Ahead of the trade deadline, the Indianapolis Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday morning. That move could set up a fire sale in Indianapolis, and the Minnesota Vikings are in a position to take advantage of it.

Ed Dodds takes over as the Colts’ general manager for the rest of the season, which makes him the decision-maker. He’s got a long history as a plus talent evaluator. Using the A to Z Sports trade simulator, here are five Colts players the Vikings could target and what each one might cost. The simulator gives a projected value for each player. However, prices on the trade market can swing depending on desperation and how many teams are interested.

RB Jonathan Taylor

The most intriguing option might be the Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor. In my view, both the general manager and head coach are on the hot seat, so I don’t know if Indianapolis would entertain it, but they just lose to the Tennessee Titans, and they are set to come to Minnesota next week. Even so, the 27-year-old’s extension is movable. The Colts would carry $10 million in dead money next year, but Taylor’s $6.98 million base salary and $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses would prorate to Minnesota. With a $16.187 million cap hit, that’s roughly $8 million in savings this year. 

Taylor has no more guaranteed money left on his deal. Next year is a $15 million base salary plus $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses, and his final year is $9.46 million with a $7.5 million roster bonus, as well as the $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses. If he falls off, Minnesota isn’t stuck with an albatross contract.

His main areas of success come in gap concepts like duo and counter, both at Wisconsin and with the Colts. Those have been the Vikings’ best concepts so far this year. The simulator puts him at a second-round pick, and I would seriously consider it. Taylor was a high school track star and a three-star recruit out of New Jersey before logging over 900 carries for the Badgers. He has also become a better receiver.

A home run threat on the ground opens things up for Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. It won’t fix everything, but it would make a big difference. 

WR Josh Downs

Wide receiver Josh Downs is in the final year of his rookie deal, and I loved him coming out of college. He isn’t quite on the level of Jordan Addison, and Minnesota already has him and Justin Jefferson in the room. Even so, the Vikings could use somebody who complements those two, and Downs fits that role. He works well underneath, isn’t afraid to work over the middle of the field, and brings consistency and explosiveness. All of those elements are perfect for a ball control offense that the Vikings are running.

He’s a good player rather than an elite one, and he’d be a strong WR3. The simulator values him at 244 points, which feels low to me. He could go for a fourth-round pick, but the Vikings don’t have one, so a fifth and a sixth would be a relatively fair offer. With Jauan Jennings not playing well, Downs could be a massive asset both now and down the road.

LG Quenton Nelson

Left guard Quenton Nelson is another fascinating option. The former 4th overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft is in the final year of his deal. The Vikings are transitioning to more of a zone scheme, but their best runs are still gap runs: duo, counter, power, trap, crunch, and wham. Nelson would thrive in those, while also being able to handle zone plays too.

The question is what the price will be. The Colts would have to eat a decent amount of his money, and two third-round picks might get it done. If he leaves in free agency, Minnesota would likely get a compensatory third in 2028, so it’s essentially half the cost. Nelson is a big upgrade over Joe Huber, and the former has played good football. Even so, is that enough? Donovan Jackson could also come back for the playoffs. The intrigue lies in whether two Day 2 picks actually move the needle enough, and I’m not sold that this is the move that puts the Vikings over the top in the way that others on this list will.

DT DeForest Buckner

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is the most fascinating option on the defensive line. He’s in the final year of his deal, and at 6-7, 291 pounds, he could help mold Caleb Banks. There aren’t many interior defensive linemen who are that tall with long arms (34 ⅜”) in the NFL, something Banks and Buckner both have. He might also be someone Minnesota signs for a couple of years afterward. Nolan Teasley has a history of this from his time with the Seahawks, who traded for or drafted players like Leonard Williams and Rashid Shaheed and then extended them.

Buckner’s best football is behind him, but he’s still a good player. The Eagles’ third-round pick could get it done, with a sixth thrown in if needed. He’d give stability to a group with Jalen Redmond, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Levi Drake Rodriguez. Ingram-Dawkins is playing well, but he might be better off playing 25 to 30 snaps off the bench instead of 50.

Look at the last decade of Super Bowl champions. They either had a devastating alpha like Aaron Donald or a deep pass rush room. Buckner helps build the latter.

S Cam Bynum

Trading for Sauce Gardner would cost an astronomical amount, and I don’t think the Vikings should do it, but adding to the secondary would be a smart play. Safety Cam Bynum is a different story. He already understands this defense and has a rapport with Josh Metellus, Harrison Smith, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and Blake Cashman.

Minnesota didn’t let Bynum walk because it thought he wasn’t worth the money. The team had to prioritize other areas, and it believed Theo Jackson was ready for that spot. I believed it too. He wasn’t.

My creative offer: the Vikings get Bynum and a fourth-round pick for their own third-rounder, the Giants’ fifth-rounder, and Theo Jackson. That’s a little expensive, but Minnesota gives up just one net draft pick by getting a fourth back. Indianapolis gets a third and a fifth while clearing cash during a rebuild that Bynum won’t do much for.

Whether the Vikings can make any of these moves is still unknown, and time will give us that answer. Still, there’s a lot to like about what Minnesota could do with the Colts, and a trade or two could bring in a talented player before the deadline.