With all the news the weather has made lately, it may have escaped your attention that our Indianapolis Colts got a deal done with the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Carson Wentz. The Eagles received a third round draft pick in this year’s college draft and a conditional second round pick in the 2022 draft depending on how Wentz performs in the upcoming season. That’s all. It’s a far cry from the two firsts and one second pick the Eagles were originally clamoring for. The feeling is that Chris Ballard has once again put together a deal that benefits the Colts without breaking the bank. It didn’t hurt that Wentz made it clear that he wanted to come to Indianapolis rather than Chicago or any other of the possible landing spots that were being mentioned by the media.
The Colts will pick up Wentz’s large contract which does free up some cap room for the Eagles. Supposedly the Horseshoe checked with the Las Vegas Raiders on the availability of Derek Carr before finalizing the deal. When the Raiders said no chance, Ballard closed the agreement. Actually the trade does not become official until March which is the beginning of the NFL’s 2021 business year.
So now the team has other free agent business to see too. Starting with Xavier Rhodes. The cornerback came over from the Vikings and had a stellar year last season. His contract is up and he deserves a substantial pay increase. Let’s hope he and the team can come together on a deal. Jacoby Brissett is probably leaving so the team will have to find another backup. T.Y. Hilton is a free agent and the word was that he was going to Miami. But now it’s being said that he is open to returning to the Colts….at a reasonable price. We’ll see.
The draft is coming and the team could go a number of different directions depending on what players are available when they pick 22nd. Left offensive tackle and edge rusher are at the top of the list. A cornerback and back play wideout are being considered. Ballard has another two months — May 29 to be exact — to decide. It will be fun to watch him.