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INDIANAPOLIS – As has become the norm under Chris Ballard, the Colts elected not to make a trade deadline move in 2023.
With a 3-5 record, and having lost 3 straight games, there were some questions on if the Colts would act in more of a selling mode at the trade deadline, which came Tuesday at 4:00 PM.
But the Colts didn’t make any trade deadline moves, despite them currently sitting in 13th out of 16 AFC teams.
In Ballard’s 7 years as general manager, last year was the only time the Colts made an in-season trade (Nyheim Hines to the Bills for Zack Moss and a future 5th round pick, which became TE-Will Mallory).
Looking at Ballard’s lack of activity from the other side of it, the Colts didn’t view themselves as buyers either this deadline.
That means any bolstering at a position like cornerback will have to come from either a return of JuJu Brents (quad), in-house guys or off the free agent wire.
With the trade deadline having come and passed, here’s a look at some of the Colts free agents for the 2024 offseason: WR-Michael Pittman Jr. (26), DT-Grover Stewart (30), CB-Kenny Moore (28), S-Julian Blackmon (25), RB-Zack Moss (25), QB-Gardner Minshew (27), DL-Tyquan Lewis (28), WR-Isaiah McKenzie (28), P-Rigoberto Sanchez (29). Unlike many recent offseasons, that free agent group has some compelling names on it and several guys who could drum up quite the outside market.
And with the trade deadline here, and no draft picks departing or coming in, here’s a look at the Colts draft picks for 2023: Round 1-7, Round 2-42, Round 3-73, Round 4-108, Round 5-143, Round 6-187, Round 7-228. The Colts are not expected to receive any additional picks via the compensatory formula in 2024.
Heading into the 2024 Draft with no additional picks outside of their own, it does give the Colts less optionality in regards to potential draft-day moves, depending on how the board starts to fall.
The Colts (3-5) have 9 games to go in the 2023 season: at Panthers, vs. Patriots (in Germany), bye week, Buccaneers, at Titans, at Bengals, Steelers, at Falcons, Raiders, Texans.
