The offseason has been dominated by the debate around running backs and contract extensions. Another big name has now joined that list, with Colts running back Jonathan Taylor requesting a trade. Taylor, who has one year left on his rookie deal, was reportedly unhappy that the team had not begun negotiations.
In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, Taylor met with Colts owner Jim Irsay. The meeting seems to have worsened the situation, with Taylor requesting a trade away from the Colts soon after.
Irsay has since doubled down, saying that whilst the team won’t offer Taylor a new deal, they have no plans to trade him either. That doesn’t sound like a sustainable or fixable situation, and there will no doubt be interest from other teams. Here are four that should consider trading for Taylor.
New England Patriots
This might be met with some scepticism. Patriots fans will no doubt say that they already have their starting running back in Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson is a very talented young back but there is of course one thing better than a talented young running back – two of them.
Bill Belichick has always liked to employ a backfield committee in New England. As things stand, that’s not looking great for 2023 and they have little to offer outside of Stevenson. Acquiring Taylor would give them the most devastating one-two punch in the NFL. Both are capable of contributing on all three downs and on all manner of run concepts. Having two such backs would give New England the offensive trump card they desperately lack right now.
The move works from a cap space perspective too. The Patriots can comfortably accomodate Taylor’s $4.3 million cap hit in 2023. They are also currently projected to have a league-high $107 million in cap space in 2024.
Chicago Bears
The Bears had one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL last season, ranking sixth in EPA per rush. They signalled their intent to build on that further this offseason, adding D’Onta Foreman and Roschon Johnson. They join Khalil Herbert, who ranked 10th in rush yards over exepcted (RYOE) in 2022.
This is a good group, but one that Taylor would clearly elevate massively. It is the prospect of him joining Justin Fields that is truly exciting though. Fields is one of the game’s best rushing quarterbacks, and having Taylor in the backfield would create favourable looks for both players and put opposing defenses in a bind.
The Bears would also have no problem offering Taylor a big extension. They currently have a league-high $34 million in cap space and they rank behind only the Patriots in projected cap space for 2024.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had an abysmal running game in 2022, ranking dead last in EPA per rush. With Leonard Fournette gone, they are currently relying on a combination of Rachaad White and Chase Edmonds to lead their backfield.
That isn’t a great situation to be in, especially with a quarterback like Baker Mayfield who has played his best football when he has had a strong running game to rely on. This is also a team that could plausibly compete in a weak NFC, even with a question mark at quarterback. Taylor would help them to do just that.
The one stumbling block here could be cap space. Whilst the Bucs are well placed from 2024 and beyond, their league-high $75 million in dead cap leaves them with just $388,000 in cap space for 2023. They would need to work on some restructures before moving for Taylor. That is something they have deliberately tried to avoid so far this offseason.
Kansas City Chiefs
Yes, the Chiefs are a pass-first team. Yes, they managed to extract some solid production from a seventh round rookie in Isiah Pacheco last season. But when a 24-year old former All-Pro is on the trade block and you’re pushing for a Super Bowl, you should obviously consider it.
We saw last season how the Chiefs’ offense is evolving. They are relying more on their running game than they ever have under Patrick Mahomes. They are also using more heavy personnel than ever before. Whilst Pacheco was good, he is a little limited as a runner and doesn’t offer anywhere near the same level of talent as Taylor.
Like the Bucs, the Chiefs would need to free up some cap space to accomodate Taylor in 2023. They have over $50 million in cap space in 2024 though, and they could comfortably accomodate an extension for Taylor if they wanted to.
