Surrounding quarterback Anthony Richardson with as much talent as possible is the key objective for the Indianapolis Colts.
As the young quarterback enters his second season in the NFL following an injury-shortened, four-start rookie campaign, the Colts feel confident about their supporting cast.
However, the NFL isn't a business that stays quiet very long, and one analyst proposed a "blockbuster trade" scenario in which the Colts add more talent around Richardson.
Henry McKenna of Fox Sports suggested the Colts acquire Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth in exchange for a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick — the conditions being that the pick becomes a fourth if he plays 50% of the snaps and a third if he plays 75%.
"The potential is still there. It's just that he has yet to really put it all together. And in Indy, with big-armed QB Anthony Richardson, Freiermuth could fall right into place," McKenna wrote. "But it's a risk on a few levels for the Colts. Freiermuth is set to enter free agency, so they have to decide which path to take. They could extend him at the time of the trade for a deal that won't reset the market. Or they can wait to see how he pans out, with the hopes that he'll blow up (and, in turn, they'll have to pay him atop the market)."
The Colts tight end room is packed with middling talent, and they just lost Jelani Woods for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his turf toe.
Freiermuth is still young enough to consider that he's still entering the prime age for the tight end position, but he's coming off an extremely down year with 32 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.
The Penn State product is entering the final year of his contract so the Colts would run the risk of potentially paying a third-round pick for a one-year rental, according to the proposed conditions. Though, it would be unlikely he would reach 75% of the snaps given how the Colts rotate their tight ends.
Surrounding Richardson with weapons is important, but this likely isn't a deal the Colts would want to be a part of.
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