Are the Indianapolis Colts actually a prime candidate for a Myles Garrett trade?
Bill Barnwell of ESPN seems to think so, putting the Colts and two other teams in the “sweet spot” category when it comes to making this move.
Barnwell recently went in depth about Garrett and the possibility of a trade. He dove into Garrett’s contract, what it might take to acquire him, and then Barnwell put each NFL team into tiers in terms of whether or not acquiring Garrett could be in play.
The final tier–the sweet spot tier, as Barnwell put it–included the Colts, Chicago Bears, and the Washington Commanders.
“In his postseason news conference, Ballard acknowledged the Colts need to be more aggressive in free agency to add talent. Garrett won’t be a free agent, but he would be a much more compelling addition than just about anybody who will be on the market.”
Barnwell would add that while Garrett is on the defensive side of the ball, his presence “could take some of the pressure off (Anthony) Richardson and the offense.”
We recently covered the idea of the Colts making a big trade this offseason here at Colts Wire. Is it fun to talk about? Sure. Would Garrett make the Colts better? 100%. Do I agree with Barnwell that the Colts are a “sweet spot” for Garrett? I don’t.
For starters, to Barnwell’s point about Ballard being “more aggressive,” while he did acknowledge that his approach in free agency has to change, we have no idea to what extent. Yes, he needs to be more aggressive, but “more” is a relative term.
Last offseason, the only additions made in free agency were Joe Flacco and Raekwon Davis, so doing just about anything technically falls into the “more category.” Maybe it does mean that we see Ballard take some big swings, but we certainly can’t assume that either.
Now, with that out of the way, my biggest reason for believing that Colts aren’t a sweet spot for Garrett is that Indianapolis isn’t just one player–even a great one–away. They were 8-9 a season ago, and in Chris Ballard’s own words, they aren’t close when it comes to being a true contender.
“Right now, we’re not close,” Ballard said. “I’m going to make this really clear. Close is losing on the last play of the Super Bowl. That’s close. Going 8-9, that’s not close. No, I’m not saying we won’t be closer when we get to the start of [next] season. But right now, sitting here today, we’re an 8-9 football team. We’ve got to own that.”
Garrett’s presence would make everyone around him better, but there are a lot of holes to fill on this roster. Tight end, cornerback, and safety are the big ones, but offensive line could be added to that list if Will Fries doesn’t return.
Linebacker depth and an added coverage presence is a need. Running back and defensive tackle depth are needed as well. Ballard also said there will be competition for Richardson this offseason.
Acquiring Garrett doesn’t only limit the Colts ability to add to these position groups through the draft with the picks they’d send away, but it limits them in free agency as well because in acquiring Garrett, who has no guarantees left on his deal, a massive top of market contract extension will have to be a part of the equation as well.
In my opinion, the teams that should be in on Garrett are the ones who are either a Super Bowl-caliber team or on the cusp of being one–and the Colts aren’t either of those things.