The Indianapolis Colts could be in the trade market this year as they look to rebuild their roster around Anthony Richardson. Could the Denver Broncos take advantage of this possibility? There aren't a ton of truly bad teams in the AFC, but I think the Colts are going to be one of them. They drafted Anthony Richardson in the 2023 NFL Draft and are clearly angling toward future seasons to be competitive.
I don't anticipate this team winning more than a few games with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach. Furthermore, they do have some aging veterans that might not line up with their long-term plays and might have more use for the Colts as being used to acquire draft capital in a trade.
The Denver Broncos are in a much different spot than the Colts. The Broncos appear to be going all-in this year and likely in future years as much as they can. They've been hyper-aggressive in free agency and I do not think they will hesitate to deal more draft capital if it means improving the roster.
Could the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis strike a deal at some point in 2023? Let's dive into three trade possibilities.
Denver Broncos 3 trade ideas with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023
1. Denver Broncos acquire RB Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor formally requested a trade from the Indianapolis Colts as he wants a long-term contract and doesn't appear to be getting one from the team that drafted him a few years ago. Taylor did have a down year with some injuries, but broke out in 2021 and rushed for over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He has apparently been excused from the team to seek treatment for an injury, but nothing indicates that he will miss regular season football games. There was also a report that there are/were several teams interested in Taylor and who are willing to give him a long-term deal.
Well, Sean Payton has a history of paying running backs. He's paid all of Reggie Bush, Alvin Kamara, and Mark Ingram. It's not farfetched to think that the Denver Broncos could package Javonte Williams in a deal with a draft pick to land the 24-year-old running back who could be a huge upgrade in the backfield.
2. Denver Broncos acquire C Ryan Kelly
An aging veteran who might not fit the long-term rebuilding vision that I believe the Indianapolis Colts have is Ryan Kelly, who has been one of the better centers in the NFL for years. He did have a down 2022 season, but so did the entire offensive line, and I don't think Matt Ryan, who is a total statue, was doing them any favors.
Kelly has just two years left on his contract with the Colts and the team could save over $10 million by trading him in 2023. The former Alabama draft pick is 30 years old and has made three Pro Bowls in his career, with 97 total games played in the regular season. The Denver Broncos are currently projected to start Lloyd Cushenberry at center, which is not exactly inspiring.
Cushenberry has had a rough first three seasons in the NFL and is the clear weak point of this offensive line, which largely looks solid on paper. Thrusting Cush out of the lineup for Ryan Kelly would give the Broncos arguably the best interior OL in all of football with Ben Powers, Kelly, and Quinn Meinerz, who PFF ranked as the 12th-best guard in the NFL ahead of the 2023 season.
This would also continue the Denver Broncos' all-in mentality that they have clearly displayed this offseason. Sean Payton spent over $200 million in free agency to improve this roster, so I do not think a trade like this would be out of the question. Payton has always invested heavily in the offensive line during his career as a head coach, so that's also something to keep in mind.
With the Denver Broncos being a run-first team, having some maulers up front is the best way to aid that.
3. Denver Broncos acquire DT DeForest Buckner
One of the best defensive linemen in the NFL that no one talks about anymore is DeForest Bucker, who began his career with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2016. Bucker has been the model of consistency along the defensive line for years. He's entering his age-29 season and has just two years left on his contract.
Now, to be fair, the defensive line is becoming more like the offensive line as players who are approaching 30 and even older are still able to cash in and play well even with their advanced age. Bucker had eight sacks and 22 QB hits in 2022. He's never had less than three sacks and 14 hits in any season during his career and has missed just two games over his career.
His 17-game average comes out to eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 21 QB hits per season, which is insane production from the defensive interior. Well, in seeing the Denver Broncos' initial depth chart, the defensive line is not that inspiring outside of Zach Allen and DJ Jones. Jonathan Harris is slated as the other starter at defensive end, but I think this defense takes itself to a new level if Bucker is in that place.
The Colts could not only get a high draft pick for his services, but they'd save nearly $15 million in cap space by making the trade in 2023. Overall, if the Colts are clearly not a playoff team by the time the trade deadline comes around in the 2023 NFL season, they will surely make a trade or two if the prices are right.
A rebuilding team can aid itself in a great way by acquiring more draft picks and opening up cap space. The Chicago Bears have done that over the last couple of seasons and are certainly trending in the right direction.