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NFL Rumors: 5 Jonathan Taylor trade packages Colts can’t possibly turn down

By Cody Williams

Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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NFL Rumors, Jonathan Taylor trade rumors, Colts, Bills, Chiefs, Rams, Bears, Dolphins
Sep 18, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs off the field after the Indianapolis Colts are defeated by the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports /

With the Colts giving Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade, which teams could offer a trade package that Jim Irsay couldn’t turn down?

If Indianapolis Colts fans thought that Jonathan Taylor ending his holdout and returning to the team for training camp was good news, they got absolutely rocked on Monday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported early on Monday evening that Jim Irsay and the Colts have granted Taylor and his representation permission to seek a trade with the other 31 teams in the league subsequently left to weigh their options.

There should be no shortage of suitors for Taylor, who has been one of the NFL’s premier running backs since he was selected in the second round out of Wisconsin in 2020. However, the Colts aren’t going to give him away for pennies as ESPN insider Stephen Holder reports that Indianapolis is seeking a first-round pick or a trade package that equates to that for the running back entering the final year of his rookie contract.

So which teams are going to be in the mix and what can they offer to get the Colts to make the trade? Let’s take a look at five teams and the Jonathan Taylor trade packages they can put together to sway the front office in Indy.

NFL Rumors: 5 Jonathan Taylor trade packages Colts can’t resist

5. Dolphins trade package for Jonathan Taylor

Almost as soon as the news broke that Taylor had been granted permission to seek a trade, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Miami Dolphins, who missed out on Dalvin Cook in his free agency that ultimately landed him with the Jets, are already exploring the possibility of a trade.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the Dolphins don’t have a third or fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to deal. So because of that, they could have to get a bit creative to make a Jonathan Taylor trade package work for them. It’s still doable, however.

Given that the Dolphins missed out on a first-round pick this past year due to tampering penalties, I find it hard to believe that they would give up one for a running back on an expiring contract. Having said that, this deal would compare somewhat to the Christian McCaffrey deal from last season between the 49ers and Panthers wherein the former gave up a 2023 second, third and fourth-rounder along with a 2024 fifth-rounder.

Taylor has a better rushing pedigree in his young career but is less of a dual-threat player in terms of his pass-catching ability. Thus, the Colts entering a relative rebuild around Anthony Richardson could be enticed by an extra Top 64 pick in each of the next two drafts and a pair of early Day 3 picks to supplement that.

Miami, meanwhile, would get one of the most explosive runners in the NFL to add another dynamic element to one of the most electric offenses in the league under Mike McDaniel’s watch.

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