Colts Urged to Trade For Former First-Round Wide Receiver

Getty Head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts should be interested in acquiring more offensive weapons before the NFL trade deadline.

Head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts was adamant during his press conference on October 26 that the team is not giving up on the 2022 season. If that’s the case, then the Colts need to surround their new signal caller with more offensive weapons if possible.

Could a trade be in order? NFL writer Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report says there should be.

Knox identified the Colts as a team that should target Denver Broncos wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler on the trade market before the NFL trade deadline.

“Both (Jeudy and Hamler) could also interest the Indianapolis Colts, who are desperate to stay in the playoff hunt at 3-3-1,” Knox wrote. “Indianapolis recently announced that Sam Ehlinger will replace Matt Ryan as the team’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

“Trading for a receiver to complement Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Parris Campbell would be a nice way to support Ehlinger as he takes over.”

The Colts have less than a week to add pieces to support Ehlinger. The league’s trade deadline is November 1 at 4 pm ET.

What Jeudy Would Bring to the Colts

Of the two Broncos receivers, Jeudy is the more highly-regarded one on paper. Denver drafted Jeudy in the first round at No. 15 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

He’s yet to truly emerge as an elite receiver, but a big part of why could be because of Denver’s issues behind center. And even with quarterback problems, Jeudy averaged 16.5 yards per catch as a rookie in 2020. He’s also posted 16.1 yards per reception this season.

Jeudy is a burner in every sense of the word, but he’s also a great route runner. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the 2020 NFL combine and was one of the best all-around receivers in college while playing at Alabama.

“He’s a linear route specialist with a great feel for leveraging and then stemming defenders away from his food on intermediate and deep passes,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.

Jeudy would be a great weapon to pair with Colts current deep threat and rookie Alec Pierce. The Colts second-round pick is averaging more than 14.0 yards per catch, and both wideouts are under 24 years old.

This will make him cost more at the deadline, but Jeudy is an appealing option for the Colts also because he’s not a rental player. He’s signed on an affordable rookie contract through the 2023 season with a fifth-year team option for 2024.

What Hamler Could Offer the Colts

Coming to the Broncos as a second-round pick in the same draft class as Jeudy, Hamler offers a tremendous skillset as well. But he’s dealt with multiple injuries early in his career and hasn’t been targeted much this season.

Hamler played through a hamstring injury as a rookie in 2020 to post 30 receptions for 381 yards and 3 touchdowns during 13 games. But last year, he missed the final 14 games because of an ACL tear.

Then this year, he’s failed to establish a connection with quarterback Russell Wilson. Hamler has just 5 receptions for 113 yards.

If there’s a positive, Hamler is averaging 22.6 yards per catch this season. He doesn’t have the same upside as Jeudy, but he will cost less in trade compensation for the Colts and will also be on his rookie deal through 2023.

Pierce and Parris Campbell have emerged, making big plays the last couple weeks. Of course, the Colts still have top wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. too.

But the arrival of Jeudy or Hamler could take the Colts passing weapons to the next level as they continue to search for answers with a new signal caller. Either one could also be a replacement for Campbell next year when he possibly leaves in free agency.