If the Vikings were willing to give up two picks to move up eight spots, then the Colts could make a similar deal for the No. 29 pick.
But, like I said, a lot can happen in the first round, so the Colts will have no problem sitting back and waiting to see what happens.
Colts Move Up to Snag Landon Collins
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By far the biggest need for the Colts this offseason is at safety. Despite a strong 2014 campaign, Mike Adams won't be playing much longer, and there are no other players currently on the roster that should be starting alongside the 34-year-old veteran this coming season.
Unfortunately, it doesn't help that this year's safety class is so thin. There is arguably only one safety in this class that will be able to make an immediate impact wherever he goes, and that's Alabama's Landon Collins.
The problem is that there are a few other teams that are drafting before the Colts in the first round that also have a need at safety. There's a chance that Collins ends up sliding all the way to the end of the first round but will the Colts take that chance?
It's not very likely that the Colts try to trade up this year, but if they do, Collins is the only player that it would make sense to move up for. If the Colts could get the Crimson Tide safety, their secondary would be quite formidable in 2015.
Colts Trade Away Jerrell Freeman for Day 2 or 3 Pick
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Jerrell Freeman has been one of the more interesting success stories since Grigson took over as the Colts general manager, bringing the 28-year-old in from the CFL. While not the biggest inside linebacker, Freeman made some big plays his first few years in Indianapolis.
However, 2014 was a year to forget for Freeman, who seriously struggled to help stop the run when healthy. According to Pro Football Focus, Freeman ranked 59th out of 60 eligible inside linebackers in run defense.
According to Kevin Bowen from Colts.com, Freeman finally signed his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent on Monday, but that doesn't guarantee he'll still be with the team after this week. Actually, the fact he signed the qualifying offer means that the Colts may now trade him during the draft.
The big question is what kind of value there is for Freeman on the market. I wouldn't expect the Colts to get a lot for him, but if a team was willing to give Indianapolis a third, fourth or fifth-round pick for him, I think Grigson would seriously consider it.
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Colts Trade Up in 2nd Round for Tevin Coleman
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I might be a little biased since I go to school in Bloomington, but that doesn't mean this would be a bad idea.
Gore is only a temporary solution to the running back position in Indianapolis. They need a true long-term option in the backfield to be the Edgerrin James to Andrew Luck's Peyton Manning. This draft class is filled with intriguing running back prospects but a hometown hero in Indiana's Tevin Coleman could be the best option for Pep Hamilton's offense.
According to David Woods from the Indianapolis Star, Hamilton was working with Coleman during his Pro Day. With his aggressive running style and top-end speed, Coleman is exactly the kind of running back that would fit in Hamilton's scheme.
Coleman could end up being taken early in the second round, but if guys like Melvin Gordon and Todd Gurley don't go until later, then Coleman might fall to the middle of the second. If that happens, I wouldn't be surprised if Hamilton has a long talk with Grigson to try to get him to move up and snag the Hoosiers running back.
Ryan Grigson Goes All in and Trades for Another 1st-Round Pick
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This is by far the most unlikely of the trade scenarios, but that doesn't mean it's not a possibility.
The Colts are so close to being the top team in the AFC. Peyton Manning is nearly done in Denver, and the New England Patriots will have questions to answer once Tom Brady hangs up his cleats.
Grigson might feel like now is the time to build a Super Bowl contender, and to do that, he could go all in by trading picks this year and in the future for a second first-round selection.
Defensively, the Colts still have some questions, but two first-round picks could make some of those concerns go away. Players like Landon Collins, Arik Armstead, Malcom Brown, Danny Shelton and Erick Kendricks could all become impact players in Indianapolis. Grigson could even use another first-round pick to find a right tackle like La'el Collins to replace Gosder Cherilus.
The odds of a trade like this happening are astronomically low, but crazier things have happened on draft day.
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