The Indianapolis Colts are conducting a fire sale as the franchise looks to reset following its decision to fire general manager Chris Ballard. Two NFC West contenders, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, have already struck deals with Indianapolis, executing trades for DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson, respectively.
Colts wide receiver Josh Downs also wants out, asking the franchise to trade him, and the Los Angeles Rams have been named as one of the best fits for the young wide receiver. While the prospect of bringing Downs to Southern California is exciting, it doesn't make sense, and here's why.
Even if the Rams were to keep costs low, Downs is set to be a free agent after this season, and after trading for Myles Garrett and Trent
McDuffie this offseason, the franchise needs as many picks as it can get.
The Rams are not going to re-sign Downs, meaning he will be a half-year rental. With Puka Nacua and others still to pay, the franchise can not afford to keep two high-priced wide receivers without losing the core of its roster.
He will get limited targets, too. If Davante Adams' targets were minimal when Nacua is on the field, Downs will be even worse. The Rams are not a team that takes the top off defenses anymore. They play within their offense, and Matthew Stafford has always had the same prioritization: look for his top read first (likely Nacua) before looking for his tight ends and running backs. He rarely looks off one receiver to go to another. The production will not be there, and Konata Mumpfield has done more than enough to earn Adams' WR2 role while the All-Pro recovers from injury.
Even in the event that Nacua goes down with an injury, the Rams are just going to turn to their heavy tight end offense, especially with Terrance Ferguson still set to return this season. Mumpfield excels as the lone receiver in those packages, so Downs wouldn't even get on the field, regardless of Nacua's status.
If the Rams are to make a trade, there are other positions of need, and the Colts have a lot of players to trade for.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Why the Rams shouldn't trade for Colts WR Josh Downs
