Zach Ertz and N'Keal Harry know that for the third straight season, the Indianapolis Colts will have a new starting quarterback under center.
Following the retirement of Philip Rivers, the Colts elected to not look towards the 2021 NFL Draft for a quarterback but rather to the trade market, where they went out and acquired Carson Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles.
Many view this trade as a high-risk, high-reward one considering Wentz's cap hit but also his potential to once again blossom as one of the more potent quarterbacks in the league.
Nonetheless, Colts general manager Chris Ballard has already gone out to surround Wentz with a promising offensive unit, from re-signing T. Y. Hilton to bringing in longtime Kansas City Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher.
While the Colts do have several areas of need on defense, the team must continue to look for ways to improve their offense for the former Eagles quarterback, which could begin with these potential three trades.
Zach Ertz
The Colts are slated to once again feature Jack Doyle at the tight end position, who totaled for 251 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns last season.
While Doyle is one promising pass-blocker, he is far from a go-to pass-catcher in the red zone. The Colts have not had a reliable tight end who could flourish in the red zone since Eric Ebron, who most notably notched 13 receiving touchdowns over the 2018 season.
Wentz has ranked among the more efficient red zone passers over the years, especially as he racked up an impressive 84 receiving touchdowns and a mere four interceptions in this area of the field over his Eagles run.
There are plenty of available tight ends heading into the training camp, but the Colts must go all in and acquire Eagles tight end and renowned red zone threat Zach Ertz.
The Eagles were heavily rumored to part ways with Ertz ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, especially as he has a mere one year remaining on the multiyear deal that he signed in 2016.
This trade would make sense for the obvious reasons. Wentz played alongside Ertz during his time in Philadelphia. Ertz found great success with Wentz at quarterback, such as his 116 receptions and eight receiving touchdowns campaign in 2018.
More so, Ertz was a focal point of current Colts head coach Frank Reich's offense during the latter's notable run as the Eagles' offensive coordinator several years ago.
N'Keal Harry
The Colts' wide receiver unit is filled with question marks across the board.
As mentioned, the Colts did re-sign Hilton this past offseason to a mere one-year deal, although it seems that his prime days are well behind him. The team is expected to have Parris Campbell available by Week 1, but he is coming off of a notable PCL injury that sidelined him for much of last season. The likes of Michael Pittman Jr. and Zach Pascal are coming off of promising seasons, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to elevate their play this upcoming year.
The Colts are not in urgent need of hauling in another wide receiver to their depth chart, but a talent like N'Keal Harry could be a possible formidable addition to the team.
Harry is currently at a crossroads over his current run with the New England Patriots. He recently requested a trade from the Patriots, as he is now looking for a change of scenery after two seasons with the team.
Harry has been linked to multiple teams over the past couple of weeks as possible trade destinations, but the Colts could be a viable fit for him.
One recent report noted that the Patriots could haul in a mere low draft pick for him, so this would certainly be a low-risk, high-reward move for Ballard.
From his speed to his potential prowess as a red zone threat, Harry could add a vital dimension to the Colts' offense. The Colts ran 11 personnel 69 percent of the time last season, so Harry could find a role as a slot receiver with the team.
Allen Hurns
In the case that the Colts elect to not enter the N'Keal Harry sweepstakes and instead opt to acquire an established veteran, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Allen Hurns would be a keen Plan B.
Hurns is currently facing an uncertain future with the Dolphins, as he has fallen back in the depth chart following the team's offseason acquisitions of Jaylen Waddle (draft) and Will Fuller (free agency).
For the moment, Hurns is expected to feature for the Dolphins this season. However, if a team comes calling to attempt to acquire him, the Dolphins front office could be open to such a deal.
Hurns may not be a game-changing receiver, but he could be a quality rotational weapon for the Colts' offense.
The 29-year-old receiver opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he still has the prowess to be a talent who could chip in for four catches per game.
In the big picture, the Colts will have plenty of options to bolster their offense ahead of their upcoming training camp schedule.
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