Colts’ shocking move Jonathan Taylor trade quest unleashes contract secrets. The Indianapolis Colts have finally granted permission, but it took them almost three weeks. Sources have revealed that 2021 All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor is free to negotiate a trade.
Colts’ SHOCKING Move Jonathan Taylor’s Trade Quest Unleashes Contract Secrets
Taylor, who is under contract with the Colts until the 2023 season, must take this step before he may play for another team. However, as I learned in my first year of college, “necessary” does not always entail “sufficient” in the field of reasoning.
Now that his transfer request has been approved, Taylor may also negotiate for the contract extension he wants. But will the OK make a difference in the long run? Is there a buyer willing to let go of Taylor and the Colts?
Opinions about the league are varied.
Taylor has undeniable promise. With 1,811 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 106.5 yards per game in 2021, he topped the league in running. During his All-Pro season, no NFL player had more rushing touchdowns (20) or total rushing yards (2,171). Taylor’s 5.5 yards per carry average was second best among running backs, behind only Rashaad Penny of Seattle.
Taylor, a second-round pick in 2020, had an injury-plagued season in which he rushed for 861 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games. In terms of yards per carry, he managed 4.5.
Taylor has been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the last month after he had ankle surgery in January and then failed his physical to begin training camp.
Taylor’s current health status, the value of any deal he would demand, and the Colts’ desired return are all factors that a potential trading partner would need to feel confident about.
What a prospective business partner must take into account
According to one source in the NFL, the Colts’ asking price is just as much of a roadblock to a trade as Taylor’s preferred deal worth.
For Taylor’s rights, Indianapolis allegedly wants a first-round draft selection. According to the source, the permit did include conditions.
It’s not out of the question for some clubs to use a high draft pick on a promising running back. Both the Atlanta Falcons (with Bijan Robinson) and the Detroit Lions (with Jahmyr Gibbs) made high draft picks this year. However, unlike free agency running back contracts, which have decreased in value from previous years, those selections provide clubs the right to five years of relatively low expenses.
Take into account that Robinson’s guaranteed four-year contract with the Falcons will not cause the team’s cap to increase by more than $7 million at any point.
Despite the fact that Taylor has 860 touches of NFL experience and Robinson has none, a base salary of $4.3 million and a cap figure of $5.1 million is probably not the kind of money he desires.
Although NFL running backs may not enjoy having their tread counted against them, front offices nonetheless give it significant weight.
NFL general managers and front office workers have told Yahoo Sports that they are not avoiding the running game, but rather that there is an abundance of good running backs on the market compared to the demand. Executives maintain that rookie running backs can make significant contributions right out of college without breaking wage constraints. Typically, “premier” positions like quarterback, left tackle, and defensive end get a bigger share of a team’s pay cap. The passing game’s recent rise in popularity has been good for wide receivers and cornerbacks.
One front office source claimed their “gut said yes” to a deal involving Taylor, but if the offseason tales of Lamar Jackson and Austin Ekeler are any indication, Taylor’s resolve may instead mirror the trajectories of those two players.
In light of previous recent NFL trade demands,
The same executive’s astute wording makes this potential transaction a “win-win for the club.” If a club is willing to part with a first-round selection, the Colts would get much-needed and valuable draft capital. If the rest of the league doesn’t value Taylor much higher than the Colts do, he won’t be traded. The Colts need a contract extension, but the rest of the league would rather have a first-round pick. He may change his perspective from being upset with the Colts’ assessment of him to being upset with the market worth of players in general.
Holdouts throughout the regular season have been unsuccessful as of late. Taylor’s worth is not expected to grow if he holds out and doesn’t get his unguaranteed $4.3 million basic contract this year.
The quarterback drama in Baltimore and the running back controversy in Los Angeles this spring both provide a way forward.
The Ravens were reluctant to give Jackson, their quarterback, a fully guaranteed deal. Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowler and former MVP, was given the option to negotiate with other teams when the Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him. On March 27, Jackson publicly wanted to be traded.
Neither the rare contract structure nor the high trade value (two first-round selections) were enough to entice any club to make a deal. Deshaun Watson’s $230 million fully guaranteed contract with the Cleveland Browns a year previous was an exception. The Ravens eventually signed Jackson to a five-year, $260 million deal, the largest in NFL history at the time.
The side that placed the most value on Jackson offered him the finest contract at home.
Two months after the Chargers granted Ekeler permission to negotiate a trade, in May, he finally made his move. Unlike Jackson, who was on a franchise tag, Ekeler was approaching the last year of his deal and wanted a raise from the $6.25 million he was owed. He led the NFL with 18 touchdowns from scrimmage last season.
The $1.75 million in bonuses Ekeler received this year were his only reward, since his contract was not renewed. The huge deal the San Francisco 49ers made in October for running back Christian McCaffrey was yet another exception. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is eager to make the most of Ekeler’s many talents, and the Chargers know how to get the most out of him.
Adding insult to injury, the Colts have said that they have no intention of extending Taylor’s contract before the end of the season. Even if Taylor has to take a chance on himself, or if the Colts can’t offer him top-of-the-market money, he still has the potential to be a game-changer for the Colts in a crucial season.
Both Shane Steichen and Anthony Richardson are in their first seasons as head coach and starting quarterback for Indy, thus neither of them is under scrutiny. However, the Colts have decided to start the fourth overall choice in the NFL as their quarterback in Week 1. Can Richardson, without a hard-hitting running back at his side, really realize his dual-threat potential? What kind of long-term damage would a season in which the team doesn’t find its attacking rhythm have on Richarson? Are the Colts serious about wanting to know?
The Colts allowing Taylor to shop around raises more questions than it does answers. It’s too soon to make a well-informed prediction on how things will develop.
It’s important to keep in mind that just because the Colts gave Taylor authority to negotiate a trade doesn’t mean that a transaction will really happen.
It was a mandatory move. It’s not enough just yet.
