The NFL offseason has already begun with a trade already happening between the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. The deal includes Joe Flacco heading to Denver for a mid-round pick.
That will not be the only trade to occur this offseason—as we have a couple of other players who could be moved when the new league year starts. The important date to mark on your calendars is March 13th—the official date of the beginning of the new league year.
One of the teams who could make a splash by making a trade this offseason are the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have plenty of cap space and a few needs that could be met via trade.
The Colts' needs include cornerback, safety, wide receiver, and a pass rusher. All of those positions have potential trade targets for the Colts.
Here are three guys the Colts could try to acquire via trade this offseason.
3. Marcus Peters (CB, Los Angeles Rams)
One guy who could surprisingly be moved this offseason is Marcus Peters. Peters was just part of a Los Angeles Rams squad who reached the Super Bowl—only to come up short to the New England Patriots.
Peters is a great zone coverage cornerback but showed signs of struggling when he was asked to play more man coverage in Wade Phillips system. Good news is, the Colts play a ton of zone defense—playing to the strengths of Peters.
The Rams could look to move the former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback due to him being a free agent in 202o. They will also need to make a decision on Aqib Talib as well next offseason.
The Rams showed they aren's shy to make trades as they made a few of them last offseason to acquire Peters, Talib, Brandin Cooks, and Dante Fowler.
Of course, Peters is a very vocal guy and is quite the character—thus making him a tough guy to gauge the trade market for. Maybe a guy like Peters can bring a level of intensity to a defense that lacked it in 2018.
2. Jerry Hughes (DE, Buffalo Bills)
Another need for the Colts is to find an alpha at one of their pass-rushing spots. The Colts lacked a consistent pass rush in 2018, as they totaled just 38 sacks (19th in the NFL).
Currently, their defensive ends are Jabaal Sheard and Tyquan Lewis. Lewis was a rookie in 2018, amassing just two sacks on the defensive line. Sheard had 5.5 sacks on the season but the Colts still need help getting to the quarterback.
A guy who could be on the trade market is Jerry Hughes. Hughes actually played on the Colts before joining the Bills in 2015—where he was traded from the Colts. Now, we could see the roles reversed in that same trade.
Hughes is heading into the last year of his contract with the Bills. The Bills could look to extend him but they could also look to move him due to him being 31 when the 2019 regular season begins.
The Bills are looking to continue their rebuild and parting ways with Hughes can land them a draft pick or two for the future. For the Colts, it would give them a talented pass rusher opposite Sheard.
1. Antonio Brown (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers)
Of course, we couldn't mention possible NFL trades without mentioning Antonio Brown. Brown is guaranteed to be moved when the new league year starts on March 13th.
The disgruntled wide receiver had a falling out with Ben Roethlisberger, thus pushing him out the door immediately. Their heated discussion caused Brown to sit in a crucial Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers won the game but teammates knew the impossible could become possible after the game. Either way, a fresh start for both sides is needed here.
The Colts need a wide receiver who can help T.Y. Hilton get better opportunities. What better wide receiver to bring in than Brown—who is still one of the best wide receivers the league has to offer.
Brown has caught over 100 catches, 1,200 yards, and eight touchdowns in his last six seasons. Those numbers are video-game-esque and are hard to find anywhere.
It's not every day that you get one of the best players at any position available for trade—let alone it being a position of need for the Colts. Adding Brown could cause issues in the locker room but I have no doubt that Andrew Luck and company could reel him in.
Could you imagine an offense with a healthy Luck behind an excellent offensive line throwing to Hilton, Brown, Eric Ebron, and others? It could become a reality if the Colts throw their names into the ring of the Brown sweepstakes.
Follow Us
Subscribe