The Denver Broncos should be interested in several current members of the Indianapolis Colts' roster should some sort of "fire sale" take place in Indy.
Following an ugly loss to the winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday that dropped them to a 2-4 record, the Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard, leading to speculation that more big moves could be coming. Head coach Shane Steichen seems to be on tenuous ground, but the team could also be willing to part with players in exchange for future assets to help a potential rebuild.
This is the kind of situation where you see the vultures start to circle, and in this case, the Broncos could be among those vultures.
Should the Colts be interested in moving some of their top-tier talent, the Broncos should
be taking a look at these four players. In addition, a hypothetical idea of what that player could cost the team has been included. Also, this year's trade deadline has been set for Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 2:00 p.m. MT.
Colts players Broncos should target in a trade
1. Jonathan Taylor, RB
When thinking about the Colts, Jonathan Taylor's name is going to be one of the first to come up. He is one of the best running backs in the league and despite their efforts, the Broncos have just not been good at running the ball.
Still, this trade is unlikely for many reasons. It would cost the Broncos players and picks to get one of the best players at the position in the NFL, but Taylor's contract would be quite difficult to fit into the salary cap and could end up handcuffing the team in the long run.
Taylor's prorated 2026 salary cap hit would be manageable, but it would jump to $21 million next season and nearly $23 million in 2028, according to OverTheCap.com. That said, here's what a potential trade could look like.
- Broncos receive: RB Jonathan Taylor
- Colts receive: RB RJ Harvey, 2027 2nd-round pick, 2028 4th-round pick
2. DeForest Buckner, DL
DeForest Buckner recently shared his frustrations following the Colts' loss to the Titans. He's one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL, but not too many people know that because of the lack of success the Colts have had.
Of all the players on this list, he could be the most likely name to be moved. The Broncos could put him next to Zach Allen on the defensive line to form one of the best duos in the league.
Buckner is 32 years old, so it would be risky to give up future picks for him, but he is still a highly productive player with 75.5 career sacks from the defensive tackle spot. His salary would be a big hit initially, but his current contract has two void years on it after this one. The Colts would save $23 million in cap space by moving him, meaning they could be eager to do so.
- Broncos receive: DT DeForest Buckner, 2028 7th-round pick
- Colts receive: 2027 3rd-round pick, 2028 4th-round pick
3. CJ Allen, Linebacker
When looking at mock drafts ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, you likely saw the name of Georgia linebacker CJ Allen mocked to the Broncos quite a bit. Instead, he was selected by the Colts, who have hardly used him.
The Broncos could use more help at the inside linebacker position, as Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are the team's top options and getting a young player with upside could be a big move. Allen has played on just 12.9 percent of the Colts' defensive snaps this season and he has only two tackles. Perhaps with Ballard, the guy who drafted him, gone, the Broncos could swoop in and give them another crack at a draft pick for him.
This might be the most realistic possibility listed here.
- Broncos receive: LB CJ Allen
- Colts receive: 2027 3rd-round pick
4. Quenton Nelson, Guard
We can dream, right?
Quenton Nelson might be the best overall football player on the Colts' roster, even at 30 years old. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 draft has been to eight consecutive Pro Bowls and he's one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL.
With the way Ben Powers is playing at guard for the Broncos, an upgrade could soon be needed. You couldn't find a better upgrade than this, though it would be costly. It would require the Broncos to trade their first-round pick for a second straight year.
- Broncos receive: G Quenton Nelson
- Colts receive: 2027 1st-round pick, 2028 4th-round pick, OL Alex Palczewski
How do these trades sound? Too crazy, or potentially possible? It's always fun to talk trades, but if the Colts actually have a fire sale, some of these guys could get moved. Let us know what you think on Facebook and Twitter/X!
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 4 players Broncos should target in trade if Colts have a fire sale
