The colts have had a top 5 run blocking unit the past two seasons but before that, they were middle to bottom of the league. Which didn’t impact JT’s success. Need him more, he can run behind anything.
Jonathan Taylor or Quenton Nelson for the Giants?
My heart says Taylor. My head keeps coming back to Nelson.
Taylor, Nabers and Likely together would be FILTHY. Taylor already has 655 scrimmage yards and 7 TDs through six games. He would be a menace.
But the Giants’ running backs have 472 yards on 138 carries this season. That’s 3.4 a pop. On Sunday? 34 yards on 14 carries.
I love shiny things, but sometimes the better move is the foundation.
Pass protection has been the stronger part of this line. Creating room for the backs has bee bad, and Nelson would address an actual weakness at left guard while helping whoever gets the ball.
He’s allowed 6 pressures on 248 pass-block snaps this year. Runyan: 13 on 256. So you’re improving the protection, too.
Here’s where the money gets interesting:
Taylor signed a 2-year, $44M extension in August and is controlled through 2028. A trade now would mean roughly $5.3M for the rest of this season, then about $16M in 2027 and $18M in 2028, before extra incentives. The Giants wouldn’t inherit Indy’s already-paid signing bonus.
Nelson is 30 and in the final year of his 4-year, $80M deal. Roughly $10.7M in salary remains right now, and he’s a free agent after the season. An extension would have to be part of the conversation.
My hypothetical offers:
Taylor: a second and a fourth.
Nelson: start with a third, with room for more if an extension comes together.
I’m not sending a first for either.
If Indy opens the door, I’m calling about Nelson first. Taylor is the big playmakermove. Nelson makes both the run game and pass pro better, which is nice.
Who would you trade for?