5 potential commerce locations for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor

The Colts seem like keen to commerce Jonathan Taylor.

Lower than a month after proprietor Jim Irsay said that he wouldn’t switch Taylor as a result of a contract dispute, Indianapolis has granted its star operating again permission to hunt a commerce, in response to ESPN.

Regardless of being one of many league’s best tailbacks when wholesome, Taylor’s 24-year-old age and the character of his place may restrict his market. He has been rehabbing his surgically repaired ankle, which has saved him out of coaching camp and on the Bodily Unable to Carry out checklist up to now. He was additionally out for the entire low season program. Final season, he missed six video games as a result of a high-ankle sprain.

Buying and selling for Taylor is successfully a pledge to pay him the big-money extension that the Colts wouldn’t present. In 2023, the ultimate 12 months of his rookie deal, he’ll earn $4.3 million in base wage.

So, which groups make sense given Taylor’s and the Colts’ conditions?

Listed below are 5 groups to regulate:

Chicago Bears

Taylor and third-year quarterback Justin Fields may make one of many league’s most potent operating offenses if the Bears workforce him with them. With Fields on a team-friendly rookie contract—his cap hits in 2023 and ’24 are $5.1 million and $6 million, respectively, in response to Over The Cap—the Bears can abdomen a possible Taylor extension, and so they even have draft belongings to take action. After buying and selling the No. 1 total choose in 2023 to the Panthers within the spring, Chicago now has an additional first-round choose subsequent 12 months and a second-round choose in 2025.

The Bears’ draft belongings ought to naturally excite the Colts’ curiosity. The truth that Chicago is within the NFC can also be a bonus for Indianapolis.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With no viable quarterback choices this season, the Bucs could must rely closely on the run recreation. And their main rusher, Richard White, failed to realize 500 yards as a rookie final season. Taylor would give the Buccaneers’ backfield a much-needed increase. 

Except for lacking out on a fifth-round choose subsequent 12 months, Tampa Bay has all of its authentic draft picks within the subsequent three rounds to make use of in a doable deal.

With the Bucs sure to decide on a quarterback subsequent 12 months (Baker Mayfield is QB1 to start the season), having a confirmed commodity within the backfield like Taylor to alleviate strain on the incoming signal-caller is sensible.

Buffalo Payments

A dominant operating again could propel the Payments into Tremendous Bowl rivalry, closing the hole on the Chiefs and Bengals. Buffalo hasn’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since LeSean McCoy in 2017, the 12 months Josh Allen was chosen. Taylor’s addition to an offense that already consists of excellent receivers Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Dawson Knox would make it much more explosive.

The Payments, as a win-now workforce, may be keen to satisfy the Colts’ asking worth for Taylor. Buffalo has 9 picks in subsequent 12 months’s draft and a first-round choose in every of the following three.

Given the implications of Taylor’s potential deal, a commerce for Taylor could necessitate some monetary juggling on the Payments’ half. In line with Over The Cap, Allen’s cap hit will attain $47 million in 2024. Final 12 months, in addition they chosen operating again James Cook dinner within the second spherical.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are an AFC contender who may drastically profit from a major enchancment of their operating recreation. Miami completed twenty fifth in dashing final season (99.2 yards per recreation) and could also be lacking third-round rookie operating again De’Von Achane for a while. In line with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, he’s “week-to-week” with a shoulder harm suffered in Saturday’s preseason recreation towards the Texans.

In line with The Miami Herald, the Dolphins are anticipated to pursue Taylor.

Miami, however, would more than likely must be ingenious when it comes to draft compensation. It has solely 5 picks within the 2024 draft after forfeiting a third-round choose for breaching the league’s tampering coverage and a fourth-round choose in final 12 months’s Bradley Chubb commerce with Denver.

Denver Broncos

Javonte Williams is the Broncos’ beginning operating again, however he missed 4 video games final season as a result of a knee harm. Consequently, Denver could discover it troublesome to go up the chance so as to add an All-Professional operating again.

Russell Wilson, aiming to rebound from the worst season of his profession with the Broncos in Yr 1, performed among the best soccer of his profession with the Seahawks when Seattle had a strong run recreation. And regaining Wilson’s Professional Bowl kind ought to be Denver’s main goal this season.

The Broncos aren’t in nice form with 2024 draft belongings following the March 2022 blockbuster deal to accumulate Wilson—they solely have one choice within the first two rounds subsequent 12 months—however they could maybe pull from 2025 and/or ’26 to cobble collectively the picks required to get Taylor.