Coming off a 4-12-1 year, the Indianapolis Colts entered the 2023 NFL season with low expectations and many unknowns. For all that uncertainty, Indy had a successful bounce-back campaign and set a strong foundation for the future.
Quarterback of the future Anthony Richardson became QB of the present but then went down with a season-ending injury in Week 4. Backup Gardner Minshew was a more-than-worthy replacement, leading the Colts to a 9-8 record and just a few plays away from the team’s first playoff berth since 2020.
With NFL training camp just a few weeks away, the Colts face difficult decisions about which players to keep on the roster. With these concerns in mind, here are three potential Colts trade candidates entering 2024 training camp.
3 Potential Colts trade candidates entering 2024 training camp
Mo Alie-Cox (Tight End)
The Colts deployed four tight ends with near-equal usage last season, a rarity in the NFL. With Jelani Woods finally healthy after a torn hamstring that cost him the entire 2023 campaign, Indy now has five veteran tight ends vying for playing time in 2024
Among this quintet, the highest earner is Mo Alie-Cox, earning $5.92 million this year. He is a six-year veteran who hauled in just 13 passes for 161 yards in 2023. Alie-Cox was one of four Colts tight ends to start a game in 2023, and he played 38% of offensive snaps during the year, putting him second among this group of tight ends.
After Alie-Cox, the next highest-earning tight end in 2024 is Kylen Granson at just $3.29 million. Cox is 30 years old, and trading him at any point in the offseason absolves Indy of every dollar of his 2024 salary. With so much tight end depth, bringing back Mo Alie-Cox at that price point does not make sense.
Kylen Granson (Tight End)
Indianapolis Colts tight end Kylen Granson reacts after making a catch during a game against the Houston Texans. © Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
If the Colts keep Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson is another logical trade candidate at the tight end position. Granson is set to earn $3.29 million in 2024, and, like Alie-Cox, he also enters the final year of his contract. The third-year player led Indy tight ends with 30 catches for 368 yards, but his single touchdown reception ranked third among the team’s TEs.
But with Jelani Woods — who had 25 catches for 312 yards as a rookie in 2022 — returning, what does that mean for Granson’s role in the Colts offense? Kylen Granson had a Pro Football Focus Player Grade of 56.8 in 2023, the worst among Colts tight ends. He also struggled as a run blocker. Is Granson’s receiving ability enough to make up for his shortcomings in other areas? With so much tight end depth, the Colts should look to trade Granson before he hits free agency.
Ryan Kelly (Center)
Ryan Kelly is one of several Colts veterans slated to be a free agent in 2025. The Indy center has earned a Pro Bowl nod in four of the last five years and allowed just one sack this past season. But as is the problem with many talented players entering the latter stages of their careers, the Colts must decide whether to re-sign the 30-year-old or let him walk.
Kelly’s final year of contract carries a cap hit of $14.6 million, but the Colts would only have $2.2 million in dead cap if the franchise decides to trade him this offseason. Kelly will have many productive years to come, but if the Colts decide not to re-sign him, trading the Pro Bowl center a year early makes more financial sense.
