2 home run swings the Colts could take ahead of the NFL trade deadline to fix their CB problem after 6-1 start to the year

Home run swing trades, the Colts should at least try ahead of the NFL trade deadline

Sauce Gardner, New York Jets

The first home run swing at CB is star Jets Sauce Gardner. The Jets have an NFL-worst 0-7 record, even though their defense has plenty of talent. Their offense has worsened as the year has gone on, and it looks far from fixed. The offense will likely need more than one offseason to be addressed appropriately. He would only be made available if he requested to leave New York before the deadline.

NFL teams don't move on from players of Gardner's caliber who are still only 25. If that request comes through, Gardner, Charvarius Ward, and Kenny Moore II would become the NFL's best CB trio by a large margin. And his contract structure would be perfect for the Colts, with his cap hit being backloaded with minimal guarantees after 2026. If traded for, he would carry a cap hit of less than $9.4 million this year and just over $12 million in 2026. 

Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns

The second home run swing option at CB is the Cleveland Browns' Denzel Ward. The Browns have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but like the Jets, their offense is far from winning anything significant. Ward is 28 years old and has three years left on his massive five-year, $100.5 million contract he signed in 2022. His cap hit this season is just under $15 million, skyrocketing over the next two years at nearly $33 million in 2026 and $30 million in 2027. 

His contract would be easily attainable for 2025; his cap hits in 2026 and 2027 would make it tougher, though. He's a great player, and like Gardner, he would give the Colts a truly elite CB trio. However, his deal would have to be restructured to make a trade even plausible. If he wants to win now, though, maybe that would be something he'd be willing to do to facilitate a trade.