After firing longtime general manager Chris Ballard, the Indianapolis Colts have made it clear that they're planning a full rebuild - and no player is untouchable in trade discussions.
3x First-team All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson was traded to the Seattle Seahawks this morning, while De'Forest Buckner was also dealt to the San Francisco 49ers, leaving running back Jonathan Taylor as another piece that could potentially be on the move.
Taylor is the most enticing name on Indianapolis that will garner the largest return. He's on track to have his third consecutive season of 1,500+ yards from scrimmage and is currently leading the league in touchdowns for the third time in his career. The 27-year-old is still peaking and is under contract until after the 2028 season.
The dominance of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, the longevity of Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey, along with the crucial signing of Kenneth Walker III have all contributed to the running back position making a comeback.
Now, plenty of teams feel like they're missing a dynamic and consistent runner in the backfield - including last season's Super Bowl champs. With the Colts struggling, and multiple prospective buyers, now feels like a good time to trade the All-Pro back.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, contenders like the Packers, Seahawks, Vikings, and Broncos are among the teams that are expected to pursue Taylor. Other teams such as the Commanders and Giants could expedite their respective rebuilds with a trade as well.
ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported that Taylor will cost a second-round pick and "possibly more" for the Colts to give in. There hasn't been a major running back trade since Christian McCaffrey was traded for a second-round pick, a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick, and a fifth-round pick. Take a look at three realistic trades below:
Realistic Trades for Jonathan Taylor
JT Joins the Champs
SEA Seahawks Receive:
Jonathan Taylor
IND Colts Receive:
Jadarian Price
2028 2nd-round pick
The Seahawks have been greatly missing last year's Super Bowl MVP and their change of offensive philosophy to let Sam Darnold have more control of the offense hasn't worked out. Seattle ranks in the 20s in most rushing stats, and Darnold leads the league with eight interceptions.
If Seattle takes care of the ball, establishes a run game, and lets their defense suffocate the other team, they are virtually impossible to beat. The team already traded for Nelson - a massive upgrade over the revolving door of Anthony Bradford, Beau Stephens, and Christian Haynes. The Seahawks could be content to let their first-round draft choice Jadarian Price and veteran Zach Charbonnet figure it out, but Taylor being a proven commodity would be enticing for the team.
While Seattle did lose a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, they have plenty of compensatory picks coming their way after Walker III, Tariq Woolen, Boye Mafe, and more departed in free agency. They are projected to receive four comp picks in 2027 (a fourth, two fifths, and a sixth).
Indy's asking price is a second-round pick (presumably for 2027), but the addition of Price should make the Colts comfortable with accepting a 2028 second rounder.
Denver Looks to Spark its Offense
DEN Broncos Receive:
Jonathan Taylor
IND Colts Receive:
Jonah Coleman
2027 2nd-round pick
The Broncos are a terrific 5-2 after starting the year with the toughest schedule in the NFL, though there's still much to be unlocked on the offensive side to raise their ceiling to a Super Bowl level.
Bo Nix hasn't played well (though he certainly took a step forward in last week's game against the Arizona Cardinals), but the Broncos also haven't received much production from their running back room. They rank 30th in rush success this season and leading-carriers JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey have both averaged less than four yards per carry.
Rookie Jonah Coleman has provided hope that he could be the one to take over primary duties as he's rushed for 4.9 yards per carry, albeit on a very small sample size of 19 carries. He certainly looks the strongest and twitchiest out of the group, though he doesn't have the jets to break free from the secondary. Adding Taylor would add a true-difference maker on the offensive end that can score from anywhere on the field.
Denver would likely rather give up Coleman rather than Harvey in this scenario, as the latter has been electric as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Vikings Parlay Undefeated Start With a Big Addition
DEN Broncos Receive:
Jonathan Taylor
IND Colts Receive:
2027 3rd-round pick
2027 5th-round pick
2028 2nd-round pick
2028 6th-round pick
Similarly to both the Seahawks and Broncos, the Vikings have a lockdown defense paired with an anemic offense. Minnesota is 6-0, but they've played the easiest schedule so far and their offense has scored 16 points or less in three of those games. Simply put, they need more production on that side of the ball to keep up with offenses like the Lions, Bills, Packers, and Niners who are on the docket in November.
Kyler Murray has been up-and-down this year, and outside of Justin Jefferson, there isn't much to like on the offensive side of the ball. Running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason have been okay, but the team needs another blue-chip player to take attention away from Jefferson.
This potential trade differs from the other ones because Minnesota doesn't have a player that would make sense for both sides to agree to in a trade for Taylor. Jefferson, Dallas Turner, and Christian Darrisaw are too good to give up, while either one of Jones are Mason aren't exciting. Jordan Addison, maybe, but Indy has invested a lot into their receiving corps recently.
Instead, a slew of picks would be traded to the Colts. The Vikings have two 2027 thirds, so one of them being included in the trade makes sense. While the Colts wouldn't receive Minnesota's 2027 second-rounder, they would get it in 2028 when the Vikings could potentially have a worse record. The 5th and 6th round picks are sweeteners to complete the deal.
The trade deadline isn't until after Week 9, and teams may want to see how their record is at that point, but with Nelson and Buckner dealt already, Taylor could be moved at any second.
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