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The NFL trade deadline is approaching quickly. The Colts have until 4 PM ET on October 30th, to negotiate and conclude any trades. Colts General Manager Chris Ballard has had his fair share of experience when it comes to trading. Ballard has been in trading Phillip Dorsett to New England for Jacoby Brissett, Dwayne Allen to New England for a fourth round draft selection, Henry Anderson to the New York Jets for a seventh round draft selection and most recently Darrell Daniels to Seattle for Marcus Johnson, to name a few. The Colts are in a position to potentially improve the roster through a trade and they have a wealth of cap space, currently sitting at around $52 million, to accommodate new contract.
Stampede Blue will dive into each potential trade target and their fit with the Colts, why the trade partner wants to move the player, trade compensation and the likelihood of the trade happening.
DeVante Parker WR
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The Colts receiving corps is bare. Outside of TY Hilton their isn’t really much to get excited about. Chester Rogers runs hot and cold and doesn’t always have the best hands. Ryan Grant is on a one year contract and is unspectacular, but relatively consistent.
Enter Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker. Parker, 6’3 215lbs, may be the receiver the Colts need. He possess athletic traits the current group lacks. The former first round pick out of Louisville was highly regarded leading up to the NFL draft and its not hard to see why. His build (80inch wingspan) and natural athletic traits (4.4 forty) put him a level above TY Hilton’s supporting cast and may offer Andrew Luck the receiver Donte Moncrief could not consistently be.
Of course Parker wouldn’t be in trade rumours if he didn’t have a drawback, that comes in form of his injury history. The Dolphins appear tired of Parker’s inability to stay healthy. He has never been able to muster a 16 game season. In 2016, his sophomore year in the league, Parker played in 15 games managing 56 receptions for 744 yards and 4 touchdowns, on a Dolphins offense that threw the ball 477 times the whole year, second lowest in the league.
Compensation: Late round draft selection, in the sixth or seventh round.
Likelihood: 35%. The Colts need help at wide receiver, the Dolphins are getting tired of Parker. This trade could very well happen.
Amari Cooper WR
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The fire sale in Oakland doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden already traded the Raiders best player, Khalil Mack, to Chicago, so it came as no surprise when the news broke that Amari Cooper was on the trade block. Cooper, a former fourth overall pick in the first round from Alabama, was considered the best wide receiver in the 2015 NFL draft. He is 6’1”, 211lbs, possesses 4.4 speed and crisp route running ability. He has been hampered by injuries and inconsistency, in the form of drops and quarterback play. He has all the tools, both physically and in football IQ, to be a consistent number one wide receiver but Cooper needs to take advantage more often.
Putting Cooper into an offense ran by Frank Reich and quarterbacked by Andrew Luck would allow him to excel and take his game up another level. Just take Eric Ebron as an example. Ebron was labelled an inconsistent bust with drop issues when he was released by the Detroit Lions. 6 weeks into the season and he shares the lead for receiving touchdowns.
Cooper would benefit from upgrading at quarterback, going from Derek Carr to Andrew Luck is just what he needs. He would be a welcome addition to Reich’s offensive scheme and would form a formidable tandem at wide receiver with TY Hilton, helping to stretch the field and provide a bigger body at the position.
Compensation: High to mid round selection, in the second or third round.
Likelihood: 10%. The Raiders are reportedly asking for a 1st round pick in return for Amari Cooper, if that is indeed true then the likelihood of the trade happening would be less than 5%. However, Cooper has been on a downwards spiral lately so Oakland really aren’t in a strong bargaining position, as they were with the Khalil Mack situation. If the Colts can negotiate and bring the price for Cooper down, the trade is more possible.