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INDIANAPOLIS –.Imagine saying a week ago, one of the pillar Colts on the side of Lucas Oil Stadium would be requesting a trade in just a handful of days.
Imagine that player being the beloved Jonathan Taylor.
Well, the reality of that situation is here after Taylor made a formal trade request to Jim Irsay on Saturday night at Colts training camp in Westfield.
The root of Taylor’s frustration with the Colts is them not wanting to continue their past precedent of extending guys on their rookie deals, who have overachieved early in their careers, no matter the position.
While Chris Ballard has done that a handful of times in his tenure (Quenton Nelson, Shaquille Leonard, Braden Smith, Nyheim Hines), it’s clear the Colts are not doing that with Taylor.
Hence the trade request coming down some six weeks ahead of the 2023 season opener.
Assuming the Colts/Taylor relationship is indeed over, this certainly stunts the early development of Anthony Richardson.
A starting running back of Zack Moss doesn’t offer the same reputation/production like having Taylor next to Richardson.
This potential trade would eliminate the Colts best offensive skill player as Richardson tries to find his early footing.
In speaking to the media on Saturday night (before the trade request became public), Jim Irsay made it clear a future relationship between the Colts and Taylor was not on the table.
Irsay frequently spoke just to the 2023 season for Taylor, hoping it would be a great one for No. 28 and Richardson. According to Albert Breer of MMQB, Jim Irsay texted him saying “We’re not trading Jonathan… end of discussion. Not now and not in October!”
While there certainly are plenty of reasons for the Colts to have hesitancy in paying a running back major money on a second contract, so much of this is a reminder in the flaws of Chris Ballard’s roster building.
If you are going to reach a contractual impasse with a running back, then why spend a 2nd round pick on one, like the Colts did in 2020, in trading up to take Taylor (something Irsay encouraged Ballard to do).
You don’t spend second-round picks on players you are content bailing on after just one contract.
Plus, the Colts have $19 million in cap space still for this 2023 season. The need to spend big money on players with upcoming contracts is not there. Frontloading a contract extension for Taylor in the 3-year range is something very doable, and would offer quite the sidekick for Richardson during that fragile start to an NFL career.
Sure, the Colts could try and play hardball here and tell Taylor they aren’t trading up, or even fine him once he’s healthy enough to come off the physically unable to perform list, but they aren’t a franchise in a position to play some statement game.
They need to get return on Taylor, even if it isn’t going to be the same haul Carolina got last year when trading Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco (a 2023 2nd round pick, a 2023 3rd round pick, a 2023 4th round pick and a 2024 5th round pick).
First, McCaffrey was under contract for 3 more years when the trade was made (compared to Taylor being in a contract year) and he also brings a major presence in the passing game, as a pseudo wideout.
Taylor doesn’t offer those things.
Still though, the 24-year-old Taylor is an elite first and second down runner, who checks all the boxes you’d want off the field. He also has no serious injury history.
Will the Colts be able to find multiple teams wanting Taylor + willing to give him the multi-year contract he likely is seeking and also ready to offer a respectable trade package? If that best case scenario occurs, then you could possibly create a bit of a bidding war.
Spit balling here, but if you can get a 2nd rounder and a 4th rounder in return for an extremely disgruntled Taylor, don’t you do it?
This entire conversation is pretty wild considering how this organization has viewed Taylor, and their roster building plan.
Now, Zack Moss, who the Colts received in the trade for Nyheim Hines last year is in line to be RB1 in Indy for this season.
Before last year’s season finale, Moss had never had more than 81 rushing yards in an NFL game. Taylor has 22 such games (Both have been in the league for 3 years).
Back in June, Taylor was adamant he wanted to retire a Colt.
Not even two months later, a man Jim Irsay has said will be in Canton one day appears to be done with the Colts after just 3 seasons.
