Kenny Moore to be traded
 

Multiple reports are out this morning saying that the Colts and Moore have mutually agreed to seek a trade. So Kenny wants out. Why would we want to part with him? What can you get for a 30 year old corner like him? Is the addition by subtraction or just subtraction? WTF is going on with the franchise?

Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
·
39m
Sources: Colts and Kenny Moore II mutually have agreed to seek a trade and a new home for the veteran cornerback. Moore is entering the last year of his contract, and both sides feel it is time to explore a trade.

Appears to be mutual, Moore says no bad feelings. That's good. Walley is scheduled to replace him apparently. Saves some money, I am a tad concerned that Walley has never played a down in the NFL.

Stephen Holder
@HolderStephen
·
2h
Text from Kenny Moore II: “It’s all good. It’s all love.”

No beef between the parties. Partly a scheme fit issue, per source. 2025 rookie Justin Walley will be asked to step up as the slot corner.

In theory I have no issues with moving on from 30 year old CB. In this case I do not see how this makes us a better team. We won't get shit back for him (a one year rental at 10 million who doesn't really play outside coming off a a down year) and it opens up another hole in the defense to be filled. Walley has never played a snap and who now is the backup? Maybe we are going all in with Lou type players and this defense will gel into something magnificent. Let's hope we know what we are doing.

Kenny hasn’t been happy with his compensation for awhile now. He either held out or threatened to a couple years ago.

That’s what this is about. He feels he hasn’t been respected monetarily and he wants out.

He’s a good player but I’ve always personally felt that he’s a bit overrated.

I’d look for a late round pick swap as compensation. We aren’t getting much out of him.

If Kenny doesn’t want to be here there’s not much they can do.

Angelo Ponds
@AngeloPonds
·
59m
Thinkin what I’m thinkin ???????


Adam Schefter
@AdamSchefter
·
5h
Sources: Colts and Kenny Moore II mutually have agreed to seek a trade and a new home for the veteran cornerback. Moore is entering the last year of his contract, and both sides feel it is time to explore a trade.


Geeting Ponds would be outstanding!!!

TBH, Kenny's play has been just average to better than average the last few years.

Is it scheme fit? Could be, but where is he going to find a team running the Eberflus cover-2 system? I personally believe that his skills are declining.

Between Walley, Taylor-Britt and maybe a draft pick they've got this covered.

o


I hope that he gets traded to an NFC team, because that's the only way that he'll make it to the Super Bowl this season.

o

Walley must be fucking incredible.

I lean with the philosophy that when you have a player that has a strength, the coach needs to identify how to engage that in their scheme. Empower the player.

We all should have learned this when they asked Freeney to stand up and play outside linebacker. Mathis was more naturally suited for that, and the question about him turned into "What if he was playing this position his entire career?". Pagano failed Freeney, and Freeney was still a highly productive player that almost won the Falcons a fucking superbowl.

I perceived Moore to be a leader based on how he carried himself. He doesn't believe in the coaching or the organization, because I find it hard to believe he wasn't going to make the team.

I like the way you think

I believe Walley will play better this season than Kenny, and I like Kenny. Barring injury of course.

It sounds like a little bit of everything. Doesn't sound like a disgruntled player, doesn't sound like a disgruntled coach/scheme, doesn't sound like a desperation for cap relief or draft capital...

So considering they seem to really like Walley, and Ballard specifically highlighted the defense's age and speed being an issue...

Both sides probably know that Moore won't be part of the equation after this final year of his contract, anyway. So if the Colts are comfortable with the young guy and can get something for Moore, and Moore can possibly get himself a couple more years somewhere else...

That's what it sounds like to me. Also isn't a guarantee that Moore/Colts get an offer they like.

Yeah, seems to be amicable. Guessing Kenny realizes he's not getting an extension and looking to move to a team that would be willing to give him one.

I do think it's concerning that we're going to be relying on a bunch of young guys coming off of season ending injuries who haven't played a down in the NFL.

I agree, on paper i think that we are absolutely fine at corner, with Gardner, Ward, Walley, Blackmon, Taylor-Britt, Edwards, Mitchell and Jones, if they all stay healthy then things are probably good for the season. But if we lose Ward, if Walley isn't fully recovered, or doesn't quite live up to the expectations from last preseason, then we are in deep trouble.

It doesn't look so good if the corners are Gardner, Blackmon, Taylor-Britt, Edwards and Mitchell, Jones!

Another thing is, how many of these guys can actually play the slot? Most of them are more outside guys. Maybe we will use more safeties in the slot this year, so Wohler or Thomas.

On top of that, Jaylon Jones, didn't seem to fit into Lou's plans, and Taylor-Brit was awful last year.

We have no quality depth. That usually comes from developing draft choices but we have missed on all of our defensive backs since Ballard got here for one reason or another. If Walley is actually above average it will be the first cornerback we have drafted in years that is. Ward is one concussion away from retiring according to him. Pretty good chance he does.Our back ups are all castoffs or people only die hard Colt fans have even heard of. Lets hope we don't get any major injuries.

if your scheme doesn't fit one of the best pass rushers to ever do it, your scheme is stupid

Taylor Britt played very good under Lou Anarumo, last season he had off the field issues and once again the Bengals defense was terrible with a glaring weakness at pass rush. Deion Sanders can’t cover guys for 7 seconds.

Taylor Britt is a great insurance policy for Ward and also Walley

o


I like the fact that you are apparently highly skilled at deductive thinking, and the process of elimination. ) :D

o

Maybe you guys should get a room? ;)

o


I'm in the closet, and I'm not coming out.

o

Not interested. This forum is good enough.

Send him to the Cowboys and be done with it

That's just not true. The only DBs Ballard has drafted that would rightly be called a "miss" are Quincy Wilson, Rock Ya-Sin, and Julius Brents, Ballard clearly shouldn't draft CBs in Round 2. He's had some home runs at DB, too, such as Isaiah Rodgers (who he shouldn't have cut), Jaylon Jones, and Rodney Thomas II (2 seasons of decent starting safety play out of a 7th round pick is far more than you could ever expect). There's also a lot of quality starters, mostly at S. Malik Hooker, Julian Blackmon, Khari Willis, and Nick Cross. What the team needs to do better at DB, shockingly, is retain their own quality players. I'm sure everyone would feel a lot better about the DB depth of the team if Isaiah Rodgers and Nick Cross were still on it.

Depends on your perspective I guess. Willis has been out of football since 2022, Hooker was a huge miss at 15 (he is a starting safety however) Blackmon starts and Cross wasn't good enough for us to resign (we have the money). 'Hitting' on 7th rounders means you have a dude who makes the team, not someone that is foundational on your team. They may have had Jones/Thomas start but from how they continue to try to replace them it doesn't appear they start because they are really good, they are all we have. The proof that we draft DBs like shit is that 3 of our 4 starters were not drafted by us. We are not filling out the defensive backfield with free agents, they are the only way we seem to get DBs we hold onto (that and giving up multiple first round picks). Not sure who you blame for an atmosphere that allows Rogers to do what he did, but it is a blight on the team that we had a dude betting on games. For a man who preaches building through the draft I just do not see it in this defensive backfield. Maybe it would have been more accurate to say Ballard hasn't drafted one difference maker in the defensive backfield since he got here.

I would consider this assessment closer to reality than what dammy is suggesting.

Replacing a decent starter with an All-Pro is something I would do 10 times out of 10, especially if all it costs is money like Ward. The Sauce trade was likely a bit of an overpay, but the player is elite. Sitting behind Sauce and Ward as a boundary CB isn't an indictment of Jaylon Jones's abilities, it's evidence of the team investing heavily in the position.

My point was we lack depth because we have drafted poorly. Period. Not sure how this relates to that except that this is obviously a reaction to poor drafting.

Pretty sure a lot of this has to do with Lou wanting vets at certain positions

In 2023, the Colts had 3 DEs and 4 players with 8+ sacks. After that season, if the team had the opportunity to acquire Micah Parsons for some sort of reasonable cost, would you have wanted them to do it? I would. That doesn't mean the players that the team had didn't play at a starting caliber level, it means that the player who was available was so elite that it would be foolish to pass him up.

BINGO

Draw the line somewhere. That's Roger's fucking fault, not ours.

I really liked his game but fuck that guy.

This is a different argument. We needed Parsons for the same reason we needed Sauce, Ballard has struck out on drafting pass rushers. Once we recognize we aren't going to get players through the draft then I guess building the team thru trades and free agency is the only option left. With the cuphoard as bare as is for us trading for Parsons or signing Hendrickson make sense, but only because of our inability to draft difference makers on defense. So while I agree with you considering the circumstances we are in I want whomever is responsible for putting us in those circumstances gone.

Your argument would hold merit if Jones had been right behind Ward and later Sauce on the depth chart, but he was burried on it behind guys like Edwards, Blackmon, and Lammons. And the fact that you think Rodgers, Thomas, and Jones were home runs is completely laughable.

Probably the most telling stat on Ballard's ability to draft DBs is that in 9 years we've signed a whopping 1 DB who was drafted by him past his rookie contract, and that was a low level contract to Julian Blackmon for 1 year who we let walk the following year. And it's not that we've lost anyone of his drafted DBs in a bidding war as we've lost a total of 0 to high end contracts that we were outbid on or couldn't afford.

o


The Colts’ Anthony Richardson SR., Kenny Moore II to Miss OTAs Amid Trade Requests

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/721...chris-ballard/


INDIANAPOLIS — Colts GM Chris Ballard raved Monday about his team’s attendance for the first day of voluntary OTAs, but he noted that there will be two notable absences this spring: quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. and cornerback Kenny Moore II. Both recently requested a trade.

Ballard said the Colts are working with Moore and Richardson to send them to new teams, but he views each player’s situation differently. The GM suggested that Moore’s time in Indy is likely over, regardless of how it officially ends, while leaving the door open for Richardson to potentially return.

“Richardson is down in Jacksonville training,” Ballard said on Monday during his pre-draft news conference. “I actually have talked to his trainer, and I talk to him often and his agent. He’s in good spirits …... will he be here for the 2026 season ??? Well, he could be, but we’ll see.”

The Colts drafted Richardson fourth in 2023, which made him their highest-drafted player since Andrew Luck was selected first in 2012. Richardson flashed his potential early, but injuries, inaccuracy and immaturity limited him to 15 starts through his first two years. He lost his starting job to Daniel Jones last year and became one of Indy’s backups.

Richardson suffered an orbital fracture during a pregame warmup accident in October that left him with impaired vision in his right eye. He was placed on injured reserve, underwent surgery and remained sidelined for the rest of the season. Riley Leonard, a 2025 6th-round pick, has since supplanted Richardson as Indy’s QB2.

Richardson has regained 20/20 vision when using both of his eyes, league sources told The Athletic in February. His representation also gave the Colts medical documentation to support that claim at the time. But when asked Monday if Richardson has made a full recovery with his vision, Ballard was less definitive.

“He’s still recovering a little bit, but he’s cleared for activity and doing everything,” Ballard said. “So I think that he’s in a good spot.”

Ballard added that Richardson’s vision is “an important aspect” in any trade talks. Richardson has a $10.8 Million salary-cap hit in 2026. If the Colts trade him before June 1, they’d create $5.4 Million in cap space while having to carry $5.4 million in dead money. But if Richardson is not traded, Ballard doesn’t think it would be a distraction to have him rejoin the team because Richardson is “a great teammate” and isn’t “salty” about his situation.

The Colts have until May 1st to pick up Richardson’s 5th-year option, a fully guaranteed $22.5 Million, though it’s unlikely that they’ll exercise it given Richardson’s track record. Ballard said that decision “wasn’t even thought about right now” as he weighs Richardson’s future. Meanwhile, Carolina’s Bryce Young and Houston’s C.J. Stroud, the only other quarterbacks drafted in the 1st round in 2023, have both had their 5th-year options exercised.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I really don’t. You never do,” Ballard said. “I mean, we’ve had some (trade) talks, but nothing’s come to fruition at this time. So, at this point, he’s still an Indianapolis Colt.”

Ballard added he wasn’t “at that point” to consider releasing Richardson or Moore. The Colts wouldn’t get any salary-cap relief by releasing Richardson, so perhaps their only other incentive would be to finally end his underwhelming tenure with the team and allow both sides to move on.

As for Moore, he has a $13.11 Million cap hit in 2026, and Ballard said the veteran will have “some latitude” in how he potentially leaves the team. The Colts could trade or cut Moore before June 1 and create $7.06 Million in cap space with $6.05 Million in dead money, or they could trade or cut him after June 1 and create $9.9 Million in cap space with $3.2 Million in dead money. Regardless of the specifics, the indication from Ballard was that Moore is less likely to remain with the Colts in 2026 than Richardson.

“He just felt like it was time for a change, nothing much more than that,” Ballard said of Moore’s trade request. “And because of our respect level for Kenny, we said OK. It’s not always easy, especially when you get a (player) that’s been a pillar, not only on our team but in our community.”

Moore, a 3-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, went undrafted in 2017 before latching on in Indianapolis and blossoming into a Pro Bowler in 2021. He’s accumulated 21 INT's (including 4 pick-sixes) and 68 passes defensed in 132 games. The 30-year-old, however, played just 76 percent of Indianapolis’s defensive snaps last season, per Pro Football Reference, a figure that was the lowest mark since Moore’s rookie year.

If the Colts do part ways with Moore, they’ll likely turn to Justin Walley as his replacement in the slot. The 2025 3rd-round pick was poised to be a starter last year during a promising training camp, but tore his ACL in a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens and missed his entire rookie season.

“I think most of you know my relationship with (Moore); it’s close,” Ballard said. “And so those are not always easy conversations, but they were respectful and good, and we’ll see how it works out.”


Daniel Jones Update


Ballard did not rule out Jones for OTAs. The Colts’ starting quarterback is about four months removed from surgery to repair the torn right Achilles tendon he suffered in early December. Ballard said Jones is “throwing” and “moving” in hopes of being ready to go by Week 1 in September.

If Jones is limited this spring, Leonard is poised to step in as the Colts’ temporary starter. He relieved Jones after Jones tore his Achilles tendon in Jacksonville and started the season finale at Houston. In those two games, which marked Leonard’s only extended playing time as a rookie, he was 39-for-63 passing for 415 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. He also had 5 carries for 26 yards and 2 TDs.

“I think that it’s a good opportunity for him because all the reps he’s going to get,” Ballard said of Leonard’s increased role in OTAs. “I think that’s always a beneficial thing. And then we’ll see how it plays out with Anthony going forward. And then (we’ll see) if we add anybody else in the draft or after the draft.”

Ballard provided additional health updates on a slew of players, most notably Alec Pierce. The speedy wide receiver, who signed a 4-year, $114 Million contract last month, recently underwent surgery to relieve a nagging ankle injury. He faces a “three-month recovery,” Ballard said, and should be back sometime during training camp.

Ballard also said defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (neck surgery) won’t be back until training camp; kicker Spencer Shrader (knee) recently kicked a 54-yard field goal and continues to make strides; and safety Hunter Wohler (Lisfranc) and Walley (knee) are near the end of their rehabs and should participate in “most of OTAs,” per Ballard.


Draft Outlook


The Colts do not have a 1st-round pick this year, and that’s unlikely to change. Ballard initially said his team would be “aggressive” when moving around the draft board because Indy has only seven picks, with two on Day 2, but he later clarified.

o

Kenny has been released

Moore is 30 and the team was clearly very high on Walley as a slot CB. Hopefully the injury doesn't affect his athleticism too much.

Sometimes less is Moore.