The Colts must look to take advantage of their tight end depth.
Tomorrow’s quarterback Anthony Richardson took over as the current quarterback before suffering a season-ending injury in week four. Backup Gardner Minshew was an excellent substitute, leading the Colts to a 9-8 record and just a few plays away from their first postseason appearance since 2020.
With NFL training camp just a few weeks away, the Colts must make difficult decisions regarding which players to maintain on their roster. With these considerations in mind, here are three probable Colts trade prospects heading into 2024 training camp.
3 Potential Colts trade candidates entering 2024 training camp
Mo Alie-Cox (Tight End)
Last season, the Colts used four tight ends almost equally, a rarity in the NFL. With Jelani Woods has recovered from a ruptured hamstring that cost him the whole 2023 season, Indianapolis now has five veteran tight ends pushing for playing time in 2024.
Mo Alie-Cox is the top earner of this quintet, earning $5.92 million this year. He is a six-year veteran who caught just 13 catches for 161 yards in 2023. Alie-Cox was one of four Colts tight ends to start a game in 2023, and he played 38% of offensive snaps that season, ranking second among tight ends.
Kylen Granson, the next highest-earning tight end in 2024, will make $3.29 million. Cox is 30 years old, and dealing him at any point during the offseason relieves Indianapolis of every dollar of his 2024 contract. With so much tight end depth, bringing back Mo Alie-Cox at that price makes no sense.
Kylen Granson (Tight End)
If the Colts keep Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson is another viable trade prospect for the tight end position. Granson is due to make $3.29 million in 2024, and, like Alie-Cox, he is entering the final year of his deal. The third-year player led Indianapolis tight ends with 30 catches for 368 yards, but his single touchdown reception was third among the team’s TEs.
But what does the return of Jelani Woods, who had 25 catches for 312 yards as a rookie in 2022, mean for Granson’s role in the Colts offense? Kylen Granson’s Pro Football Focus Player Grade in 2023 was 56.8, the lowest among Colts tight ends. He also struggled with run blocking. Is Granson’s receiving skill enough to compensate for his weaknesses in other areas? With so much tight end depth, the Colts should consider trading Granson before he enters free agency.
Ryan Kelly (Center)
Ryan Kelly is one of numerous Colts veterans set to become free agents in 2025. The Indianapolis center has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times in the last five years and allowed only one sack this season. But, as is the case with many outstanding players nearing the end of their careers, the Colts must decide whether to re-sign the 30-year-old or let him go.
Kelly’s last year of contract has a salary hit of $14.6 million, but the Colts would only have $2.2 million in dead cap space if they sell him this summer. Kelly will have many productive years ahead of him, but if the Colts opt not to renew his contract, selling the Pro Bowl center a year early makes more financial sense.
