Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen didn’t say a lot on it, but did briefly comment on Tuesday’s looming 4 PM EST league-wide trade deadline (via The Athletic’s James Boyd):
One could make the case that if there were ever a year for longtime Colts general manager Chris Ballard to make a trade deadline splash, this would arguably be it. Specifically, the Colts still sit at 7-2, while having one of the league’s best offenses, and are a legitimate Super Bowl contender—with the AFC surprisingly down atop.
That being said, for all of the things that Ballard has been labeled at during his ongoing 9-year tenure with the Colts, “prudent,” “cheap” etc., careless and/or reckless—particularly with his precious draft capital, hasn’t been it.
Ballard did show that he can finally adapt in free agency this past offseason though, after being entrenched on the hot seat, finally splurging on big free agency contracts for both starting safety Camryn Bynum and cornerback Charvarius Ward—which have clearly upgraded the Indy secondary, when both fully healthy.
Will that newfound mindset translate to the NFL’s imminent trade deadline?
Well, Ballard’s only prior move was rather minor, trading backup running back Nyheim Hines for Zack Moss and a 6th round pick right ahead of 2022’s league trade deadline.
These Colts could use some veteran reinforcements though, particularly at both starting linebacker (coverage) and a pass rushing defensive end. Cornerback is less pressing with the return of former starter Jaylon Jones (hamstring) and Ward’s (hopeful) return following Week 11’s BYE week, after suffering a second concussion during a freak pre-game accident back in Week 6.
The Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) trading reigning First-Team All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson along with starting linebacker Logan Wilson would obviously be music to Colts fans ears, but realistically, the price tag may be too lofty for Chris Ballard and Co.—as Cincy team owner Mike Brown’s current asking prices have reportedly been rather exorbitant, with no recent signs of reasonably coming down.
With the Miami Dolphins recently trading pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 third round pick, and in the middle of a contract year, and the already sizable trade price-tag for Hendrickson is likely at least a first rounder—maybe even more in a requested trade package.
However, to me, that’s the type of elite player that would drastically tip the scales in favor of the Colts defense and significantly improve their outside pass rush—especially given Hendrickson’s prior familiarity with Indy defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Wilson would be a nice piece too to upgrade their linebacking corps. Colts fans can dream, can’t we?
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