Indianapolis Colts Trade for Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker Grant Stuard

The Indianapolis Colts today announced they have acquired linebacker Grant Stuard in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Colts traded a 2023 sixth round pick to the Buccaneers in exchange for Stuard and a 2023 seventh round pick.

Stuard was originally drafted by the Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Houston. He appeared in all 17 regular season games for the Buccaneers and featured heavily on special teams tallying 351 snaps on special teams and led the team with 11 special teams tackles. Stuard also played 26 snaps on defense and managed five tackles.

Stuard joins a strong linebacking group which has its starters set in stone with Leonard, Okereke and Franklin manning the starting spots. The Colts lost a lot of special teams experience in the off-season with Geroge Odum and Matthew Adams leaving during free agency so Stuard should add strength to the Colts special teams unit lacking experience.

The Colts and General Manager Chris Ballard are known for trading for depth pieces around roster cut down day as the team made a similar trade last year sending a sixth round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for offensive lineman Matt Pryor and a seventh round pick.