A lot of noise has been rumbling about the status of quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.
Owner Jim Irsay told reporters that “everything is on the table” when it comes to the position.
Jim Irsay on #Colts quarterback situation: We (Ballard, Reich & Irsay) have an open mind…right now Jacoby (Brissett) is our starter & he is on the rise. @WISH_TV pic.twitter.com/nCgniHAoKv
— Charlie Clifford (@cliffWISH8) February 23, 2020
There is so much uncertainty that 2019 starter Jacob Brissett commented on the matter.
Free agency begins on March 18th and the Colts have been rumored to be bringing in other options.
For starters, the Colts are rumored to be a landing target for Los Angeles Chargers QB Phillip Rivers.
There’s also the draft in which the team has been linked to Utah State’s Jordan Love and Oregon’s Justin Herbert.
However, in order to do that, the Colts will need to move up in the draft.
In turns out that it might actually be their plan after all.
Where Do The Colts Need To Be?
According to mock drafts, both Love and Herbert could be off the board before the Colts pick.
In the first round, the Colts have the No. 13 overall pick.
In order to land Love, Herbert, or even Alabama’s Tua Tagovailo, the Colts would likely need to be in the top-6.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Miami Dolphins, who have the No. 5 overall pick, have an interest in trading.
From @NFLTotalAccess pre-Combine show: A look at who could trade up for a QB… pic.twitter.com/EP4FJhk3Th
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 29, 2020
What The Colts Could Do
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell said that the Colts could package the No. 13, No. 34, and No. 44 overall picks to the Detroit Lions to land the No. 3 overall pick.
This is very possible given that the Lions have stated the No. 3 pick is on the trade block.
If the Colts are not committed to Brissett, then trading for Tagovailoa should be considered.
The Cincinnati Bengals are nearly guaranteed to take LSU’s Joe Burrow, while the Washington Redskins are linked to Ohio State’s Chase Young.
That leads to one of the better options at quarterback.
#NFLCombine key measurements thread…
57. #Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa
Height: 6-0
Weight: 217
Hand: 10 (left), 9 7/8 (right)
Arm: 30 4/8
Wingspan: 75 2/8— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) February 24, 2020
Other Examples
In the last five years, other teams have moved up from their current draft position to draft their franchise quarterback.
Here are a few examples:
- The Los Angeles Rams traded the Tennessee Titans their first, two seconds, and a third, plus a first and second in 2017 to move from No. 15 to No. 1 to select Jared Goff.
- The Philadelphia Eagles traded their 2016 first, third, and fourth, 2017 first, and a 2018 third to go up from No. 8 to No. 2 to select Carson Wentz.
- The Kansas City Chiefs traded their 2017 first and third, and 2018 first to go up from No. 27 to No. 10 to select Patrick Mahomes.
- The New York Jets traded their 2018 first, two seconds, and a 2019 second to the Colts to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 to select Sam Darnold.
- The Buffalo Bills traded their 2018 first and two seconds to move up from No. 12 to No. 7 to select Josh Allen.
Final Thoughts
The Colts have the draft capital to make a move.
A deal with the Lions seems like the best bet given that that the team does not need a QB with Matthew Stafford at the helm.
If the Colts are not sold on Brissett, then trading away picks is what history shows has worked when it comes to franchise quarterbacks.
NEXT: Top 3 Players The Colts Should Re-Sign This Offseason