defensive The Indianapolis Colts‘ sell-off has begun, but it almost certainly isn’t over.
The NFL trade deadline isn’t until Tuesday, Nov. 10. There’s still time for much more to get done.
Obvious names still on the block include Grover Stewart, Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. The Jonathan Taylor question remains hanging over everything, too, with it less clear whether the Colts would trade him compared to that trio on expiring contracts.
A new analysis on Thursday from The Athletic’s Chad Graff takes a look specifically at how the Patriots could benefit from what the Colts are doing right now, and he thinks two of those guys could fit in New England: Downs and Stewart.
Josh Downs to Patriots?
Downs has reportedly requested a trade. He was likely on his way out of town anyway, but that surely affirmed it.
Graff thinks that Downs could help a Patriots‘ receiver room that has been decimates by injuries.
“He already has good chemistry with Drake Maye,” Graff writes. “And we’ve seen with recent wide receiver trades the importance of a connection with the quarterback. At North Carolina with Maye in 2022, Downs averaged 93.5 receiving yards per game and caught 11 touchdown passes in 11 games. So, yes, he’d be a bit redundant for what the Pats already have. But he’s been a weapon for Maye before.”
Graff also discussed the idea of the Patriots potentially having more of an opening in a role that could be filled by the Jaguars‘ Brian Thomas Jr., but in the end, he went with that Downs-Maye relationship as the best solution.
Grover Stewart to Patriots?
Stewart could be the next defensive lineman to be traded away from Indy after DeForest Buckner was sent to the San Francisco 49ers. The big defensive tackle isn’t as glamorous as Buckner, but he’s also a good, experienced player.
“Stewart, 33, used to be one of the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the league,” Graff writes. “He’s not that anymore, but he’s still better than any option the Patriots have. A player like Stewart could help push the opposing offense into more third-and-long situations where the Patriots believe their secondary can thrive.”
Graff notes that the Patriots “never really replaced” Khyris Tonga, who departed in free agency.
“Perhaps that’s part of why the Patriots’ run defense has struggled,” Graff writes. “It ranks 22nd in EPA per rush and 30th in the percentage of opponents’ runs that have gone for 0 or negative yards (15.9).”
Colts fans won’t love the idea of helping the Patriots. Graff suggests that Downs would cost just a sixth-round pick, and that it would be Stewart and a sixth-round pick for a fifth-round pick. Indy might want a bit more.
But at the end of the day, these guys will likely be traded somewhere, and maybe it’ll be New England.
Colts’ Next 2 Trades Could Involve Patriots