Could the Colts make the aggressive move to trade for disgruntled Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson
NFL free agency doesn't kick off till next week, with the legal tampering period beginning Monday, but the recent news proves that the NFL never sleeps. With the news that the 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson has been granted permission by the Cincinnati Bengals to seek a trade. And the Colts have a clear connection that […]
NFL free agency doesn't kick off till next week, with the legal tampering period beginning Monday, but the recent news proves that the NFL never sleeps.
With the news that the 2024 sack leader Trey Hendrickson has been granted permission by the Cincinnati Bengals to seek a trade. And the Colts have a clear connection that makes it worth asking the question: Could the Colts trade for Trey Hendrickson?
Could the Colts consider trading for Trey Hendrickson to reunite him with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo?
Hendrickson's defensive coordinator In each of his four years with the Bengals was Lou Anarumo. Anarumo was let go by the Bengals this offseason, but he landed on his feet by agreeing to become the Colts' new DC. During their four years together, Hendrickson has recorded 57 sacks, including back-to-back seasons with 17.5.
So, it is safe to say Hendrickson fits in Anarumo's scheme like a glove and has played the best football of his career. But that isn't the end of the Colts' connections to Hendrickson. The Colts also have Hendrickson's college head coach on staff in Charlie Partridge, who is the team's defensive line coach. The two were together from 2014 to 2016 at Florida Atlantic, and Hendrickson went on to be selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Paying him would be tough for the Colts but far from impossible. The Colts have multiple veteran players whose contracts can be restricted to create cap space, along with a few players who could be released to create cap space that could be used to pay Hendrickson and upgrade their defense. But how much would it cost for the Colts to trade for the star pass rusher?
How much would Trey Hendrickson cost via trade?
The most important question when discussing a trade is the package it would take to get the deal done. Trey Hendrickson is an interesting case study because he is coming off a great season where he led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, and he wants a new contract to repay him for that feat. He's 30 years old but will turn 31 in December. So, I don't think the trade value is going to look as high as some would guess for the NFL sack leader in 2024.
I think the Bengals are likely to receive a third-round pick and some change for Hendrickson, whether that change is a player or day three picks, I'm not sure. And with that price tag, I think the Colts and many around the league would be very interested in acquiring the talented pass rusher. If I were to come up with my top trade offer,r I think the Colts should offer a third this year and a 5th in 2026, or if the Bengals would rather offer an edge rusher that has one year left on their deal to play for Cincinnati in 2025 like Samson Ebukam or Kwity Paye.
The Colts and Raiders should consider making a rare player for player trade that would benefit both teams
The Indianapolis Colts have a major need for an impactful tight end this offseason. Their TE room was near the bottom of the league in production in 2024, and their top two players at the position are set to become free agents, Mo Allie-Cox and Kylen Granson. The upcoming 2025 NFL Draft class has multiple […]
Recent NFL roster moves and rumors help the Colts in a big way that not enough people are talking about ahead of free agency
The NFL's legal tampering period begins Monday, March 10, at noon Eastern Standard Time, which is the unofficial start of the league's free agency period. The Indianapolis Colts have multiple needs they could address, arguably their biggest being in the secondary. They need to add talent at corner and safety, and the market has numerous solid […]
