Getty Proposed trades from Bleacher Report have the Indianapolis Colts making changes at quarterback.
Acquiring Matt Ryan solidified quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, but head coach Frank Reich and the organization still faces uncertainty deeper on the signal caller depth chart.
NFL writer Alex Kay of Bleacher Report tried to add to that uncertainty, proposing that the Colts should make multiple trades at quarterback before the start of the 2022 season.
In an article where Kay named a trade every team should consider in the next few weeks, Kay first suggested the Colts acquire Jordan Love from the Green Bay Packers. Then in a corresponding move of sorts, Kay proposed Indianapolis then ship Sam Ehlinger to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Entering the third week of the preseason (ahead of cuts that need to be made on August 23), the Colts have Ryan, Ehlinger, Nick Foles and Jack Coan on the 86-man roster at quarterback.
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Propose Trades Land Colts Love
The Colts have regularly said this offseason that Ryan could be the team’s starting quarterback for three years. But the fact remains that he turned 37 in May and has two years remaining on his current contract.
Ryan may serve as a stopgap longer than Philip Rivers did for the Colts, but Ryan is still that — a stopgap.
Kay had this in mind when proposing the trade for Indianapolis to land Love.
“Indy settled on veteran Matt Ryan to lead the offense this year—the latest in a string of stopgap signal-callers the team has brought in following Andrew Luck’s retirement—but have a clear need for a young QB to build around,” Kay wrote. “Love would get a chance to become the next in a long line of storied Colts quarterbacks.
“While he wouldn’t take the reins right away, spending a year learning the system and preparing to take over in 2023 could set him up for sustained long-term success.”
Love has two years remaining on his rookie contract and is eligible for a fifth-year option because he was a first-round pick. Even so, if the Colts trade something like a second-round pick for Love (as Kay suggested), they would presumably do so with the belief that Love would become the starter relatively soon.
That doesn’t gel with the plans the Colts brass have for Ryan behind center.
Love was 12-for-24 with 113 passing yards and a touchdown in Week 2 of the preseason against the New Orleans Saints.
Proposed Trade Has Colts Depart With Ehlinger
While it makes sense for Kay to propose a trade involving the Colts dealing a quarterback after acquiring one, it doesn’t sound as though the two moves were the result of each other on Kay’s list.
But Kay’s recommendation for Indianapolis to trade Ehlinger stems more in reality than the proposed Love deal. Do the Colts make room for a third quarterback on the 53-man roster or try to stash Ehlinger on the practice squad and risk losing him for nothing?
“The Colts have only carried two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster in recent years, and it’s highly unlikely Ehlinger is able to climb over backup Nick Foles or starter Matt Ryan before final cuts are due,” Kay wrote. “While Indianapolis would ideally put Ehlinger on the practice squad, there is a real chance a competing squad poaches the 23-year-old if that move is attempted.
“Rather than watch Ehlinger depart for zero compensation, the Colts may want to outright offer their second-year signal-caller to a team that would consider claiming him.”
Ehlinger performed very well in Week 2 of the preseason on August 20. He completed 9 of 10 passes for 136 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Top Two Spots Settled at Quarterback for Colts
While Kay suggests some shuffling behind center in Indianapolis, the top two spots on the depth chart are just about set. Ryan will start, and the Colts signed former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles to be the backup.
As great as Ehlinger has looked, Reich said there’s no competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot.
“Nick has had a long and accomplished career. I think he really puts us in a position to have three really great [quarterbacks],” Reich told reporters on August 21.
Reich coached Foles in Philadelphia when he won Super Bowl MVP following the 2017 regular season. Reich explained that Foles was actually not 100% during that year, so he has the potential to offer the Colts even more if needed this fall.
“In some ways I think Nick is in even better shape that he was in 2017 and has even more experience,” said Reich. “So really happy to have him on the team.”
With that confidence in Foles, a trade for Love appears extremely unlikely. Furthermore, the proposed Ehlinger trade will likely come down to whether or not the Colts decide to make room for a third quarterback on the roster.