Indianapolis

Colts

The Colts’ starters played a big chunk of the game in Philly, but Pierce wasn’t the recipient on any of Anthony Richardson’s six completions. Frustrating, though the duo has seemed to have good chemistry in practice. The best fit for Richardson’s impressive deep ball in what is probably going to be a run-based offense, Pierce is a decent bet to build on last season’s 41/593/2 line even though Indy’s passing volume is likely to be unimpressive.

The box score doesn’t pop, but Richardson’s full physical arsenal was on display. He used his size and elusiveness to evade sacks, showed off his cannon arm, and successfully scrambled. On the negative side, he got away with several would-be turnovers. The Colts didn’t really open up the playbook this summer, but it also stands to reason it will be a simple system to begin Richardson’s career. The road to fantasy QB1 status begins and ends with his legs as he learns to navigate the passing game at the NFL level after a short college career.

Barry Jackson reports the ‘Fins “continue to engage the Colts in negotiations.” Jackson also confirms the Colts are seeking a first-round pick or something commensurate. Jackson reports “at least one other team also believed to have made a serious offer.” It is beginning to sound like this might actually happen. The Dolphins make all the sense in the world as a landing spot.

Through two preseason games, Downs has run routes exclusively from the slot. He’s also been targeted on five of those 17 routes, notching four receptions for 49 yards in limited action. Operating in the short and intermediate parts of the field, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Downs develop into a reliable target for rookie Anthony Richardson this season. Downs was an elite playmaker after the catch during his days at North Carolina and has 4.48 speed to turn any short target immediately upfield. Assuming he wins the starting slot role over Isaiah McKenzie, Downs could be a player to monitor early in the season.

It’s hard to say how much we’ll see of Richardson, but head coach Shane Steichen plans to play several starters in Thursday night’s matchup, which will serve as the team’s final tune-up before the regular season. Additional preseason reps will be beneficial to Richardson, but it’s unlikely he’ll operate in the capacity we expect to see in the regular season. The Colts would be wise to limit Richardson to dropbacks and handoffs while limiting the designed runs he’ll see once the games count.

In other words, it sounds like the Dolphins aren’t interested in overpaying for Jonathan Taylor or any other top back. The Colts’ asking price for Taylor is reportedly high, leaving some to question whether or not a trade will get done before next Tuesday’s deadline the Colts have put forth. Wolfe also reports the Dolphins reached out to the Raiders about Josh Jacobs earlier this year, but the Raiders said they have no plans on trading Jacobs at this time.

In addition to the deadline, Holder also reports that six teams have spoken to the Colts about a trade for Taylor, with two teams extending them a trade offer. Next Tuesday is a significant day on the NFL calendar because it’s roster cut-down day when teams must be down to 53 men. Taylor is currently on the active/PUP list and could remain on the list if the team opts not to trade him. If he’s moved to the reserve/PUP list on Tuesday, he’ll be required to miss the first four games of the regular season. Ideally, the Colts would find a way to trade Taylor before then, but teams may be unwilling to offer the compensation Indy hopes to get for the star back. The Dolphins are the only team we know to be in on Taylor at this time. It would obviously be horrible for his fantasy stock if he were to miss regular season games.

Longtime Dolphins beat writer Omar Kelly said the team should apply a “full court press” in acquiring Taylor, who has been granted permission by the Colts to seek a trade after the two sides reached a stalemate on an extension last month. The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson said the Dolphins’ interest in Taylor is “real,” though the team appears unlikely to part with a first-round pick in exchange for Taylor. The Dolphins, who had extensive talks with Dalvin Cook before Cook landed with the Jets this month, seem to be open to the idea of adding an unquestioned lead back after using a committee backfield approach in 2022. In Miami, Taylor would run behind an offensive line graded by PFF as 2022’s seventh best run blocking unit.

Taylor requested a trade earlier in the offseason, but Indianapolis has not seemed interested in moving him until now. The relationship between Taylor and his team looks fractured beyond repair, so a trade is firmly on the table. Taylor is looking for a new contract as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. A team moving picks to acquire him would also have to commit to resetting the market for running back contracts. It’s a tall order given the state of the running back position, but a contender could undoubtedly talk themselves into Taylor being the missing piece of their offense. Whether he is with the Colts or on a new roster, Taylor will be a fantasy RB1 as long as he is playing football this year.

It was a reversal of the Colts’ exhibition opener, where McKenzie got the first crack. Perhaps the Colts planned this rotation all along, but Downs has been earning universal praise for his play in camp. His third-round draft capital would probably also be enough to break a tie with McKenzie, who would still be waiting in the wings as a viable backup plan. McKenzie can also function as a designed-play specialist. Colts reporter Nate Atkins thinks the team could end up relying on Downs’ short game to help bring along inexperienced rookie QB Anthony Richardson.