The Indianapolis Colts are in full-on fire sale mode, made all the more apparent by their Week 8 loss to the Jaguars. The best move at this point is to just blow it all off to compete going forward, and part of that is the painful move of parting ways with All Pro cornerback Jonathan Taylor.
It’s unclear what the cost would be to a team trying to add Taylor, though Adam Schefter said the Colts are looking for a package similar to the deal the 49ers made to add Christian McCaffrey in 2022, sending 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th round picks to the Carolina Panthers.
That may seem like a steep price, but like McCaffrey, Taylor is a legitimate game changer with a big offensive boost and value to a contender, or a contender in need of a boost. These six groups make a lot of sense when they move.
Have you seen Vikings offense recently? This is a team built around defense, which means it’s better supported by a ground game that can burn the clock and dominate the line of scrimmage โ but Minnesota doesn’t currently have a good running game to do that.
There is a lot of logic to the idea that the Vikings should focus on getting a quarterback, but that would be tough and could cost them more in a bidding war over the few quarterbacks in the league. It makes more sense to just get Taylor to establish the team’s identity with the best running backs in the NFL and then try to sort out our quarterback this offseason.
The Jaguars are playing good football right now, but they’re missing one more key that could transform them from a playoff team to a true contender. Right now the running game is an easy point of improvement, Beyshul Tuton looks great, but he’s more of a shifter than a three-down ball carrier the team can support.
It might be hard for the Colts to move from Taylor to a division rival, which is really garbage here. If Indianapolis removes that roadblock from the equation, it’s a lockstep move that could truly turn the Jags into one of the favorite teams in the AFC South. Trevor Lawrence is throwing the ball well, the defense is working – they’re just missing the chainsaw needed to put it all together.
We’ll see Bo Nix’s future debated this season as people try to figure out if he’s really that good. Either way, a move similar to Minnesota’s would bolster the team’s defense with a strong back, which could be the offense that lacks Sean Payton.
If we look at his past record, even with Drew Brees on his back, he was a focal point. JK Dobbins is goodโฆgood, but nothing spectacular to suggest he could be the player the Broncos need when the passing game struggles. The Saints would be better off changing the pace like they did with Reggie Bush and using Taylor as an injury the team needs.
Seattle had to make a tough decision in the offseason to part ways with Kenneth Walker and it was definitely a move that hurt the team. While there’s a lot to like about the Seahawks, the lack of a consistent running game is holding them back โ especially when Sam Darnold isn’t as effective as he was a year ago.
Coupled with the individual brilliance of Jackson Smith-Nijgba, we are seeing this team die and die defensively. That’s an element of that house of cards waiting to fall, and this team should be of great concern to Seahawks fans looking to at least make a deep playoff run. Adding Taylor could be that missing piece.
The Patriots have turned the corner in recent weeks and are starting to look like a team that can actually compete outside of a wild card spot. While it’s unlikely they’ll book the Bills in the AFC East, they still have completeness that many teams don’t.
One of the biggest areas that is lacking right now is the running game, which is lacking. This team is known to have a penchant for making big moves on offense to try and fix things, Taylor is the part this team is missing. He could be the difference maker New England needs to be another destroyer in the game to make a run to the end.
