Insider Discusses If Colts Could Get A First-Round Pick For Jonathan Taylor

Following weeks of speculation and drama, the Indianapolis Colts officially granted star RB Jonathan Taylor permission to seek a trade.

The All-Pro back has been eager to get a contract extension with the Colts, one that doesn’t seem likely to happen at this point.

Taylor is one of the most underpaid stars in the league right now, and he’s looking for a team that’s willing to do right by him and make him one of the highest-paid — if not the highest-paid — running backs in the league.

That’s why NFL analyst James Jones claims it would be quite shocking to see him being traded for a first-round pick at this point (via NFL on CBS).

Would a team trade a 1st rounder for Jonathan Taylor? @jjones9 would be “stunned, shocked, stupefied” to see it happen. pic.twitter.com/BZPTq35dZa

— NFL on CBS ? (@NFLonCBS) August 21, 2023

Jones explained that it had nothing to do with Taylor’s undeniable talent, but with the fact that whichever team trades for him will have to sign him to a big contract extension, meaning he’d eat up a lot of their cap space and that they’d have to give him a lot of guaranteed money.

As we know by now, the market for running backs has been brutal over the past couple of years, especially in the last off-season.

Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs couldn’t strike long-term deals with their current teams, despite clearly being two of the best running backs in the game.

Team owners prefer to start over and take younger running backs in the draft as opposed to doubling down on aging players, as they lose a step and fall from grace faster than those playing other positions.

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Rich Eisen Has 1-Word Reaction To The Jonathan Taylor News