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The Indianapolis Colts are one of the most interesting teams in the NFL. They have a playoff-caliber roster, but general manager Chris Ballard traded away starting quarterback Carson Wentz earlier this offseason. Now, the Colts have a huge hole in the most important position in all of sports.
But there are a couple of key moves that would solve the Colts' biggest problem while improving their lineup even more.
2 moves the Colts should make to complete their roster
2. Sign Stephon Gilmore
One of the only holes on the Colts' roster is at cornerback. They traded away starting corner Rock Ya-Sin to the Las Vegas Raiders, so they should be on the hunt for a replacement. Luckily for them, they still have a ton of cap space remaining. That should allow them to go after star cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Signing him would give the Colts one of the best corners in the NFL to pair with the newly-signed Brandon Facyson.
Gilmore would also put the Colts defense in the conversation for the best in the entire league while making them deeper at one of the most important positions in the game. The Colts face a number of elite receivers in 2022, so Gilmore would essentially erase that problem right away. Overall, he would be a huge addition to a team that should be looking to make a playoff run.
Gilmore probably wouldn't cost all that much to acquire as well. He's coming off of one of the worst seasons in his career, in which he dealt with a number of injuries that kept him from playing his best. He won't demand top-shelf money, but he has the potential to provide top-shelf play. Inking Gilmore is a fairly low-risk, high-reward move that improves the Colts at a position of need.
1. Trade for Baker Mayfield
This move is a bit of a no-brainer. The Colts don't have that many options at quarterback, and Mayfield just requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. Despite his abysmal 2021 season, there's reason to believe that Mayfield can provide fairly high-level play for the Colts. The University of Oklahoma product battled through a variety of injuries last season, and it showed in his play. The last time he was healthy, Mayfield threw for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Those are above-average numbers, and he should be able to provide similar stats for the Colts.
The Colts would provide him a very similar situation to the 2020 Browns, as they sport an elite running game, a good offensive line, and decent receivers. Mayfield has already proven he can succeed in those conditions, so there's no reason to not make a move to acquire him.
Getting Mayfield probably won't cost all that much. The Browns have already acquired quarterback Deshaun Watson, and Mayfield has publicly requested a trade. The Browns have exactly zero trade leverage in this situation, so they should be willing to accept a couple of mid-round draft picks as compensation. The Colts should be willing to part ways with those assets to add their new starting quarterback.
