3 Players the Colts Could Trade Away

There are three or four players more obvious than all the others that the Indianapolis Colts could trade away before the NFL trade deadline.

After three straight losses, the Indianapolis Colts sit in last place in the AFC South with a 3-5 record. Quarterback Gardner Minshew, who is projected to start the rest of the season with Anthony Richardson sidelined, is now 1-3 as a starter in 2023.

For those reasons, the Colts aren't likely to be buyers at the NFL trade deadline. But they could still make a few moves before the deadline if they decided to sell.

Here are three (or four) of the most likely players that the Colts could consider trading before Tuesday's deadline:

Mo Alie-Cox, Tight End

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The veteran tight end is the most logical trade candidate on Indianapolis' roster. The Colts possess better, younger tight end depth in Kyle Granson and Drew Ogletree. Second-year tight end Jelani Woods is also reportedly close to returning to the field, which would make Alie-Cox even more expendable.

Granson has missed the past two games because of a concussion. But even with him out of the lineup, Alie-Cox had 2 receptions for 5 yards on 3 targets combined over the past two weeks.

Alie-Cox is signed through the 2024 season, but he has no dead cap space for next year. Therefore, at the beginning of the offseason, he will be a strong candidate to be cut before free agency.

The main issue will be finding a suitor interested in a 30-year-old tight end who's posted just 5 catches for 72 yards this season. Last year, he had 19 receptions for 189 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Furthermore, Alie-Cox has never reached 400 receiving yards or scored more than 4 touchdowns in a season.

The Colts would have to find a team desperate for tight end depth to receive anything meaningful in return for Alie-Cox.

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Julian Blackmon, Safety

© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

While the veteran tight end is Indianapolis' most logical trade candidate, Blackmon may be the best trade chip on the roster.

The veteran safety is experiencing a career year. He has already posted career highs with 56 combined tackles and 5 tackles for loss. Blackmon also has 2 interceptions and 3 pass defenses.

According to Pro Football Focus, Blackmon has been the second-best Colts defender with at least 300 defensive snaps this season.

Any team looking to bolster its secondary with a versatile safety would love to add Blackmon. He's excelled while playing both safety and slot cornerback this season.

A third-round pick from the 2020 NFL draft, Blackmon is in the final season of his rookie contract. He's one of four key Colts starters who is set to hit free agency in March.

Trading Blackmon would leave Indianapolis' young and inexperienced secondary even more depleted. But it has to be considered since Blackmon's on an expiring contract.

Michael Pittman Jr., Wide Receiver or Zack Moss, Running Back

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Like Blackmon, Pittman and Moss are on their final years of rookie deals. That makes them possible rental players on the trade market too.

Pittman is probably the most polarizing trade candidate for Indianapolis. The Colts have receivers Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, which could mean Pittman isn't part of Indianapolis' future plans at wideout.

However, Pittman is clearly the best receiving option on the roster. He leads the team with 50 catches and 529 yards. Trading him without another clear No. 1 receiver on the team would not be a popular move.

Given his talent, there's likely a decent chance the Colts try to re-sign Pittman during the offseason.

The more likely trade candidate is probably Moss. The Colts acquired the running back at the trade deadline last season. With Jonathan Taylor, he's helped Indianapolis feature one of the best running games this season.

But Taylor has returned from his contract dispute and is ready to assume his No. 1 back duties. That could result in Moss' role declining over the rest of the season.

Moss already has a career-high 589 rushing yards, 712 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns. Trading him now would be a classic sell-high move.

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