The market for Jonathan Taylor is there, but pulling off a deal could get a bit complicated to complete.
The Colts allowed Taylor to begin looking for a trade out of Indianapolis after things between the two sides turned ugly over the past few weeks.
The organization has now given Taylor until Aug. 29 to find a suitable trade partner, according to ESPN.
Six teams have expressed interest in the running back and two have made offers to the Colts, according to the Worldwide Leader.
The Colts are reportedly seeking a first-round pick or a package of picks in any deal involving the 24-year-old.
But further complicating any potential trade to another team is concerns over Taylor’s production and how confident a team is that he’d get back to his 2021 form.
Taylor led the league in rushing yards (1,811) that season, but injuries have hampered him since, and he’s presumably looking for a new contract with whatever team he goes to.
In conversations with several unnamed team executives, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Beer noted some hesitation if a new contract was needed in order to acquire Taylor.
The executives from both conferences did not seem to think Taylor would command a first-round pick in a trade, with one source from the NFC saying the Colts would get less back than the Panthers did for Christian McCaffrey.
Last October, the 49ers sent Carolina a 2023 second-round round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 fifth-rounder to get McCaffrey.
The consensus from those that Beer spoke with appeared to be Day 2 picks, which is far from the reported asking price the Colts are looking for in any deal.
Breer also noted that his sources emphasized that those deals would occur “presuming he checks out medically.”
Taylor is coming off offseason ankle surgery and has been on the active/physically unable to perform list since the start of training camp.
The situation between the Colts and Taylor began to deteriorate after the running back said he wanted to engage in contract talks on a new deal.
But the Colts expressed no interest in doing so.
Taylor eventually asked to be traded, which resulted in team owner Jim Irsay initially saying the club would not honor.
But as the situation has become more uncomfortable, a trade could rectify the messy situation.
Read more
