As the Indianapolis Colts look to keep building off their strong 6-1 start, the front office is keeping an eye on defensive help leading up to the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4.
Per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Colts are specifically targeting players who can rush the passer off the edge and in the secondary in potential trades.
This comes after The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Oct. 18 that the Colts are “specifically” looking for help at cornerback.
The main problem the Colts could run into is those are the two positions virtually every contending team will look to upgrade in the next two weeks.
Charvarius Ward landed on injured reserve on Oct. 18 due to a concussion, so he will be out for at least three more games and the team’s bye in Week 11.
The Colts did get good news in their secondary on Wednesday when Jaylon Jones was designated to return from IR, opening his 21-day practice window, but it’s unclear if he will play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Getting after the quarterback hasn’t been a problem for the Colts so far, though they are a lacking a game-changing type off the edge. They are winning right now with a lot of depth. DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Laiatu Latu and Samson Ebukam all have at least two sacks.
The Colts’ 19 sacks as a team are tied for seventh in the NFL. Their efficiency is a concern looking ahead over the course of the season, as they rank 28th in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate as a team.
Finding an impact edge rusher on the trade market is very difficult because of the cost and not many teams want to give up a player at that position. Trey Hendrickson is the name everyone is paying attention to since he is in the final year of his contract, but the Cincinnati Bengals are reportedly not looking to move him.
As the Miami Dolphins continue to sink further down in the standings, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler cited Jaelen Phillips and Bradley Chubb as trade targets. Phillips is said to have the “most value” given his age (26) and teams being “enamored” with the trajectory of his career.
The Colts aren’t a team that has historically made in-season deals under general manager Chris Ballard. Their last such move came in November 2022 when they sent Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills for Zack Moss and a 2023 fifth-round pick.
This would be the year to break that trend with head coach Shane Steichen devising an unstoppable offense through the first seven weeks. They lead the NFL with 33.1 points per game. Jonathan Taylor is playing at an Offensive Player of the Year level with 882 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns.
The Colts are four victories away from their first double-digit win season since 2020. They also have a two-game lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South as they pursue their first division title since 2014.
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