The Indianapolis Colts reportedly permitted Jonathan Taylor to seek a trade, but they won’t part with him cheaply.
Indianapolis allowed Taylor to begin pursuing a trade Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, the Colts want a first-round pick — or multiple picks that amount to a similar value — to move their star running back.
It doesn’t hurt to set a high asking price and hope someone meets it, but it seems unlikely anyone will pay that demand in an unforgiving landscape for Taylor’s position.
The last blockbuster trade involving a star running back saw the San Francisco 49ers send a second, third, and fourth-round pick in 2023 along with a 2024 fifth to the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey last year. However, McCaffrey is a far superior receiver signed to a multi-year contract.
Taylor, on the hand, is approaching the last season of his current deal. Any team who acquires Taylor must quickly try to lock down the 24-year-old to a long-term extension. They certainly wouldn’t cough off a first-rounder for a one-year rental.
Source: The Colts are seeking a first-round pick — or package of picks that equates to as much — in a potential Jonathan Taylor trade.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 21, 2023
Giving up high draft picks and ample cap space for any running back is a tough sell, even if Taylor is just two years removed from a rushing title. After all, 2022 rushing leader Josh Jacobs is still holding out after getting designated with the franchise tag.
Holder noted that “everything is negotiable.” Also, the Colts are on a short timetable to extend or move Taylor. Whatever the market value is now, it’d likely drop considerably during the season given his expiring contract.