2 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate the Colts

Colts Receive: EDGE Alex Wright
Browns Receive: QB Anthony Richardson Sr., 2026 fifth-round pick

The Cleveland Browns are one of the few teams that are permanently stuck in quarterback hell. Their quarterback room currently consists of Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Deshaun Watson, each of whom has their own issues.

Considering the minuscule cap hits for Gabriel and Sanders, the Browns could easily take on the $5 million Richardson cap hit if they wanted to take a chance on the former fourth-overall pick. Not only that, but they would actually clear some cap space by trading Alex Wright, who is on the books for $33 million over the next few years.

Wright signed an extension with Cleveland in November and finished the season with a career-high 5.5 sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Wright was graded as the 19th best edge rusher in the league with a 78.5 overall grade.

It's important to take into account the types of looks that Wright gets while playing alongside Myles Garrett, but he has still shown that he can be an impact player off the edge. The Colts' pass rush is quite thin at the moment, so trading for an experienced 25-year-old with lots of room left to grow isn't the worst idea.

Zach Harrison

Colts Receive: DE Zach Harrison
Falcons Receive: QB Anthony Richardson, 2026 sixth-round pick

A 2023 third-round pick out of Ohio State, Harrison has flashed intriguing tools at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, combining length and power with inside-out versatility. While his production hasn't fully broken out yet, he posted a career-high 4.5 sacks in a career-low seven games last season.

Harrison finally earned starting minutes in 2025, but a nagging knee injury kept him out for the second half of the season. If he can bounce back and stay on the field, he could be a steal for Indianapolis.

Richardson could be another upside option for the Falcons, who have a QB3 spot open. Realistically, Richardson could compete for the QB2 role with Tua Tagovailoa, whom the Falcons signed at the start of free agency.

The Falcons may want to hold on to Harrison for one more season since he is still on his cheap rookie contract, but trading for Richardson wouldn't chew up all of Atlanta's cap space.

The Colts, on the other hand, would be signing an edge rusher who showed flashes of production. This would be a similar signing to safety Juanyeh Thomas, who played seven games and recorded three interceptions for the Dallas Cowboys.

It's only a matter of whether Ballard wants to risk his job on a semi-proven edge rusher.