Myles Garrett
Getty
The Colts have been named as a possible destination for Myles Garrett
The Indianapolis Colts were at one point close to signing former Cincinnati Bengals star Trey Hendrickson. But after a turn of events involving the Baltimore Ravens and their trade agreement with the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby, Hendrickson instead opted to sign with Baltimore, leaving Indy empty-handed in their pursuit of a dominant EDGE rusher.
The Colts have around $26.6 million in cap space and could still find a reliable pass rusher in the free agent market. Or, according to one senior NFL writer, Indianapolis could attempt to acquire one of the best EDGE rushers in the National Football League in a trade.
Colts Floated as Possible Destination for Myles Garrett
Trade rumors continue to swirl around Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett.
GettyTrade rumors can land the Colts one of the best defenders in the league
The Cleveland Browns have recently proposed a rule change that would allow teams to trade draft picks from 3 to 5 years ahead.
If this rule were approved after the owner’s league meeting, this would benefit the Indianapolis Colts, as the team doesn’t have a first-round selection for the next two drafts and could help in any trades.
There have been rumors that Myles Garrett is available on the trade block, which has been denied by the Browns, but things change in this league.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr names Indy as a possible landing destination for Garrett if the rule change proposed by the Browns were to go through.
“Let’s imagine for a second that the Browns’ rule proposal of extending tradable draft picks out to five years is tied to their desire to deal Garrett. Which teams would that most reasonably impact in terms of potential suitors for him? The Colts do not have first-round picks in this year’s draft or next year’s, thanks to the Sauce Gardner move, and are clearly enamored with the current roster—enough so that signing Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce to big deals made sense to them,” Orr wrote.
“If you’re Carlie Irsay-Gordon, what is another two years of draft capital at this point if the return is a player who could actually turn the Colts into a contender?… The Colts were 30th in pass rush win rate last season and were heavily dependent on Laiatu Latu for generating quarterback pressures.”
Garrett, one of the best defenders in the league, broke the NFL single-season sack record last season, taking quarterbacks down 23 times. He also led the league with 33 tackles for loss.
The EDGE rusher has not recorded fewer than 14 sacks in a single season since 2020, with the last double-digit sack player for the Colts coming in 2020 as well.
Indy missed out on Trey Hendrickson and if an opportunity to add Myles Garrett opens up, the Colts should not blink.
Colts Focusing on Front 7
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard.
GettyIndianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard
The Indianapolis Colts noted that the team wanted to get younger and faster with the defensive front 7 this offseason. While Myles Garrett is in his 30s and not getting any younger, he is one of the fastest and strongest players at his respective position.
Indy lost two defensive ends in free agency and also added two players, Arden Key and Michael Clemons, but neither is at a similar level to Garrett.
There is still time to add some EDGE players, and if the rule change comes to fruition, the Colts could be in line for Myles Garrett.