We're back with another edition of The Colts Show Mailbag, where I'll answer listener, viewer and reader questions here on Colts.com every week.
You can submit your questions to me a few ways: At Colts.com/Mailbag, on social media (like X and Instagram) and in the YouTube comments for the podcast.
For this week's podcast question, I answered one from Sherman E Flucas II about the possibility of the Colts trading for a big-name player before the trade deadline (I'll also get into more of those trade questions here on Colts.com). The podcast this week also features a fascinating conversation with Colts running backs coach DeAndre Smith, who explained what's made Jonathan Taylor the best running back in the NFL, why he saw something in Shane Steichen in 2009 and how he wound up playing quarterback in France for a year. You can get the episode wherever you get your podcasts, including on:
Also, a quick programming note – beginning next week, The Colts Show will hit your feeds on Tuesdays, with The Jack Doyle Podcast moving to Thursdays as part of our Indianapolis Colts Podcasts lineup.
Let's dive into the rest of this week's batch of questions:
Shaun Williamson (Ocala, Fla.): I'm thrilled the way the team has started this year, but obviously we need help on defense. Do you think we will trade either draft picks and/or current players for plug and play players, not just practice squad people?
JJ Stankevitz: One thing I'll caution about the NFL trade deadline is even if the Colts do want to upgrade spots on their roster, it's not always easy finding a trade partner willing to trade a bona fide starter.
In 2024, only two players were traded for Day 2 draft picks: The New York Jets sent a third-rounder to the Las Vegas Raiders for wide receiver Davante Adams, and the Washington Commanders sent several picks, including a third-rounder, to the New Orleans Saints for cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
A handful of other players were acquired for Day 3 picks (rounds 4-7) last year, too. The last time an NFL trade deadline went nuclear was 2022, which was headlined by the Miami Dolphins trading a first-round pick to the Denver Broncos for defensive end Bradley Chubb and the San Francisco 49ers sending four picks to the Carolina Panthers for running back Christian McCaffrey.
That year is more the exception than the rule, though. The point being: It's hard to say a team definitely will do something before the deadline, since willingness to make a trade in the NFL is often less likely to result in an in-season trade actually happening than in other leagues like the NBA or Major League Baseball.
The NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Stay tuned.
Chuck F. (Fort Wayne, Ind.): With as much hype that has been going on this season, I want your view of the offense line play! To lose 2 key players in the offseason and not be sure of the status of Braden Smith, I think for me they are one of the key components to our success! They are strong smart and gel very well together. I don't think we would be in our position if it weren't for them! Coaching and a firm belief in each other is showing up. Thanks for your time, GO COLTS!
JJ Stankevitz: Chuck, my guy, you are 100 percent spot on here. Center Tanor Bortolini and right guard Matt Goncalves have done a fantastic job stepping in for veterans Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, and their play has been massive in 1) keeping Daniel Jones upright and 2) opening up lanes for Jonathan Taylor, who leads the NFL in rushing by a wide margin entering Week 8.
Zooming out, the Colts' ability to successfully replace two good offensive linemen has been a massive driver of the Colts' success this season. It starts with trust in the scouting process that led them to Goncalves in the third round and Bortolini in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and then trust in offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. to develop both players. And, if the Colts didn't trust Goncalves and/or Bortolini, the money they allocated elsewhere in free agency might've been needed to shore up the offensive line.
But great eye here, Chuck, especially since we have a few things dropping on Colts.com about the offensive line this week.
Karen Smith (Indianapolis): I just wanted to tell you that this season reminds me of the Kurt Warner era in St. Louis. I moved from St. Louis to Indianapolis in 2016 and was thrilled to have pro football again. This town is AMAZING! As I watch the games, great football is being played and I get to cheer for them every game. Thank you to you and the entire Colts' organization for providing this opportunity for all fans to enjoy the games. GO COLTS!!!
@BillyTheBoat on YouTube: If you said NC (Nick Cross) is our best defender, id probably agree. Maybe top 2-3 at worst case. Gut feeling, he is gonna continue to ball out and be snubbed from ALL Pro / pro bowl. Nick is deff one of Ballard's best picks. Also traded up to get him. What a STEAL.
JJ Stankevitz: I wanted to hit this one off last week's podcast with Nick, who I had a great conversation with, because of the last line here: A "steal."
It's a reminder that development is not always linear, and burying a player a year or two into their career can certainly be unfair. The Colts traded a fifth-round pick and future 2023 third-round pick to select Cross No. 96 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, and Cross was a Week 1 starter at safety. He was benched two games into his rookie season, though, and had to work his way back into the fold through special teams.
Cross did, and in 2023, he got a few opportunities to play. In 2024, he became a full-time starter and had 146 tackles with three interceptions; in 2025, he's continued developing into an awfully good player on this Colts' defense. No, the Colts did not get instant gratification with drafting Cross, but they're thrilled with the player he's emerged as over the last few years.
JJ Stankevitz: This is a fun one, because the 2025 Colts are actually in the same ballpark as the Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams in one metric:
That list includes some of the best offenses we've ever seen, including those Kurt Warner-Marshall Faulk-Isaac Bruce-Torry Holt Rams teams from the turn of the century. It's just seven games for the 2025 Colts, and sustaining it for the entire season will be a challenge: The 2024 Washington Commanders, who are also on this list, wound up finishing the season at +.117 EPA/play, which was fourth-highest in the NFL. In other words, they were still extremely good, but maybe not historically good.
