With the recent news of the Carson Wentz injury, here are three trade packages the Indianapolis Colts could offer the Pittsburgh Steelers for a quarterback.
With the recent announcement that the Colts starting quarterback Carson Wentz is out for up to the next 12 weeks, they may be looking for a new option to field at the position. Jacob Eason, Brett Hundley, and Sam Ehlinger are set to compete for the starting role in the meantime, but none are experienced options.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a trio of quarterbacks on their roster with only two of them likely making the team. With the Colts’ sudden need at quarterback, the team could flip one of them to the Colts in their time of need. Here are three trade options the Steelers could offer the Colts at quarterback.
Steelers trade Mason Rudolph
Colts receive Rudolph, Steelers receive a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick
Let me be clear up front, of the Steelers’ backup quarterbacks, Mason Rudolph is the least likely to be traded. While far from an elite player, the team appears confident in his ability as at least a short-term starter given the new contract they awarded him in the offseason. He has arguably flashed the best game film of any of the backups, meaning his price would be inherently the highest.
For the right price though, the Steelers could move on from him. The team would want a higher price for him given that the team has the most invested in him though. If the Colts would send a conditional fourth-round pick (that could turn into a third-round pick depending on play qualifications), it could be enough for the team to move Rudolph.
Given that the Colts only need a few months of play out of whoever they get to replace Wentz, Rudolph would make the most sense given his experience. It would come at the highest cost though, and of the three deals outlined this one seems the most unlikely.
Steelers trade Dwayne Haskins
Colts receive Haskins and a 2022 seventh-round pick, Steelers receive a 2022 fifth-round pick
Next on the list is Dwayne Haskins. While some would argue that Haskins is the more experienced player than Rudolph, he has only played in one additional game. Given the fact that Haskins was a free agent for so long, it seems unlikely that he holds more value than Rudolph at this point. Even with his solid start to camp, he would still be an unlikely high-value trade candidate.
Given Haskins’s style of play though, he could entice the Colts for a lower-stakes trade. To his credit, Haskins is having as good of a start to camp as you could hope for, so if the Colts wanted to take a chance, now would be the time. If Haskins great camp carries into the preseason, that value would only go up.
All that said, I’m not sure the Steelers would be willing to trade Haskins right now unless the deal was astronomical. They are dedicated to rebuilding him and have contract rights over him through next year. On the flip side, the Colts wouldn’t be willing to give up a lot of capital in order to obtain a player with as many question marks as Haskins. While more likely than the Rudolph trade, this one once again seems unlikely.
Steelers trade Josh Dobbs
Colts receive Dobbs, Steelers receive Hines
The Steelers once traded Josh Dobbs for a fifth-round pick, but it seems unlikely he has retained that value. He never played a snap for the Jaguars and found his way back to the team after he was released last offseason. If I had to put a draft pick value on him, it wouldn’t be anything more than a seventh-round pick. What would make more sense is a player-for-player trade.
While Nyheim Hines has been a great role player for the Colts, he is in the final year of his rookie deal. With Jonathan Taylor set to be the lead back while Marlon Mack will be the primary backup, Hines will likely be off the Colts roster by the next offseason. Since the Colts need a quarterback right now, Hines could be the right chip to in a lower-level player for player swap. Dobbs could hold down the fort until Wentz is brought back and Hines could be the receiving back for the Steelers.
If the Colts were that against trading Hines, then a seventh-round pick would likely get this deal done. If they wanted to swap players though and keep that pick though, Hines makes the most sense. His value in a crowded backfield is in question, and the Steelers could use a better backup running back in 2021. The player-for-player swap here makes the most sense for both sides. Of the three deals outlined in this post, moving Dobbs is by far the most likely.
With Wentz being out for up to 12 weeks, the Colts will likely be looking for a new quarterback man their backfield. While it would be surprising to see the Steelers trade one of their backups, it isn’t unthinkable if the price is right. These three deals are the most likely if the Steelers trade one of their quarterbacks to the Colts.