Please don't use the Faulk trade as the gauge. That was the one of the stupidest Colts trades of all time. If they kept him, they could have traded their 1st found draft pick to the Saints for all of their choices that year. They wouldn't have had Edge, but they would have had several starters from that draft and still had Faulk. As good as Edge was, I still think Faulk was just a little better.

Not going to debate the trade possibilities with the Saints, because I would have to go cherry pick that entire draft to speculate who the the Colts had a chance to pick.

Yes, I agree that Faulk may have been a little bit better, but he stopped being a productive RB in 2003, when Edge was just beginning his career renaissance.

Marshall Faulk is a really fun what-if to imagine had he stayed.

But so is pre-ACL Edge. They were head and shoulders the two best backs in the league from 1999 until October 25, 2001.

2005 was the last year that Edge played for the Colts and 2002 and 2003 were injury plagued years. Don't get me wrong, I loved Edge and he was fantastic, but having Faulk and the entire Saints draft slate for that year would have been similar to when Dallas traded Herschel Walker and went on to win a couple of Super Bowls.

Agree on '02 but I wouldn't call '03 injury plagued as Edge still rushed for 1,259 yards w/ 292 receiving yards in 13 games.

Totally agree though that we would have been better off keeping Faulk and trading the pick to NO, especially if we could have worked back up and drafted Champ Bailey like Wash did. Also, I also think we would have been better off keeping Faulk and drafting either Bailey or Torry Holt w/ the #4 pick. B/c Faulk+Bailey/Holt >> Edge+Peterson+Scioli.

On a side note - Was looking at Wash's draft trades and didn't realize how much Wash actually gave up in their move to get Bailey, which was the 1st and 3rd they had just gotten from NO (12th and 71st overall), their original 4th and 5th, and their 3rd in '00. Of course they had an over abundance of draft capitol to work w/ from the trade to NO.

Tom Pelissero
@TomPelissero
·
19h
The NFL informed clubs today it is projecting a 2026 salary cap in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, per source.

That would represent another significant jump from this year’s $279.2 million cap number, and nearly $100M than the $208.2M cap in 2022.


https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/20...840930672?s=20

I stand corrected, it wasn't 2002 and 2003, it was 2001 and 2002. 2003 was a nice comeback after two injury plagued years.

https://x.com/TheDestinAdams/status/...519490407?s=20

Been thinking about the whole Faulk-Edge-'99 draft since I posted earlier, and as much as I hate to say it Polian royally fucked that up big time. He had a HOF dual threat RB on the roster, who he didn't want to pay for some reason. So he traded him away for less than market value and then used the #4 pick in the draft on another HOF RB, who he ended up paying just as much on his rookie deal that it would have cost to extend Faulk. And in order to do this he had to pass on adding a HOF CB or a WR who should be in the HOF.

BAD JOB Polian!!!!!!

I felt like he fucked it up at the time. I loved Faulk. Man was a real running back, could pass block and run routes with the best of them. Edge was the same, maybe a little better running in-between tackles (he has these amazing moves in traffic) but it was a terrible trade nevertheless

For their careers, these two players were both prolific runners and amassed pretty much the same number of yards. But, Faulk more than doubled Edge when it comes to receiving yards. Not knocking Edge, but if I were ranking the best RBs of all time, IMO, Faulk edges Edge. Not by much, but this trade was Polians' worst move. He made it out of spite.

By all accounts, both Polian and Faulk were both pricks. Polian has also been known to hold grudges. It just happened to be that the prick with the power traded the prick who had no power.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but I never heard that about Faulk. I know he said he would hold out if he weren't given a new contact and I read that he was considered one of the smartest players (football wise) in the game, but other than Polians' ego feeling "who does he think he is playing chicken with me", I've never read the negative stuff. Got a link?

My impressions of Faulk are mostly from fellow forum contributors. Whether here or on RATS, I don't recall. I have nothing to confirm this from the media or personal experience.

Using middle ground....

$303.450m = 2026 NFL Salary Cap
$001.940m = Colts 2025 Cap Rollover
$000.100m = Minus adjustment on AD Mitchell LTBE 2025 performance bonus
========
$305.290m = 2026 Colts Salary Cap


$270.338m = Top 51 off season contracts
$001.770m = Spots 52 and 53 on 2026 season roster (at league minimum)
$006.303m = Average of full season 17-man practice squad salary
$001.889m = 2026 Draft Class (projected cap hit minus league minimum per spot)
$002.093m = 2026 Colts Dead Money
$003.000m = In Season "Churn" Space
========
$282.393m = Colts 2026 Cap Obligations

$22.897m real free cap space to sign "new" free agents to the team.

So, Colts are going to need some more cap space to if they intend to sign both DJ and AP.

Only 12 players on the Colts right now have a 2026 cap hit over $5m.

Of those, five do not deliver a cap relief if traded/cut due to their contracts either being newer and still in the mostly guaranteed money phase or on a big rookie deal:

Charvarius Ward
Bernhard Raimann
Camrym Bynum
Sauce Gardner
Anthony Richardson

The Other Seven Contracts:

Michael Pittman Jr (2026 is last season of contract)= $24.000m if traded/cut before the 5th day of the season with roster bonus unpaid or $22.000m if traded/cut after the 5th day of the season with roster bonus paid.

Quenton Nelson (2026 is the last season of contract) = $18.000m if traded/cut before the 5th day of the season with roster bonus unpaid or $16.000m if traded/cut after the 5th day of the season with roster bonus paid.

Jonathan Taylor (2026 is the last season of contract) = $13.000m if traded/cut before the 1st game of season reduced by $0.060m per game if on the Colts active roster.

Grover Stewart (2026 is the last season of contract) = $12.250m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.030m per game if on the Colts active roster.

Kenny Moore (2026 is the last season of contract) = $7.060m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.023m per game if on the Colts active roster.

DeForest Buckner (2026 is last season of contract) = $5.800m

Zaire Franklin (2027 is the last season of contract) = $5.725m if traded/cut before the 1st game of the season reduced by $0.045m per game if on the Cotls active roster.

The next highest cap relief would be less than $4.000m for any other player on the roster so I am going to stop there. The rest just do not add up fast enough and are making almost JAG levels of salary (Just Another Guy).

A. All 7 of the folks we could restructure / cut / trade to add 2026 cap space are starters with most of them being quality starters (Franklin is my boardline guy on being quality).

B. 6 of 7 (all but Franklin) are in the last season of their current contract. While 2027 Colts free agency sees the Colts have a lot of cap space (currently around $175m), they then also have A LOT of holes to fill.

C. I think the Colts could get both DJ and AP signed for about $35-40m in 2026 cap space. Sure, you could structure something that their combined cap hit this season is $1m but Ballard has not done that in the past and I don't see him doing so now. Realistically, we need at least $35m in free cap space to sign both of them, IMO.

D. Of the 7 players who could deliver relief, I think that Pittman has to be the target. He is a good WR but currently has the 7th highest WR cap hit for 2026 and would still drop to the 14th highest cap hit for 2026 if traded to another team and the Colts have to eat his pro-rated signing bonus. He is not one of the 14th best WRs in the league. While it will hurt, he is expendable at that cap hit, IMO.

E. Of the rest of the list, I think Franklin is the most replaceable with a less expensive player. His is our 12th highest cap hit but I don't feel that his play is 12th best on the team.

F. Next would be Stewart. Our run defense is measurable better with him on the field but, again, while the Colts suck at drafting D-Line, I feel his production could be replaced with cheaper talent.


Trading or cutting those three guys would open up around $42m in free cap space for 2026 to add to our current $23m and allow us to sign DJ and AP while also going after a, hopefully, top tier Defensive End sack master.

One man's opinion.

https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/...868295439?s=20



Dov Kleiman

@NFL_DovKleiman
Uh Oh: Jaguars superstar LB Devin Lloyd will likely hit free agency this offseason, per
@ESPNdirocco


“Linebacker Devin Lloyd is also a free agent, but the estimated franchise tag of $27.5 million is too high and he'll demand a big contract in FA, so the Jaguars are likely out on him.”

Lloyd is one of the best players in the NFL...👀

Of this list, I could see Franklin as a cap casualty, and Pittman getting a restructure. If Pittman doesn't restructure, he could be a cap casualty. I would hate to see it, but it is a real possibility. No way we keep him and let Pierce walk.

I do not see us doing any cuts to Grover or Buckner. Both are too valuable, even with the age factor. We do not have replacements ready.

It is going to be an interesting off-season, where we either push all the chips in by re-signing DJ and AP, restructure the guys mentioned, and go for one solid free agent piece, or we see them blow it all up and try to get younger for the next core group. I do not see them blowing it all up after the moves made last year.

Trade Pittman and Richardson, restructure Buckner, Raimann, and Bynum, and cut Franklin and you're at $100m of cap space. More than enough to do anything the team needs to do this offseason.

You aren't going to trade Pittman without him restructuring his contract. If he is willing to do that why wouldn't we just keep him?

Coaching changes are one thing but given the various injuries like pulled hammys and the like; it may be bad luck or it make sense to also take a closer look at the strength and conditioning staff. How can they improve their services?

Always need a few good water boys... ya never know, right?

-- Bobby Boucher: Now that's what I call high quality H2O. :eek::D

@jasrifootball
·
1h
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Maxx Crosby’s time with the Raiders is most likely done, per
@JayGlazer
on
@YahooSports


The superstar pass rusher will likely be on a new team next season.



Grok @grok
·
6m
Jay Glazer's Feb 4, 2026 report on Yahoo Sports indicates Maxx Crosby is likely done with the Raiders due to tensions from his Dec 2025 shutdown. He reportedly wants out of another rebuild, with 20+ teams interested in a trade, possibly before the draft. Rumors persist across NBC, SI, and others, but no official confirmation yet.



https://x.com/jasrifootball/status/2...026698076?s=20

Well we can’t afford him, he’ll end up on a team with a QB on a rookie contract

Looks like the Phins are releasing Bradley Chubb. He had a pretty good year coming off an ACL - 8.5 sacks, 22 pressure, and 20 QB hits. Not sure if he can play LDE, but if he can then he'd certainly be an upgrade over Paye.

Good call. Definitely an improvement over Kwity. Chubb has had 20+ QB hit seasons 3 times. Kwity's career high is 12 QB hits.

https://x.com/SleeperColts/status/20...759635289?s=20


SleeperColts

@SleeperColts
·
1h
Colts QB Anthony Richardson is expected to request a trade, per
@HolderStephen
. 👀

“There has been no request just yet, according to team sources, but it is beginning to feel inevitable”

Is this the right move for both sides?

If they trade him (and they won't get much back now even if he can see) it means we lived through Wentz, then a 4-12 season ,got promised the moon and got a cluster fuck. Right move? Hard for me to see it in those terms right now.

Get what you can get. He should have never been drafted. Every single bit of tape available on him showed you exactly what you were getting, and that is what we got. There were so many defensive players we could have gotten with that 4th. pick that could have made a difference. Didn't want any of em, and all the shine is falling off Stroud and his continuing to digress. I said it then, I'll say it now. That QB class was grossly overrated.

https://atozsports.com/nfl/indianapo...hardson-trade/


Destin Adams

@TheDestinAdams
·
6h
Rumors are swirling about a possible trade involving Anthony Richardson this offseason.

To evaluate what the Colts might get in return, I decided to dive into recent trades of other QBs taken in the 1st round.

Here is what I found

https://x.com/TheDestinAdams/status/...651575306?s=20

Destin Adams

@TheDestinAdams
I think the Colts will end up trading Anthony Richardson this offseason

I asked my colleagues at
@AtoZSportsNFL
to send in offers from their teams, and I ended up getting 5 to mull over

1 of them definitely stood out among the rest though 👀



https://atozsports.com/nfl/indianapo...elers-packers/

Probably won't happen, but if they trade AR and then he ends up being a quality QB for another team, the usual anti Ballard posters will crucify him for making the trade. I'm kind of neutral on Ballard. He's done some good things and he's done some crappy things, but I do believe that drafting AR was more of an Irsay thing than a Ballard thing. I have no evidence of that, just my opinion.

As a newly converted anti-Ballard AR was my last straw. After 4-12 and the debacle that had become our QB room to me this number 4 draft choice was make or break for him in my mind. That is how I felt in 2023 and it hasn't changed. As far as it being Irsay to me AR is a total Ballard pick. The man loves RAS scores and has drafted a ton of athletes that don't know how to play football, it is his MO. He have a track record and AR was the ultimate Ballard dude (he was thrilled when it was Houston who went ahead of us to pick up Anderson-doesnt look so prescient now).

I have no doubt that Irsay was all in on AR. I have heard zero that Ballard wasn’t, not a peep that Ballard wanted to go another way. Not then not since. Maybe Irsay trusted his draft evaluation team who he spent millions putting together. It felt at the time like the entire organization had talked themselves into AR. We will probably never know for sure

By their actions, I don't think the Colts were "all in" on any of the QB's in that draft - otherwise they would have moved up from the fourth spot. Each of the top three QBs drafted had their weaknesses and I think that Irsay + the front office thought that Steichen and the coaching staff could work with any of the three and hopefully game plan around and minimize their shortcomings.

However, it was clear that Irsay wanted the Colts to draft a QB.

And it would be interesting to see how the front office actually ranked those QBs - although as I stated, clearly they didn't think it was worth it to move up to select their top ranked choice...they stayed put and selected whoever was still on the board.

I am not paying for that. Can you give the Cliff's Notes?

Other than Levis of course. I can't believe that the mayonnaise in his coffee meathead wasn't even on an NFL roster last season. He's got talent, but has clearly worn out his NFL welcome after just two seasons.

He’s still on the Titans, he missed the season due to injury

o


Jim Irsay Opens up on the Process That Led the Colts to Anthony Richardson

(By Zak Keefer)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/447...hardson-colts/



INDIANAPOLIS — 3 hours before the draft’s first round commenced Thursday night, Anthony Richardson’s phone buzzed. Jim Irsay began with a directive.

“You can’t share this call with anyone,” the Colts owner told him. “The fact that I’m calling you.”

Irsay wanted to know a few things, starting with this: What was Richardson hearing? The Florida quarterback and projected top-10 pick was spending the afternoon of the biggest day of his life doing exactly what most would assume: waiting ...… and waiting …... and waiting.

In a few short hours, he’d find out where his pro career would start.

Richardson told Irsay he’d heard that one team was seriously interested in him.

“Did they call today?” the owner asked.

“No,” Richardson told him.

“Well, there’s a good chance you’re gonna be coming to Indy in three hours,” Irsay said.

He couldn’t guarantee it, not with the Colts picking fourth, but that was the team’s aim, the same as it had been for months. Irsay admitted Saturday he’d zeroed in on Richardson as far back as February, and even if his team owned the first overall pick, the choice would’ve been the same.

For the Colts, it was Richardson all along.

“That young man has something special in his heart and spirit and soul,” Irsay said.

But a little over three hours after that phone call, the Colts’ draft room grew tense. Two quarterbacks — Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud — were already off the board, and the Colts knew Arizona was likely to trade out of the third spot. The fear was another team coming up to get their guy, right in front of them. And Indy’s “dream goal,” Irsay admitted, was to stay at No. 4 and still land Richardson without parting with any compensation.

It was a gamble, and the stakes were immense. Irsay had waited for this night for three years, desperately wanting to revive his franchise around the talents of a young quarterback.

And for a few worrisome moments in that draft room, the thought crossed everyone’s mind. Were the Colts about to lose their shot at him ???

“Of course there was nervousness,” Irsay admitted.

But something in the Colts’ owner oozed calm. He turned to his daughters.

“We’re gonna be OK,” he told them.

Turns out, it was the Texans who’d traded up with Arizona. The pick was Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson.

Irsay was right. The Colts were OK. The room exhaled, and Richardson was theirs.

Nearly 48 hours later, the Colts’ owner relived the night that could end up reshaping his franchise, peeling back the curtain on the process and the conversations that solidified the decision. One noteworthy revelation from the owner: If Richardson wasn’t available at No. 4, the Colts would’ve gone with Kentucky’s Will Levis.

That certainly would’ve saved Levis a lot of waiting. He tumbled all the way into the second round before the Titans took him 33rd.

A critical moment in the process was a lengthy sit-down between Irsay and his new head coach, Shane Steichen, in recent weeks. All throughout the process, Steichen’s’ voice carried considerable weight in the Colts’ thinking — in Irsay’s mind, it’s Steichen’s offense, and he’s calling the plays, so the coach should have his say in who his quarterback of the future is.

“For Shane, it had to be his guy,” the owner said.

In that meeting a few weeks before the draft, Irsay didn’t hold back, pushing Steichen to detail why Richardson would improve as a passer and why he believed his play eventually would catch up to his enormous potential.

The owner had questions, like why Richardson started so few games in college.

Irsay also asked, “Why do you think he can be an outstanding passer in this league ???"

As much as Irsay and everyone in the Colts’ personnel department loves Richardson’s athletic ability — the owner called him “a superhero” multiple times Saturday — this was a crucial layer in the team’s evaluation. The scrambling ability is nice, the busted plays that end up moving the chains and instilling doubt in a defense, but Irsay knows winning from the pocket is still paramount in this league, and he knows Richardson will have to prove he can do that.

“I’ve seen enough to really feel he can become that,” Steichen assured his boss.

Another call Irsay made was to former Colts linebackers coach Brad White, who’s now the defensive coordinator at Kentucky. White had a front-row seat for not only Levis’ two seasons in Lexington but also Richardson’s start against the Wildcats last season, his worst of the year. Richardson finished with 21 incompletions, just 143 passing yards and two interceptions in a 26-16 loss.

White spoke of Richardson’s toughness and maturity. And since he knew plenty of the coaches on Florida’s staff, he shared some of the conversations he’d had with them.

“They just love the kid,” White told Irsay. “They just think the world of that young man, every single one I talk to.”

The final meeting came after the pick, after the Colts had sweated out the third pick Thursday and, then, landed their quarterback of the future. Irsay welcomed Richardson and his family to town, flying them in from Kansas City on his private jet. The quarterback sat in Irsay’s spacious office, a few feet from a half-dozen million-dollar guitars and the glistening Lombardi Trophy the Colts won after the 2006 season.

Also on hand was the last player the Colts picked fourth overall, Edgerrin James. A career that began in 1999 culminated with a spot in the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Irsay looked at Richardson at one point and told him: “You play 12 or 14 years in this league and you’re an outstanding quarterback, you’re gonna make a billion dollars. A billion. A billion.”

But the owner had more to say.

“That’s something for your family, your legacy and generations to go,” he told him, “but what about greatness? What about rings? What about the Lombardi? What about your legacy as a football player ???”

Anthony Richardson's little brother sent a message of support after he was drafted by the Colts.

And big brother gave some advice right back.

He turned to James.

“You know, I was just in Canton with this guy …... ”

Irsay’s point: If it’s your athleticism that got you this far, it’s your quarterback play that’ll define your legacy in this league.

“We talked about being a great quarterback and what that really means in this league,” the owner said Saturday. “We’re not drafting Olympic athletes. We’re drafting football players, and in this case, a quarterback.”

The most relevant question at this juncture is when will Richardson see the field ???

Irsay said it’ll be Steichen’s call ...... but deep down, the owner hinted, he wants a glimpse at the future as soon as possible.

“You get better by playing,” Irsay said Saturday. “You know, that’s the biggest benefit from it. And at the same time, I have to say, our fans have to have patience because it’s hard being a rookie quarterback. It really is.”

Richardson’s time will come, whether it’s in Week 1 or Week 8 or next season. He’s the future, the one Irsay’s been waiting for, the one he hopes changes everything in Indianapolis.

“Him developing into an outstanding, great player in this league is going to determine where we go,” the owner said.

It’s always been about the quarterback around here. The Colts now finally have one to build around.

o

Irsay was Jonesing for AR and it is his money, his team. Ballard works for him.

And to be honest, I was hot for the young stud too. I was tired of the Colts putting used up tires on their hot rod and was anxious for a new, young star. I did however feel he should not have started immediately as many on here recommended. I felt he should have sat behind Minshew for at least the first 6 games. Not sure if that would have made any difference, but he certainly wasn't ready at seasons' beginning.

They better really really love Riley Leonard if they plan to get rid of him. Jones may miss some time before he is back.

If there is a great trade before the draft fine. Otherwise I keep him to start the season then if Jones looks like he's back. trade him to a QB needy team before the trade deadline.

For the record. I do like Riley, but I think AR can still be very very good