On Friday evening, it was reported that Colts RB Jonathan Taylor requested a trade after not being offered an extension by the Colts despite one year still left on his rookie deal. Colts owner Jim Irsay, who met with Taylor for about an hour on Friday, responded accordingly saying they will not trade Taylor despite his request. However, we would be remiss not to explore the options the Colts have at running back if they were to trade Taylor.
Zack Moss
Moss was traded midseason to Indianapolis after two and a half seasons in Buffalo. Moss enjoyed the best season of his career during his rookie year, but his production has declined since. He mainly played behind Devin Singletary during his time with the Bills, and after they drafted James Cook, the writing was on the wall for Moss. When Taylor went down with an injury last season, Moss stepped in to help share the rushing load for the Colts. Moss did not really wow anyone with his performances, but he does have talent and could possibly thrive given a larger opportunity to show what he can do running the football and catching out of the backfield.
Moss suffered a broken arm in training camp this week, which will keep him sidelined for 4-6 weeks. With Moss missing reps during Taylor’s absence, this could open the door for a different running back to claim the RB1 position.
Deon Jackson
Jackson will be entering his third year in the league where he bounced from the Colts practice squad to third-string running back to starting some games last season when Taylor suffered his ankle injury. Jackson impressed last season with his explosiveness and effort, but the numbers really did not follow despite his best efforts hence why Colts GM Chris Ballard traded for Zack Moss. Jackson could pass Moss on the depth chart with expanded reps in training, but he could end up behind the Colts’ new rookie running back.
Evan Hull
Hull was drafted in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft out of Northwestern. He did a little bit of everything during his four-year career including rushing, receiving and even returning kicks. At 5-foot-11, 250 pounds, Hull runs hard downhill and is tough to bring down. With Taylor currently on the PUP list to start training camp, Hull has made the most of his opportunities, ripping off big plays and creating chemistry with both potential starting quarterbacks. Hull could position himself as the starting RB depending on what happens with Taylor and how Moss recovers from his broken arm.
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