ESPN Tabs Colts Star ‘Surprise-Trade Candidate’

ESPN listed the Indianapolis Colts’ star quarterback as a surprise trade candidate this offseason.

The NFL trade deadline passed quietly for the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday afternoon.
We’re about halfway through the 2023 season and some media outlets are looking at the offseason prospects and potential trade candidates.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano is one of them, and he named DeForest Buckner as an unexpected candidate this season.
“Buckner remains one of the best defensive inside linebackers and is certainly a candidate for an extension,” Graziano wrote for ESPN.
“He has four sacks and two forced fumbles in 2023.
But the Colts have a different defense than when they acquired him from the 49ers, and he turns 30 in March.”

In addition, Buckner will receive a non-guaranteed salary of $20.25 million in 2024, the final year of his contract.
“The Colts have a good record in 2024 draft space and have a quarterback on his rookie contract in Anthony Richardson, so there’s no financial reason to move Buckner to clear the cap.
However, if he decides to this, plan or otherwise.
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The Colts may decide they’d be better off releasing a draft pick and $18 million in cap space next season.
But Buckner is still playing at a high level, and shot protection is one of the hardest to find in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked Buckner 21st out of 125 eligible defensive tackles, despite the Colts’ defensive struggles.
Buckner theoretically has four to five good years left in him, and if Shane Steichen’s rebuild goes according to plan, the Colts will be firmly in the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

The Colts are about $63 million short of the cap in 2024, including Buckner’s $20 million cap hit and before factoring in cap increases.
Fellow quarterbacks Grover Stewart and Kenny Moore will be free agents in 2024 but won’t receive significant raises in 2023, earning $10.2 million and $8.3 million, respectively.

Michael Pittman opted out of his rookie contract and received a significant raise from the $2.2 million he was paid this season.
The Indianapolis corners have shown they can score under center Anthony Richardson and coach Shane Steichen’s Gardner Minshaw.

They have had a hard time stopping teams recently.
They have conceded 35 losses in each of their last three games.
All were defeated. They have the worst scoring defense in the NFL.

In his column, Graziano highlighted some of the more surprising candidates who have been traded.
The financial flexibility of the Buckner contract makes it flexible.
He doesn’t need a defensive battle against top players.
It would be a huge surprise for the Colts to trade Buckner.