Report: Colts Currently Not Among the Trade Suitors for Ravens OT Orlando Brown Jr.

According to the IndyStar’s Jim Ayello, the Indianapolis Colts are currently not among the trade suitors for recently made available Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr.:

Originally a 2018 3rd round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, Brown has transformed into one of the better young starting offensive tackles in all of football—with 42 career starts.

While he’s begun his career predominantly on the right side, he started in relief of injured Ravens’ blindside bookend Ronnie Stanley last season with initial encouraging results.

In order to honor the request of his father, the late great Browns/Ravens offensive tackle Orlando ‘Zeus’ Brown, Brown Jr. has requested a trade from the Ravens in order to start at left tackle—where Stanley is firmly entrenched in Baltimore for the foreseeable future.

While the Colts have a glaring hole currently at left tackle—after longtime veteran anchor Anthony Castonzo’s earlier retirement, it doesn’t appear acquiring Brown is currently in the cards this early offseason for Indianapolis.

It makes sense too.

The Colts already surrendered a 2021 third round pick and 2022 second round pick (which can become a first round pick) to acquire Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

Indianapolis may not want to surrender any more draft capital this offseason to acquire Brown Jr.—especially ahead of what’s a highly regarded deep offensive tackle draft class.

From a cost-controllability standpoint, the Colts would be better off with a rookie offensive tackle on his first contract than paying Brown a lucrative multi-year extension, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2021 season—especially with both Braden Smith and Quenton Nelson already due mega-extensions along their offensive line soon.

That doesn’t mean Brown Jr. isn’t a talented young NFL offensive tackle who could help the Colts or a lot of other tackle needy teams for that matter.

It just means that the Colts currently are not a fit—and therefore aren’t presently pursuing him via trade this offseason.