The Indianapolis Colts are a clear seller before the 2026 NFL trade deadline.
Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner are already gone. Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Grover Stewart and Keenan Allen are all candidates to be gone by Tuesday, Nov. 10 — the last day that such deals can be made.
But there is one scenario in which the Colts can be buyers.
It’s certainly not something that many people are talking about, but it makes sense that one specific player type could be of interest to Indy.
Colts Trade Rumor To Buy Before Deadline
ESPN’s Seth Walder is the one who has suggested this idea as part of a new article on Wednesday.
Schatz believes the Colts could target a younger player who has fallen out of favor elsewhere: Darius Robinson.
Robinson is an interior defensive lineman with the Arizona Cardinals.
This is the case that Walder makes:
“There aren’t many players who make sense for the Colts to add, but a young player whose value has dropped could be an option if the Colts want to take a shot at developing them. Robinson has played only 36% of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps this season but is showing signs of life in the pass rush. Robinson has a 16% pass rush win rate when playing defensive tackle, which is roughly average, and a 13% pressure rate as an interior rusher, which is well above average.”
Sometimes, players move into the latter stages of their rookie contracts and simply don’t fit with the team they’re on. That’s sort of like what is happening in Jacksonville with Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Robinson isn’t a bad player, it doesn’t appear. The Cardinals simply haven’t given him a chance to spread his wings.
If Arizona is willing to let Robinson leave, he could get a better opportunity with the Colts.
Why Colts Would Trade For a Player
The reality for the Colts is that this is all about making their team better in the future.
Often, the best way to do that is trade an expiring contract for draft picks, which are guaranteed to be future assets.
Robinson, though, would also be a future asset. He just isn’t a pick. He already is a player in the league. But he’s young, talented and potentially available.
If the Cardinals don’t want Robinson, someone will add him eventually and potentially give him a better chance to be his best self.
With the Colts looking toward the future, it’d be a logical move for them to make.
Colts Might Buy in 1 Trade Before Deadline