The Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks kicked off the NFL’s trade season on Tuesday.
The Colts sent star offensive guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks. In return, Seattle shipped a third- and a fifth-round pick to Indianapolis.
Nelson is on the final year of his contract, so this amounts to a rental for the defending Super Bowl champs.
For the Colts, it’s probably just the beginning. Names like DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and even Jonathan Taylor have been in the rumor mill, too, and at least some seem likely to be moved.
But before that happens, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper took a look at the Nelson trade and handed out grades, one better than the other.
Colts’ Quenton Nelson Trade Grade
Popper gave the Colts a B+ for their trade of Nelson.
“The Colts had no choice but to start moving on from some veterans,” Popper writes. “This version of the team is going nowhere. They did well to get a third-round pick back for a player on an expiring deal who turns 31 in March. However, Nelson is still playing at a very high level, and I would have bumped this into the ‘A’ range if the Colts had gotten a second-round pick.”
Indy likely felt it couldn’t get a second-round pick from anywhere. They pulled the trigger on this deal two weeks before the trade deadline, so it seems like they had a good pulse on what was out there.
If the Colts weren’t going to get Nelson to agree to an extension, this was the next best approach in a season that is already going awry with Indy at 2-5.
Seahawks’ Quenton Nelson Trade Grade
Popper gives the Seahawks an A+ for the Nelson trade.
“Even nine years in, Nelson remains one of the league’s best offensive linemen, and he will single-handedly improve the Seahawks’ running game,” Popper writes. “He has that kind of run-blocking ability. The Seahawks ran for 153 yards in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, but they still needed 41 carries to get there, and the performance wasn’t particularly efficient.”
The Seahawks have dealt with RB injuries, which hasn’t helped their rushing attack, but Nelson is the kind of offensive guard who makes everyone better — particularly when Nelson is tasked with pulling for a block on a given play.
“I am curious to see how the Seahawks piece this together,” Popper writes. “Overall, the Seahawks addressed a huge need with an elite player and gave up little to make it happen. Good business.”
Nelson’s only hope of playing in the playoffs this season was likely to be with Seattle. The Colts will watch from afar to see how this all works out.
Quenton Nelson Trade Grades Look Better For Seahawks Than Colts