On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts made two major moves towards a rebuild with the trades of offensive guard Quenton Nelson and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Nelson's trade came first, with Indy sending him to the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for a third-round pick and a future fifth-round pick. Their second big news of the day was Indianapolis trading Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick, according to ESPN.
Buckner will now have a second stint with the team that drafted him at No. 7 overall in 2016. These Colts trades come just about a week after firing general manager Chris Ballard. Sitting at 2-4 at the time of the firing, and 2-5 now, Indy is clearly beginning their much-needed rebuild and making those big changes along with it.
The Niners are the opposite of a rebuild, with sights set on the playoffs and beyond. They now added a reliable defensive big man who can help get them there. Both sides can take many positives from the deal, with the edge going to the Niners.
The Colts situation, sitting at 2-5, firing their GM and needing to rebuild, certainly doesn't earn a B+, but this trade does. Freeing up cap space and getting the most value for their players while they can is a smart move on their part. If the Colts kept Buckner and he signed with another team this offseason, the highest compensatory draft pick they could've received for him was a fifth-rounder.
The 11-year veteran was likely going elsewhere at the end of the year anyway, emphasizing recently that at this stage in his career he wants to play winning football. After their loss to the Tennessee Titans, who went into the contest without a win, in Week 6, Buckner said he was "frustrated" and added, "I'm sick and tired of the same song and dance every year." He now gets to play meaningful football, and the Colts get the most value in return. Instead of a 2028 fifth-round pick, they now have a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Tuesday's moves have cleared over $17.7 million in salary cap space and added three draft picks. The 49ers' time to win is now, which means all chips are in. The Niners are one of the NFC's and the NFL's best teams at 6-1.
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