For a while, it seemed the Indianapolis Colts were generating headlines for other trade candidates.
Quenton Nelson was an obvious one. Defensive tackles Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner got in the mix. Even Jonathan Taylor has now surged to the front of the rumors.
Josh Downs, though, flew under the radar. At first, it didn’t seem like anyone was mentioning his name.
Now, Downs was noted in an ESPN article on Wednesday and a piece by The Athletic on Thursday. He certainly seems to be moving into the picture as a player the Colts could trade before the league deadline in early November.
Why Colts Would Trade Josh Downs
The Colts would trade Downs for the same reason they would trade Nelson or Buckner or Stewart: He’s on an expiring contract.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper ranked Downs No. 9 on his trade board for the upcoming NFL trade season, speculating that he could indeed get dealt.
“Downs is in the final year of his rookie deal, and he has developed into one of the better route runners in the league,” Popper writes. “He is predominantly a slot player, aligning inside on more than 74 percent of his career offensive snaps. The Colts signed receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $114 million extension in the offseason. Pierce has played 49 snaps this season while battling injuries. Downs is good, cheap and on an expiring deal. He would be a potentially valuable trade piece if interim GM Ed Dodds is tasked with bolstering the draft cupboard.”
Downs has been the Colts’ top target with Pierce on injured reserve since re-injuring his heel in Week 2.
But if the Colts lose a couple more games in short order, Downs could be a goner.
How Colts Can Keep Josh Downs
There are two ways for the Colts to justify keeping Downs at this point.
One is to reach an agreement with him on a contract extension. Slot receivers are tricky to evaluate, though, and it’s very possible Downs would want more money than the Colts would offer, especially since Indy just paid Pierce.
The other path involves the Colts going on a winning streak. They’ve got a few weeks before the trade deadline. If they can improve from their current 2-4 record, they may decide to hold some contributors and see if they can make some noise.
But if the Colts fall to 2-6 or something like that, it’ll be tough to make the case for keeping Downs.
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