The Chris Ballard era is over.
Quenton Nelson is a Seahawk.
DeForest Buckner is a 49er again.
Josh Downs has requested a trade.
Jonathan Taylor is being shopped to the highest bidder.
If it wasn’t apparent enough, let me speak plainly: the Colts are in rebuild mode. A new
General Manager (and potentially a new Head Coach) will be taking the reins of the Colts and will try to build the team back from relative scratch. Few if any are safe on the roster.
With 2027 being the start of this rebuild, what resources do the Colts have at their disposal? Can they add more? Who else is likely to be moved?
Resource #1: Draft Picks*
*To be determined if this is the final list of 2027 Draft picks available to the Colts, pending further trades.
- 2027 Round 2 own Pick (projected in the 30s)
- 2027 Round 3 own Pick (projected in the late 60s/early 70s)
- 2027 Round 3 Seahawks Pick (projected in the 80s)
- 2027 Round 4 own Pick (projected in the 100s/early 110s)
- 2027 Round 4 49ers Pick (projected late 120s/130s)
- 2027 Round 5 own Pick (projected 140s)
- 2027 Round 5 compensatory pick (projected 170s)
- 2027 Round 6 compensatory pick (projected 210s)
- 2027 Round 7 own Pick (projected 220s)
- 2027 Round 7 Bills pick (projected 240s/early 250s)
Colts currently are projected to own the 10 picks above in 2027. The Jets own the Colts Round 1 pick for this upcoming draft which will hurt their ability to get top end talent in the first post-Ballard draft, but the Colts now own 5 picks in the next 3 rounds afterwards.
While it is still early in the draft evaluation process and Draft declarations are a ways away, the 2027 Class currently projects to be a deep class at the following positions:
- Wide Receiver
- Offensive Tackle
- Defensive Tackle
- Edge Rusher
- Cornerback
With ample draft ammunition, the Colts could add some young talent in the draft at several of these positions, even wideout a Round 1 pick.
Who else could be traded to add to the Colts 2027 Draft pick total?
The Colts can still add more to the above list of picks by trading away the following players:
- Josh Downs: already asked for a trade. Might net the Colts a pick as high as a Round 3 pick with his age (25), elite level separation and ball skills, and ability to win in the slot consistently. Rasheed Shaheed was a similar tier player on an expiring deal (albeit a different role as a deep threat with special teams ability) who was traded mid season in 2025 for a 2026 4th and a 2026 5th round pick.
- Grover Stewart: Buckner’s longtime running mate in the interior. At his age (33) and position as a run stopping 1 Technique/Nose Tackle on an expiring deal, his return would be minimal (Round 6 pick at best, more likely Round 7).
- Charvarius Ward: Ward has produced as a strong cover corner when healthy as a Colt. But when healthy is a very loaded term for Ward, who has dealt with multiple concussions that would hurt his trade value. Especially after he hinted at a potential retirement in the 2026 offseason. Colts would net a day 3 pick for Ward, likely around a Round 6 pick.
- Jonathan Taylor: Possibly the biggest haul the Colts could get in a trade would be if they moved their star back. Taylor was extended this past offseason so the contract remaining is a plus to whoever trades for him. Still only 27 years old, Taylor is on a Hall of Fame trajectory if he maintains his current production with his new team in a trade scenario. Taylor did not request for a trade, however the Colts are listening to offers. Taylor could net the Colts a similar return as the Panthers trading away Christian McCaffrey: a Round 2 Pick, a Round 3 Pick, a 4th Round pick, and a future 5th Round pick. The Colts would love to see if someone would be willing to part with a Round 1 pick for Taylor, but it is unclear if any team would budge for the deal. Still if the Colts do move the engine of their offense, they will net a large haul of picks in compensation.
Resource #2: Cap Space
The Colts currently have the 5th most cap space in the NFL for the 2027 offseason with $97.8 million in cap space. However that number can be raised significantly with a few moves, some of whom feel more likely than others.
Biggest Cap Saving Moves
- Cut Daniel Jones Post June 1st, 2027 = Save $38 million
Should the Colts move on from their starting QB one year after signing his extension with the team, they could stand to save a significant amount of 2027 cap space. They would need to do it after June 1st however to maximize the savings, which means the $38 million would need be available well after the first few waves of free agency. Otherwise the Colts only net $11.6 million in 2027 savings if they released Jones beforehand.
With the team clearly looking for a new direction and a rebuild looming, it is clear that Jones is not in the future plans for the team after his tumultuous start to the 2026 season. Barring a surprise late season surge from Jones after trading away various assets, moving on from Jones feels more of a question of when rather than if.
- Trade Charvarius Ward = Save $12 million
As previously discussed, if the Colts move on from Charvarius Ward, they likely won’t net a large draft haul for the talented yet oft-injured veteran cornerback. However the savings they will get in cap space will be quite large. and irregardless of the timing. If the Colts trade Charvarius Ward this season, pre-June 1st in 2027, or post-June 1st 2027, the savings remain the same for 2027.
- Trade Jonathan Taylor = Save $11 million
If the Colts do get the right trade compensation for their star Running Back (reportedly aiming for a Round 1 pick or equivalent trade value) then they will also save a significant amount of cap for 2027. They would save even more if they traded him Post-June 1st in 2027 ($16 million), but timing wise it would make the most sense close to the 2026 trade deadline or after the season to trade him for Maximum value if that is the route the Colts choose to take with their best offensive player.
- Cut Arden Key and Micheal Clemons = Save $9.4 million ($5 million and $4.4 million respectively)
Both Edges that the Colts signed to multi year deals in the 2026 offseason have had minimal impact with the Colts, partially due to injury. They are both dealing with injury and are on IR, meaning they can’t be traded if they can’t complete a physical. But as signings from Ballard’s last offseason as GM, they are likely not in the plans going forward in the room unless they can prove themselves once healthy. Key has flashes as a pass rusher but has not been able to hold up on the edge in run defense, and Clemons has been ineffective in both aspects. With the new direction the Colts are going in, expect at least one if not both to be released following the 2026 season.
Maximum 2027 Cap Space: $168.2 million
All told the Colts have a clear pathway to having the most cap space in the 2027 Offseason. Even if they don’t trade away Jonathan Taylor and opt to keep Arden Key to see if his pass rushing flashes can be more consistent, they would still have over $11 million more cap space than the current cap leader in the NFL for the 2027 offseason: the Atlanta Falcons.
While being the biggest spenders in the league doesn’t guarantee success, it does mean the Colts will have ample opportunity to upgrade their roster and address their needs if they choose to be big and active spenders. Should the Colts make the most of that opportunity, the rebuild could be a lot quicker than expected.
All told, with or without a Josh Downs trade and/or a Jonathan Taylor blockbuster trade midseason or pre-June 1st 2027, the Colts will have ample resources to address the following needs:
- Starting Quarterback
- Starting Wide Receivers (Outside Z and Slot)
- Offensive Line (Competition for Left Guard and Right Tackle starting jobs, depth everywhere)
- Edge Rushers
- 3 Technique Defensive Tackle (likely via re-signing Adebawore and adding depth behind him)
- 1 Technique Defensive Tackle (Grover Stewart successor)
- Linebackers (more competition for starting LB snaps at MIKE and WILL, with a coverage emphasis)
- Cornerback (outside and nickel depending on Ward and 2nd year Justin Walley)
Whether or not these positions of need are solved or not is to be determined, but there will be little excuse for the next General Manager to address these needs with the resources available in some capacity in 2027.
