The NFL offseason has just started to heat up and the biggest topic of discussion for the Indianapolis Colts comes at the quarterback position.
At this point, the expectation is that the Colts will move on from Carson Wentz in one way or another. How that will come to fruition remains to be seen, but signs point to this being a one-and-done deal.
But then the Colts would have to find his replacement, assuming they aren’t going to roll with 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger as the starter.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin made predictions in the likely event that Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers stay put with their respective teams. And those predictions are pretty bold for the Colts.
It starts off with trading Wentz to the Washington Commanders, which is a pretty realistic scenario considering they are a quarterback-needy team with the cap space to make a move.
Washington badly needs a QB, and Ron Rivera has publicly admitted they need to do more than take another mid-tier flyer. Wentz isn’t necessarily a Matthew Stafford-level get, but he at least offers more upside than the middling free-agent leftovers. The Commanders know Wentz well, having witnessed his Eagles peak in the NFC East, and both Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner have a history of coaching a big-bodied play-maker with a penchant for forced throws in Cam Newton.
Wentz would certainly be an upgrade in Washington over Taylor Heinicke. Whether his standing on the vaccine would rub Ron Rivera the wrong way might be an entirely different story, though.
As for the bold move the Colts make in this prediction, it comes in the form of trading for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
Probably the boldest of all the moves here, this one runs counter to public compliments from new Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, who may very well be exploring an extension for Carr. But is he really ready to sign a lucrative long-term commitment to a veteran he’s yet to coach? The Colts, on the other hand, have an owner overly eager to upgrade after years of stopgaps. Carr is one of the few actual upgrade possibilities outside of a blockbuster swing at Wilson, and he’d keep Indy squarely in the playoff hunt.
What the Colts would have to give up for Carr isn’t clear but what is clear is the upgrade he would represent over Wentz. Carr may not be one to lead the Colts to the Super Bowl, but they would likely be able to lean more reliably on the position when they need to.
We’re still a few weeks away from all of this really heating up—even if most of these moves aren’t likely to happen.
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