The Colts pulled out a narrow win over the Cardinals, but the need for a move ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline grows
The Colts got the win but the weak spots on their roster are getting harder and harder to overcome
It wasn’t pretty, but the Indianapolis Colts pulled out a narrow win in Week 6 over the Arizona Cardinals, 31-27. Something pretty, though, is the team’s 5-1 record, which is tied for the best in the NFL. Thanks to a Jacksonville Jaguars loss, the Colts have sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
The Colts offense showed up big, scoring 31 points with strong showings from QB Daniel Jones and MVP candidate RB Jonathan Taylor. They’ve proven to be one of the best offenses in the NFL through six weeks, and I’d even go as far as to say it is good enough to make the team contenders. Their defense is holding them back from being a consensus contender, though, and Week 6 made it evident this team has to make a move ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Colts’ defense desperately needs an upgrade via trade
Before the game even began, the Colts’ defense suffered a major loss with star CB Charvarius Ward suffering a concussion pre-game. Ward collided with Colts TE Drew Ogletree and, unfortunately, was forced to miss the game with his second concussion of the year. The team already had to play today’s game without starting slot CB Kenny Moore II, who missed his third straight game with an Achilles injury. This forced the Colts to start a CB trio of Mehki Blackmon, UDFA Jonathan Edwards, and Chris Lammons. The results on the field were rough, as the Cardinals’ offense, without Kyler Murray and, for most of the game, Marvin Harrison Jr., killed them throughout the day, scoring 27 points.
The Colts have major needs at CB and edge on defense, and they need additions at both if they want to make real noise down the stretch. There are some great options at edge for them to consider.
Looking around the league, a few edge rushers the Colts could be interested in are Trey Hendrickson (Cincinnati Bengals), Jaelan Phillips (Miami Dolphins), Bradley Chubb (Dolphins), and Will McDonald IV (New York Jets). The options at CB are a bit slimmer, though.
A name frequently mentioned by fans is Seattle Seahawks CB Riq Woolen. Woolen has excellent size and speed, but his instincts have been an apparent flaw over the past year and a half. A change of scenery seems to be a need for Woolen, who has fallen out of favor in Seattle.
If the Colts don’t go that route, though, I struggle to find many CBs on teams that will be sellers at the deadline for the Colts to target. I’d love to be wrong, though, because finding another CB to start alongside Ward and Moore when healthy would upgrade the Colts’ defense tremendously.
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