The Indianapolis Colts added a big piece to the offense, and burgeoning quarterback Anthony Richardson’s arsenal, after drafting former University of Texas wide receiver Adone Mitchell, but may not be finished upgrading.
It’s easy to see why the Colts are so optimistic about Richardson and expended resources the past couple of offseasons taking care of star players like running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., while upgrading the offensive skill positions during the NFL Draft.
After all, Richardson burst onto the scene as one of the more athletically gifted quarterback prospects to emerge from the draft in recent yards and passed for 577 yards with three touchdowns to one interception while adding rushing for 136 yards and four more scores before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 5.
One area the Colts seem to have overlooked is tight end, but that could be about to change.
Could the Indianapolis Colts Trade for Daniel Bellinger?
If the season started today, Jelani Woods would be the Colts’ starting tight end, after catching 25 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns last season.
But, the Bleacher Report Scouting Report suggests the Colts could trade for New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger:
“Offensively, it feels like the Colts should have added a potential starter at tight end somewhere along the way. The free-agent market is picked over at this point, but targeting someone like Daniel Bellinger who is now in a tight end room that includes Darren Waller and rookie Theo Johnson is a reasonable idea.”
Bellinger would provide some upside as a pass-catcher, after pulling down 55 passes for 523 yards and a pair of touchdowns through his first two seasons.
However, Bellinger dropped just one pass last season, despite wildly inconsistent play from a revolving door of Giants quarterbacks, who posted a whopping 104.8 passer rating when targeting him. NFL franchises have had success pairing young quarterbacks with reliable tight ends, and Bellinger could be the kind of player who proves key to Richardson’s development.