The Colts started to play in 1953 as a replacement for the NFL’s first Dallas franchise, the Texans. The team stayed in Baltimore for 30 years before moving to the Hoosier State in the middle of the night on March 28, 1984. Before that point, the Colts had traded away two iconic quarterbacks, longtime star Johnny Unitas and John Elway, the first pick of the 1983 NFL Draft who went on to have a stellar career in Denver. In recent years, Indianapolis has turned acquired picks into star wide receivers Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and T.Y. Hilton.

1. March 26, 1953:

Colts acquired: QB Harry Agganis, S Bert Rechichar, RB Don Shula, RB Carl Taseff, G Ed Sharkey, G Elmer Wilhoite, E Art Spinney, E Gern Nagler, T Stew Sheets, and T Dick Batten

Browns acquired: T Mike McCormack, C Tom Catlin, DT Don Colo, RB/S John Petitbon and G Herschel Forester

This trade was made about two months after clothing company owner Carroll Rosenbloom purchased the franchise rights of the Dallas Texans from the NFL. However, the sale did not officially take place until one day after the 1953 NFL Draft, the picks were technically made under the Texans name. The deal has been covered in the Browns draft trades story, but here is a brief revisit of the first major trade in Colts history.

Agganis was a two-sport star at Boston University, who chose baseball’s Red Sox instead of the Colts. In 1955, a bout of pneumonia led to a pulmonary embolism that took his life. Rechichar played in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system but chose football after being drafted out of Tennessee in 1952. Rechichar earned three Pro Bowl selections, won two titles, and set a record by kicking a 56-yard field goal during his seven-year stay in Baltimore. Taseff won two titles and totaled 19 interceptions in nine years with the Colts while operating as both a cornerback and punt returner. After his playing career ended in 1962, he served as a longtime assistant under friend and former Colts teammate Don Shula in Miami. Sharkey played as a linebacker and offensive lineman during his nine-year career. He spent just one season in Baltimore in 1953 and retired in 1958 due to a neck injury. Wilhoite was an All-American guard with USC in 1952 who chose to pursue boxing rather than football. He never played in the NFL, despite trying out for the Colts in 1955.

Spinney spent 1951-52 in the military during the Korean War. He was a two-time champion who earned two Pro Bowl selections in nine NFL seasons before retiring in 1960. Nagler was a Santa Clara product who was waived by the Colts before the start of the 1953 season. He earned a Pro Bowl with the Cardinals in 1958 and retired in 1961 with 3,119 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns in eight seasons. Sheets and Batten never played in the NFL. Sheets was a tackle from Penn State who was drafted by the Browns in the 17th round in 1952 and Batten, a tackle from Pacific, was taken in the 18th round the following year. Shula appeared in two NFL Championship Games and had 21 interceptions, including 14 in four years with the Colts. His 325 regular-season coaching victories are the most in NFL history, and he coached in six Super Bowls, winning twice with the Dolphins and posting the NFL’s only perfect season in 1972. Shula died in May 2020.

McCormack was a Hall of Fame tackle who was selected to six Pro Bowls, including five in nine years with the Browns. The former Kansas star won two titles as a player before embarking on a 32-year career as a coach and general manager, which ended with him operating as the first president and general manager in Carolina Panthers history (1993-97). Catlin was an Oklahoma product who played in three NFL Championship Games in five seasons, winning a title with the Browns in 1954. After retiring in 1959, he spent the next 35 years as a coach, including stints as defensive coordinator with the Rams, Bills, and Seahawks. Colo served in the U. S. Navy during World War II, then embarked on a football career during the 1950s. He was selected to three Pro Bowls and won two titles in six seasons with the Browns before retiring in 1958. Petitbon was a Notre Dame product who played both safety and running back in the NFL. He was a member of Cleveland’s NFL Championship Team in 1955 and had eight interceptions in four seasons before retiring in 1957. Forester only played four seasons in the NFL (all with the Browns), but he played in three NFL title games and won back-to-back championships in 1954 and ’55.

Assessment: Although each team won two titles after the deal, Cleveland’s players had more of an impact in those seasons. McCormack was clearly the best player from this trade, sporting five Pro Bowl selections and a Hall of Fame induction in 1984. BROWNS

2. January 22, 1973:

Colts acquired: $150,000 in cash (listed in many sources as “Future Considerations”)

Chargers acquired: QB Johnny Unitas

The whole “future considerations” trade product is usually a baseball staple and rarely finds its way into a football deal. In this case, the Colts traded away a Unitas, a franchise legend rivaled only by Peyton Manning, for $150,000. Baltimore went to the playoffs three straight years from 1975-77 under head coach Ted Marchibroda and quarterback Bert Jones. The team did not reach the postseason again until 1987, its fourth season after moving to Indianapolis.

Unitas, a Louisville product, went on to have a stellar 18-year career that resulted in a 1979 induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His list of accolades includes three MVP awards, 10 Pro Bowl and five All-Pro selections, a 1970 NFL Man of the Year Award and three titles, including the “Greatest Game Ever Played” 1958 NFL Championship Game and a 16-13 win over the Colts in Super Bowl V. Unitas spent his final five years facing various injuries and splitting time with Earl Morrall. After the trade, Unitas reported to the Chargers (despite speculation that he would retire), and the 40-year-old split time with Wayne Clark and rookie Dan Fouts in San Diego’s 2-11-1 season in 1973. Unitas retired after the season and worked as an analyst with CBS. He refused to have anything to do with the Colts after they moved to Indianapolis. Unitas died of a heart attack in 2002.

Assessment: Neither team made out all that well in this deal. Unitas almost didn’t report to the Chargers, then posted a 1-4 record before retiring after one season. For the Colts, $150,000 didn’t go too far, even in the 1970s. PUSH

3. August 13, 1974:

Colts acquired: LB Tom MacLeod and an eighth-round pick in the 1975 NFL Draft

Packers acquired: LB Ted Hendricks and a 1975 second-round pick

MacLeod was a former University of Minnesota product who started 10 games with the Packers as a rookie in 1973. After the trade, he became a star linebacker alongside Mike Curtis in Baltimore. MacLeod was upset with being underpaid and retired after the 1977 season, but injuries forced the Colts to give into his salary demands and bring him back for one more year. After retiring for good, he moved to Washington state and spent 20 years as an emergency medical technician and a firefighter. The pick was used on Mario Cage, a running back from Northwestern State in Louisiana who never played in the NFL.

Hendricks was a two-time All-American at the University of Miami. He quickly became one of the best linebackers in the NFL, earning three Pro Bowl selections, being named an All-Pro in 1971 winning a title in Super Bowl V with the Colts. Hendricks was sent to the Packers and also signed a futures contract with the upstart World Football League. He was an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler after nabbing five interceptions in his only season in Green Bay. When the WFL folded, the Packers traded Hendricks to the Raiders for two first-round picks. He spent his final nine seasons in Oakland and Los Angeles, winning three titles while earning four Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections. “The Mad Stork” retired after the 1983 season, which ended with the Raiders winning Super Bowl XVIII over the Redskins. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. The Packers traded the second-round pick (former San Diego State cornerback Monte Jackson) to the Rams as part of the deal for John Hadl, a six-time Pro Bowler with San Diego and Los Angeles. Hadl had a 7-12 record and a 9-to-29 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 22 games with Green Bay. He finished his career with two seasons in Houston before retiring in 1977.

Assessment: Hendricks and Hadl were the biggest names in this trade, but Hendricks spent only one season in Green Bay and Hadl was aging and ineffective. McLeod never made the Pro Bowl, but he was a solid starter during his five seasons with Baltimore. COLTS 

4. May 2, 1983:

Colts acquired: T Chris Hinton, QB Mark Herrmann and a first-round pick in the 1984 NFL Draft

Broncos acquired: QB John Elway

The Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984, and this was the final nail in the coffin. The team went 0-8-1 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, and Stanford quarterback John Elway refused to play for the Colts after they drafted him with the top overall pick the following year. Elway was a major loss, but something good did come from the trade. Hinton was a 1982 All-American at Northwestern who was selected with the fourth overall pick in 1983. He was a member of the All-Rookie team and made six Pro Bowls in seven seasons with the Colts. After being traded to the Falcons in 1990, Hinton was a Pro Bowler the following season and earned his only All-Pro selection two years later. He spent his final two seasons with the Vikings before retiring in 1995. Herrmann was a Purdue graduate who started just 12 games in 11 NFL seasons. He played five years in two stints with the Colts and ended his career as Jeff George’s backup with Indianapolis in 1992. The 1984 first-round pick became Ron Solt, a former Maryland guard who was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1987. Solt was traded to the Eagles the following season after a contract dispute, and his 3½-year stint with Philadelphia included a four-game suspension for steroid use. He signed with the Colts for one final season in 1992.

Elway got his wish, not having to play for the lowly Colts. The 1982 All-American led the Broncos to 10 playoff appearances and five Super Bowls in 16 seasons. After three losses in the late 1980s, he helped Denver win back-to-back championships in 1997 and ’98 before retiring. Elway won the regular season and Super Bowl MVP awards and is the all-time leader in Broncos’ history with 51,475 yards and 300 touchdowns. He has been Denver’s general manager and executive vice president of football operations since 2011.

Assessment: Elway led Denver to six Super Bowls and three titles, two as a player, plus Super Bowl 50 as an executive. Hinton was a star, but Elway was responsible for turning a franchise around. BRONCOS

5. October 31, 1987:

Colts acquired: RB Eric Dickerson (from Rams)

Bills acquired: LB Cornelius Bennett (from Colts)

Rams acquired: RB Owen Gill (from Colts), RB Greg Bell (from Bills), two first-round picks in 1988 (one each from the Colts and Bills), a 1988 second-rounder (from Colts) a first-round pick in 1989 (from Bills) and a two 1989 second-rounders (one each from the Colts and Bills)

Dickerson, an All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist with Southern Methodist in 1982, had a phenomenal start to his professional career. With the Rams from 1983-86, he totaled 55 touchdowns and 6,968 yards, including three seasons with 1,800 or more and a league-record 2,105 in 1984. Dickerson also was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, as well as Offensive Player of the Year in 1986. He continued his incredible productivity after the trade, posting three more 1,000-yard seasons with the Colts before injuries began to slow him down. Dickerson retired in 1993 with 13,529 yards and 90 touchdowns in 11 seasons. He was selected to six Pro Bowls, five All-Pro teams, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.  

Bennett was traded to the Bills since he and the Colts were unable to come to a contract agreement after Indianapolis selected him with the second overall pick in the 1987 Draft. The three-time All-American at Alabama earned five Pro Bowl nominations, including in each of Buffalo’s four Super Bowl seasons. Bennett ranks second in Bills history with 22 forced fumbles, third with 793 tackles, fourth with 52½ sacks and his 19 fumble recoveries are the most among Buffalo’s defensive players. He spent three years with the Falcons and two with the Colts before retiring in 2000.

Since they were parting with Dickerson, Los Angeles received two running backs and several picks in this deal. Gill was an Iowa product who had 490 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons with the Colts, but only played one game with the Rams and retired in 1987. Bell served as a rusher and returner at Notre Dame. He made the All-Rookie Team and the Pro Bowl after running for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns with the Bills in 1984. After the trade, Bell led the NFL in touchdowns in back-to-back seasons (1988-89) and ran for more than 1,000 yards in both campaigns. He retired after spending the 1990 season with the Raiders. UCLA running back Gaston Green was not productive in three seasons with the Rams, but earned a Pro Bowl selection after rushing for 1,037 yards with the Broncos in 1991. He retired before the 1993 season. Arizona State wide receiver Aaron Cox started for the Rams as a rookie and totaled 98 catches, 1,673 yards and eight touchdowns over five seasons in Los Angeles. He signed with the Colts and retired after the 1993 season. The 1988 second-rounder was Purdue linebacker Fred Strickland, who had seven sacks and two interceptions in five years with the Rams. He played with four other teams over his final seven seasons before retiring in 1999. The Rams took University of Miami running back Cleveland Gary in the first round in 1989. Gary ran for 808 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdowns in his second season and had 1,125 yards and seven scores in 1992. He spent five years with the Rams and played two games with the Dolphins in 1994 before retiring after the season. Los Angeles took Notre Dame linebacker and 1983 high school All-American Frank Stams with the first of the second-round picks. Stams had 113 tackles in three years with the Rams. He played 3½ more seasons with the Browns and ended his career after playing with the Chiefs in 1995.  The final pick was Darryl Henley, a cornerback and punt returner from UCLA. Henley had 12 interceptions in six seasons, all with the Rams, but got into trouble with the law after his playing career. He was convicted for trafficking cocaine, then hiring hitmen to try and kill both the judge and a witness, resulting in a 31-year prison sentence.

Assessment: Bennett, along with defensive end Bruce Smith, led a Buffalo defense that appeared in four straight Super Bowls. Dickerson still had some great years with Indianapolis before injuries wore him down. Los Angeles got a few good years out of running backs Bell and Gary, but not much production from the others. BILLS

6. March 24, 1994:

Colts received: First- and third-round picks in the 1994 NFL Draft and a first-rounder in 1996

Falcons received: QB Jeff George

The Colts traded both the 1994 picks to the Rams for the fifth overall selection, with one of those picks being sent to the 49ers and becoming four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Bryant Young. The trade netted Indianapolis Trev Alberts, who was an All-American and won the Butkus Award as the best collegiate linebacker at Nebraska in 1993. His promising career was cut short due to injury, and Alberts played just 29 games over three seasons. Some of his injuries include dislocating both his right elbow and left shoulder, plus a hamstring injury and a concussion. Alberts was named Director of Athletics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2009 and was promoted to his current position as Vice Chancellor for Athletics in 2014.

Indianapolis used the 1996 first-round pick on Marvin Harrison, who was a member of the All-Big East team at Syracuse in 1995. Harrison holds team records with 1,102 receptions (fifth in NFL history), 14,580 yards (ninth), and 128 touchdowns (fifth). He was selected to eight straight Pro Bowls from 1999-2006 and also earned three All-Pro selections. Harrison set an NFL record with 143 catches in 2002, which was broken by Michael Thomas of the Saints in 2019. He was a part of the Colts’ victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

George was a former high school All-American and a star at Illinois when the Colts took him with the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft. His tumultuous career began with an All-Rookie Team selection, but soon turned sour. George had a 14-35 record in four seasons with Indianapolis and was a pain to deal with off the field. He refused to report to camp in 1993 and only returned after Colts owner Robert Irsay threatened heavy fines for breach of contract. George had a career-high 4,143 yards with the Falcons in 1995, but was suspended for 13 games the following year after having a heated argument with head coach June Jones during a nationally televised game. He played with the Raiders, Vikings and Redskins over the final five seasons. He had tryouts throughout the early part of the 2000s, and officially retired in 2006.

Assessment: Even Alberts’ bad luck with injuries might have been enough for Indianapolis to win this trade, since the team was able to rid itself of George’s headaches. Harrison’s career put him in with the all-time greats and leaves no doubts in terms of this deal. COLTS

7. April 15, 1999:

Colts acquired: Second- and fifth-round picks in the 1999 NFL Draft (Mike Peterson and Brad Scioli)

Rams acquired: RB Marshall Faulk

The Colts used the second-round pick on Mike Peterson, a linebacker who was a member of Florida’s National Championship team in 1997 and was an All-American the following year. He spent his first four years with Indianapolis, making the All-Rookie Team and leading the league with 160 tackles in 2000. Peterson signed with Jacksonville in 2003 and spent six years with the Jaguars and four with the Panthers. He posted at least 100 tackles in seven of his 14 career seasons and 1,220 in all before retiring in 2013. Peterson is currently the outside linebackers coach at South Carolina. In the fifth round, the Colts selected Brad Scioli, a defensive lineman from Penn State. Scioli played 80 games over six seasons, all with Indianapolis. He had 15 career sacks, including a 2001 sack of Tom Brady that was the first suffered by the future legend. Scioli retired due to a shoulder injury in 2004 and has since become a physical education teacher and assistant football coach at his high school alma mater, Upper Merion, in southeast Pennsylvania.

Faulk was a three-time All-American at San Jose State and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1992 (won by University of Miami quarterback Gino Torretta). Faulk played his first five seasons with Indianapolis, winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 1994, rushing for 1,000 or more yards four times and being selected to three Pro Bowls. Due to his early success, he wanted a better contract and said he would potentially hold out, leading to the trade. Faulk signed a seven-year deal with the Rams and proceeded to become one of the stars of the “Greatest Show on Turf” in St. Louis. He started his Rams tenure with three straight 1,000-yard seasons, earning Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections each year. Faulk was named league MVP after rushing for 1,359 yards and an NFL-high 18 touchdowns in 2000. He was also dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield, averaging nearly 70 catches and 600 yards a year with St. Louis. The Titans held Faulk to just 17 yards rushing, but he had five catches for 90 yards in the Rams’ 23-16 victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. Two years later, he totaled 130 yards (76 rushing and 54 receiving) in a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. Faulk missed the 2006 season due to reconstructive knee surgery and he retired early the following year. His 58 rushing scores are tied for the most in team history and his 6,959 yards rank fourth. Faulk also sits in fourth place on the Rams’ all-time list with 470 receptions. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Assessment: The Colts transitioned by drafting Edgerrin James, but Faulk was an MVP winner who was a major contributor to a pair of St. Louis Super Bowl appearances. RAMS

8. April 21, 2001:

Colts acquired: First-, third- and sixth-round picks in the 2001 NFL Draft

Giants acquired: A first-round pick in 2001

Indianapolis drafted a one-star receiver in Marvin Harrison after a trade-in 1994 and they found another one in the first round after this trade. Reggie Wayne was a University of Miami graduate who went on to have a stellar NFL career. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2010. Wayne had eight 1,000-yard seasons in his 14-year career, including seven in a row from 2004-10 and a league-leading 1,510 yards in 2007. He played in four AFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls, scoring on a 53-yard pass from Peyton Manning in a 29-17 win over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Wayne ranks second in Colts history behind only Harrison with 1,070 catches, 14,345 yards, and 82 scores. He signed with the Patriots in 2015 but later asked for his release, and retired after sitting out the season. Wayne was a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist in 2020, but was not selected in his first year of eligibility. Safeties Cory Bird (Virginia Tech) and Jason Doering (Wisconsin) were both primarily bench players before retiring in 2004. Bird played his entire career with the Colts and Doering spent his final season with the Redskins.

The Giants gave up two extra picks to move up eight spots and draft Will Allen, a 2000 All-Big East cornerback at Syracuse. Allen played his first five years in New York, amassing eight interceptions and 299 tackles. He spent the next five seasons with the Dolphins, with seven interceptions, four sacks, and 233 stops. Allen signed with the Patriots in 2012, but spent the season on injured reserve and retired. He was in trouble with the law both during and after his NFL career. Allen was arrested for DUI in 2010. Five years later, he was charged with federal fraud, conspiracy and money laundering charges after getting caught operating a Ponzi scheme. In 2017, he was sentenced to six years in prison.

Assessment: Allen had a fairly productive career, but Wayne was one of the all-time greats and helped Indianapolis create one of the best-receiving tandems in NFL history. COLTS

9. April 27, 2003:

Colts acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft

Texans acquired: A fourth-round pick in 2004

Indianapolis used its pick on Robert Mathis, a defensive end and linebacker from Alabama A&M. Mathis was a five-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2013, when he led the league and set a team record with 19½ sacks. He is also the franchise’s all-time leader with 123 sacks and 53 forced fumbles. Mathis had three tackles and a forced fumble in the Colts’ 29-17 win over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI, and he also had four stops in a Super Bowl XLIV loss to the Saints. He retired in 2016 and is now a pass-rush consultant with Indianapolis.

The Texans’ pick, Glenn Earl, switched from wide receiver to safety at Notre Dame. He had three interceptions, two sacks, and 154 tackles with Houston, but was released after missing the entire 2007 season with a Lisfranc ligament tear in his foot. He tried out with the Bears in 2009 but did not make the roster and retired.

Assessment: Even without Earl’s injury, chances are he would not have come close to matching Mathis’ impact. COLTS

10. April 27, 2012:

Colts acquired: A third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft

49ers acquired: A fourth-round pick in 2012 and a fifth-rounder in 2013

The trend of the Colts making a trade and then using the acquired pick in an elite receiver continues. Indianapolis used the third-round pick from this deal on T.Y. Hilton, a Florida International product who was the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2010. Hilton was a member of the All-Rookie Team, has been selected to four Pro Bowls, and has five 1,000-yard seasons, including a league-leading 1,448 in 2016. His best game might have been in the 2013 Wild Card round, when he caught 13 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with less than five minutes remaining, as the Colts beat the Chiefs, 45-44. After eight seasons, Hilton ranks fourth in team history with 552 receptions and 8,598 yards, and he is seventh with 45 scores.

San Francisco’s pick in 2012 could have been bruising running back Lamar Miller, only they traded the selection to Miami. After a few other moves, the 49ers ended up with Wake Forest offensive lineman Joe Looney and Michigan State safety Trenton Robinson in 2012, as well as Eric Reid, an All-American safety at LSU in 2012, Quinton Dial, a nose tackle who was a member of two Alabama National Championship teams and Florida State linebacker Nick Moody. Looney spent his rookie season on the practice squad and played 19 games as a reserve guard and center in three years before signing with the Titans in 2015. After one season with the Titans, he has spent the past four with the Cowboys and is in line to start at center in 2020 after the retirement of Travis Frederick. Robinson played three games as a rookie in 2013, his only season with the 49ers. He spent three years with Washington, recording 89 tackles and two interceptions. Robinson retired in 2016 after a failed tryout with the Panthers. Reid has been the most productive player on San Francisco’s side of this trade. He was selected to the All-Rookie Team and the Pro Bowl after posting 77 tackles and four interceptions in 2013. Reid was a solid starter for five years with the 49ers but made headlines for protesting during the National Anthem with teammate Colin Kaepernick in 2016. He signed with the Panthers in 2018 and set a career-high with 130 tackles last season. Carolina released him in March 2020. Dial was the only pick from the original trade. He had 4½ sacks and 126 tackles in four years with San Francisco and was a reserve in 2017 with the Packers before retiring. Moody missed most of his rookie season with a broken hand but played all 16 games as a reserve in 2014. He spent one year each with the Seahawks and Redskins, retiring in 2016 after playing just 24 games in four NFL seasons.

Assessments: Looney’s best days have been with Dallas and Reid’s only Pro Bowl was as a rookie. Meanwhile, Hilton is quickly moving up the Indianapolis receiving charts and is one of the best wideouts in the NFL. COLTS

All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

Next: Jacksonville Jaguars

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer

The Colts franchise has appeared in seven league championship games, including four Super Bowls, and star draft picks have been involved with all of those teams. From the smash mouth football of the 1950s and ’60s to the high-powered offense of the early 2000s, the Colts have found stars both early and late in drafts. On the flip side, some of the team’s picks in the 1980s and ’90s kept Indianapolis from fielding a competitive squad. 

BEST

10. Bobby Boyd, CB (Round 10, Pick 119 in 1960) – Boyd starred at three positions (quarterback, cornerback and punt returner) at Oklahoma before coming to the NFL. He holds the team record with 57 interceptions, including six or more in seven of his nine seasons and an NFL-high nine in 1964. Boyd was a three-time All-Pro, a two-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1968 Colts squad that went to Super Bowl III. Two years later, he won a title as a member of Baltimore’s coaching staff, and he eventually went into the restaurant business with former teammate Johnny Unitas. He died of bladder cancer in 2017.  

9. Reggie Wayne, WR (Round 1, Pick 30 in 2001) – The Miami product ranks second in team history with 1,070 catches, 14,345 yards and 82 touchdowns in 14 seasons with Indianapolis. The six-time Pro Bowler and 2010 All-Pro had 1,000 or more yards eight times and led the league with 1,510 in 2007. Wayne was one of the team’s main offensive focal points, and he played in four AFC Championship Games and two Super Bowls. He posted 61 yards and a score in a 29-17 win over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI. While Wayne did not get selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, he should be enshrined in the near future. 

8. Jim Parker, T/G (Round 1, Pick 8 in 1957) – Parker was an All-American and the winner of the Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman, two years after winning a National Championship with Ohio State. The Hall of Famer was selected to eight straight Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams (at both tackle and guard), and he was considered by many to be the best offensive lineman of his era, especially in pass blocking. Parker won two NFL Championships with the Colts, including an overtime thriller against the Giants that has been dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” 

7. Marshall Faulk, RB (Round 1, Pick 2 in 1994) – The Hall of Famer ranks third in team history with 5,320 yards and fourth with 42 touchdowns, and he was also dangerous as a receiver. Faulk was a three-time All-American at San Diego State and was the runner up to Gino Torretta in the 1992 Heisman Trophy voting. He followed his stellar college career with 1,282 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1994. In five seasons with the Colts, he went to three Pro Bowls and rushed for 1,000 or more yards four times. However, Faulk had greater success after being traded to the Rams. He won the MVP Award after leading the league with 18 touchdowns in 2000, earned Offensive Player of the Year honors three straight seasons (1999-2001), and led St. Louis to a title in Super Bowl XXXIV. 

6. (tie) Robert Mathis, DE (Round 5, Pick 138 in 2003) and Dwight Freeney, DE (Round 1, Pick 11 in 2002) – The owners of the two highest sack and forced fumble totals in team history, Mathis and Freeney were a dominant one-two punch on the Colts defensive line for a decade. Mathis spent his entire career with Indianapolis, amassing 123 sacks, including a league-leading 19½ in 2013, which was his lone All-Pro season. The five-time Pro Bowler also led the NFL in forced fumbles three times, and his 17 fumbles recovered are the most among defensive players in Colts history. Mathis had three tackles and a forced fumble in a Super Bowl XLI win against the Bears, and four more stops three years later in a Super Bowl loss to the Saints. Freeney was a Syracuse product and 2001 All-American who was named to seven Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams in 11 seasons as a Colt. His 107½-sack total includes hitting double-digits seven times and posting a league-best 16 in 2004. He joined Mathis as a starter in two Super Bowls, registering two tackles and a sack against Chicago.

5. John Mackey, TE (Round 2, Pick 19 in 1963) – Mackey played every game in his nine years with Baltimore, and was one of the game’s first full-time tight ends (most others split time at fullback or wide receiver). The Syracuse product was selected to five Pro Bowls and three-straight All-Pro teams, including his best season in 1966, when he had 829 yards and nine touchdowns. The Hall of Famer also played in four league championship games and two Super Bowls. Two years after a loss to the Jets, Mackey caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Unitas in Super Bowl V. The play stood as the longest reception in the game’s history for 10 years and helped the Colts beat the Cowboys, 16-13. One of the many players from past generations to suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to concussion issues sustained during his career, Mackey suffered dementia later in life and died in 2011. 

4. Raymond Berry, WR (Round 20, Pick 232 in 1954) – Berry actually ranks behind Wayne in all three receiving categories (he’s third in team history with 631 receptions, 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns), but he is higher on the list due to the value of putting up those numbers after being a 20th round pick. The Hall of Famer was selected to six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, and he led the NFL in receptions and yards three times each and led the league in touchdowns twice. The SMU graduate overcame back and eye issues to win two championships, become one of the best receivers of his era and earn billing as one of the league’s 100 greatest players in 2019. After his playing career, Berry spent more than 20 years as a coach. He amassed a 48-39 record in six seasons as a head coach and led the Patriots to Super Bowl XX.  

3. (tie) Edgerrin James, RB (Round 1, Pick 4 in 1999) and Lenny Moore, RB (Round 1, Pick 9 in 1956) – “Edge” is the team’s all-time leader with 9,226 yards and 64 touchdowns in just seven seasons with Indianapolis. He went to the Pro Bowl four times with the Colts, including his first two years, when he led the NFL in rushing (1,553 yards as a rookie and 1,709 the following season). James also won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and earned his only All-Pro honor in 1999. He missed out on the Super Bowl XLI trip with the Colts, but played in the game two years later as a member of the Cardinals. James was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020. Moore, even more than James, was a threat as a receiver out of the backfield. He ranked second with 63 scores and fifth with 5,174 yards on the ground, and he also is fifth in team history with 6,039 yards and 48 touchdowns receiving. After missing time in 1963 due to a knee injury, Moore responded with 584 yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns, which earned him Comeback Player of the Year and All-Pro honors. He was also voted as the league’s Most Valuable Player by his fellow players. His list of other accolades is long and distinguished: 1956 Rookie of the Year, seven Pro Bowls, five All-Pro selections, two championships, induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975 and selection on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. Moore’s post-career activities include working for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services and raising money to fight the autoimmune disease Scleroderma. 

2. Marvin Harrison, WR (Round 1, Pick 19 in 1996) – If there’s a receiving record for the Colts, Harrison probably holds it. Another Syracuse product, Harrison tops the franchise list with 1,102 catches and 128 touchdowns (he ranks fifth in NFL history in both categories) and 14,580 yards (ninth all-time). The Hall of Famer went to eight straight Pro Bowls (with at least 1,000 yards and 10 scores in each of those seasons), was a three-time All-Pro, and led the league in receptions and yards twice apiece. Harrison had five catches for 59 yards in a Super Bowl XLI win over the Bears. The pick that Indianapolis used to select him came in a trade for Jeff George (more on him later). 

1. Peyton Manning, QB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1998) – The most well-known player in team history also holds many passing records. Manning ranks third in league history with 71,940 passing yards (54,828 with the Cots) and also is third with  539 touchdowns (399 with Indianapolis). He won four of his five MVP Awards with the Colts, passed for more than 4,000 yards 10 times and threw 30 or more touchdowns in six seasons. The 11-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro was also the 2004 Offensive Player of the Year and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner the following season. Manning led the Colts to a pair of Super Bowls and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLI after throwing for 247 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. He missed all of 2011 due to neck surgery, then signed with the Broncos, leading them to a title in Super Bowl 50 after setting league records with 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns in an MVP 2013 season. 

WORST

10. John Elway, QB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1983) – This is more of a Robert Irsay bad play than a Colts bad pick. Elway was as much of a sure thing as any recent number one overall selection. He was a two-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting behind Herschel Walker in 1982. Elway also had a fallback plan, since he was drafted by the Yankees in the second round of the Major League Baseball Draft in 1981. As with most owners of the top pick, the Colts were not good, but they were a bigger laughingstock than most at the time. They were rumored to be moving out of Baltimore, and Frank Kush was not what you would call a “player friendly” coach. Despite Elway’s objections, the Colts drafted him anyway, and he doubled down on his desire to play baseball. Baltimore explored trade options, some of which included star players (there was talk of sending him to the 49ers for a young Joe Montana, or to San Diego for potential free agent Dan Fouts). In the end, Denver traded tackle Chris Hinton (the fourth pick), backup quarterback Mark Herrmann and a 1984 first round pick to Baltimore. Elway went on to lead the Broncos to five Super Bowls in his 16 seasons, while the Colts moved to Indianapolis a year later and went to the playoffs just three times in that span. 

9. (tie) George Shaw, QB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1955) and Bill Vessels, RB (Round 1, Pick 2 in 1953) – Shaw had high hopes after winning two state championships in high school and earning All-American honors in football and baseball at Oregon. He started as a rookie, but suffered a broken leg in the fifth game of the 1956 season and was replaced by Johnny Unitas. Shaw started only 14 more games with the Colts, Giants, Vikings and Broncos before retiring in 1962. Vessels led Oklahoma to the National Championship in 1950 and won the Heisman Trophy two years later. Instead of joining the Colts, he decided to play in Canada with the Edmonton Eskimos. Vessels won the Most Outstanding Player Award, and his 926 rushing yards led the Western Interprovincial Football Union (later called the Western Division when the CFL came into existence in 1958). He joined the Colts for one season as a running back and kick returner in 1956, but was forced to retire due to a leg injury. After football, Vessels got into horse breeding and was president of the National Association of State Racing Commissions. His hometown of Cleveland, Oklahoma, named its high school football stadium after him 

8. Jim Detwiler, RB (Round 1, Pick 20 in 1967) – Due to the AFL-NFL merger, this is the first time the 20th pick occurred in the first round. In college, Detwiler was part of Michigan’s Rose Bowl Victory over Oregon State in 1964, after his fumble cost the Wolverines a shot at the National Championship the year before. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in college, which affected him for the rest of his playing career. Detwiler signed with the Colts after the draft, but missed the 1967 season thanks to another knee surgery. He failed to make the team the following year, and left football. Detwiler is still the last first-round pick never to play in the NFL. He went to dental school while rehabilitating after surgery and ran a dental practice in Ohio.

7. Donald Brown, RB (Round 1, Pick 27 in 2009) – Brown was an All-American and the Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, but that success did not translate to the professional ranks. After becoming the first UConn player to be selected in the first round of the draft, Brown got into a running back committee with Indianapolis that included Joseph Addai and Vick Ballard. Brown totaled 2,377 yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons before moving on to San Diego. He left the NFL in 2016. Instead of Brown, the Colts could have had six-time Pro Bowler and the decade’s leading rusher, LeSean McCoy, who the Eagles drafted with pick 53. 

6. Anthony Gonzalez, WR (Round 1, Pick 32 in 2007) – The theme of the “worst” list is that quite a few players have had better careers off the football field than they did on. That is the case with Gonzalez, who had two good seasons with the Colts before suffering injuries to his knee and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in back-to-back years. He retired in 2012, but earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Stanford. Gonzalez is currently a Member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Ohio’s 16th district. 

5. Jeff George, QB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1990) – For not being on this list, Chris Hinton certainly plays a part in Colts draft history. He was traded to the Colts for John Elway, and then was moved to Atlanta along with wide receiver Andre Rison and a 1991 first round pick as part of a seven-player deal that allowed the Colts to draft George. An Illinois product and the 1985 Dial Award winner as the national high school scholar-athlete of the year, George struggled on some bad teams in Indianapolis. He posted a 14-35 record as a starter, including a 1-15 mark in 1991, but also made the All-Rookie team after throwing for 2,152 yards and 16 touchdowns. George refused to show up for the Colts in 1993 until they threatened him with a breach of contract penalty. He was traded before the 1994 Draft for first- and third-round picks in 1994 and a first-rounder two years later, which was used to select Marvin Harrison. 

4. Quentin Coryatt, LB (Round 1, Pick 2 in 1992) – Imagine one team having the top two picks in an NFL Draft and missing on BOTH of them. That happened with the Colts in 1992. Coryatt was the second of those picks, earning his spot after being named the Southwest Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1991 at Texas A&M. After trading quarterback Chris Chandler to Tampa Bay for the pick, Indianapolis shored up the middle of their defense. Coryatt gave the team 8½ sacks, seven fumble recoveries, six forced fumbles and three interceptions in six seasons. He faced his share of injuries (broken wrist as a rookie, torn pec and injured left shoulder later in his tenure with the team), and the Colts waived him after reconstructive shoulder surgery in 1998. Coryatt signed with Dallas, but the shoulder continued to plague him, and he also was slowed by an Achilles injury. He was cut after one season and never returned to the NFL. 

3. Trev Alberts, LB (Round 1, Pick 5 in 1994) – The Nebraska alum was an All-American in 1993, and he also took home the Dick Butkus Award and Jack Lambert Trophy for his play as a linebacker. However, Alberts played just 29 games in the NFL, with injuries setting him back. He suffered a hamstring injury and a dislocated right elbow, as well as dislocating both shoulders. Alberts retired after he was unable to return from right shoulder reconstruction surgery. He now serves as athletic director for the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

2. Art Schlichter, QB (Round 1, Pick 4 in 1982) – Much like the Redskins’ situation with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in 2015, Schlichter began his rookie season as the starter, but lost his spot to fourth-round pick Mike Pagel. However, his major problem was not poor play, but gambling. Schlichter’s gambling on college and professional games, while he was a player at Ohio State, was essentially covered up by the university, and the problem only got worse in the pros. He lost his entire $350,000 signing bonus, was suspended indefinitely (although he said he continued to gamble during his suspension), then the Colts cut him in 1985 due to his addiction. Schlichter’s habit eventually landed him in deeper trouble. He was arrested in 1987 for his part in a sports betting  operation in New York, which resulted in NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle basically black-balling him from the league. Schlichter got fired from a Las Vegas radio station in 1994 after stealing checks from the station’s owner for gambling money. Between 1995 to 2006, he spent nearly 10 total years in 44 different prisons for the sports betting operation, as well as for fraud and passing bad checks. He also was arrested in 2011 after conning the Barney family (the heirs to the Wendy’s fast food chain) out of more than $1 million. He was sentenced to 10 years for that crime and is scheduled to be released in August. 

1. Steve Emtman, DE (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1992) – Emtman’s college accolades were impressive, but that did not translate to the NFL. He was a two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, and his 1991 season also included All-American, Outland Trophy and Heisman Trophy finalist honors. However, hiis career was beset by injuries, including blowing out his left knee as a rookie, tearing his right patellar tendon and rupturing a disc in his neck. He had five sacks and a 90-yard interception return in three years with the Colts. Emtman spent time with the Dolphins and Redskins before retiring in 1997, and he is now a real estate developer in Washington state.  

Next: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

-By: Kevin Rakas

Writer

The Colts have had a lot to deal with this last season. From the retirement of Andrew Luck to the numerous injuries that they sustained during their season; this team was fighting an uphill battle. It started at the top, Jacoby Brissett missed time in the middle of the season and then when he returned wasn’t the same. TY Hilton also missed time this season along with Devin Funchess who ended the season on IR. Then you have Eric Ebron who also ended the year on IR, when you have these many key guys hurt it difficult to win. Not only did their offense get bit by the injury bug, but the defense as well got hit. To start the reigning RDPOY Darius Leonard got hit with it and missed a few games. Then you mix in a few defensive linemen and people from the secondary and you have a recipe for disaster last season. Luckily, again armed with plenty of money to add to the team and a solid young core of guys to build around this team can make some moves now to make noise in the postseason next year. 

Indianapolis Colts

Wants

1. Quarterback

2. Wide receiver

3. Edge rusher

4. Cornerback

5. Safety

Needs

1. Figure out who will be the starting quarterback this season

2. Find a partner for TY Hilton

3. Add a young edge rusher to help build this defense 

4. Find a shutdown corner either in free agent, draft or trade

5. Find a true safety to solidify that backend of the defense. 

Quarterback

The most important position on any football team is the quarterback. They are the only person that has contact with the ball nearly every play. They have more control over the outcome of games than people know. That’s why when you have a bad or average quarterback in play, you only have an average team. This past season, Jacoby Brissett looked to be a solid quarterback until his injury. After he returned, the guy wasn’t the same. He played at the level of a backup quarterback and not where he was to start the season. Due to the Colts now losing faith in Brissett to be a starter they have no other choice than to find the new starter either as a bridge or a decade of play. They have the option to either attack this in free agency with a guy like Phillip Rivers or Ryan Tannehill. The other option can be Teddy Bridgewater in free agency or a draft choice like Jordan Love or Jacob Eason. The draft choices would be great to either start immediately have sat behind one of the veteran options. Yet Bridgewater would probably be there best bet of a young veteran who can play the next ten years. Even with his injury history, he would be good because you would still have Jacoby Brissett able to step in a game or two to help.

Edge Rusher

The Colts haven’t had a legitimate pass rush star since the days of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The addition of Justin Houston was solid but couldn’t replace the leader in sacks for the team as they need. He is still getting older and won’t be able to keep this up too much longer. They have a few role players on the defensive front, but they can use an edge rusher that can take over a game and wreck it. They can either sign a free agent, trade for a guy or draft a young guy they can mold into whom they want. The best idea for them is to sign a free agent or make a trade. There are plenty of trade options out there this offseason. They can get a guy like Clowney or Barrett. They can also get a guy in a sign and trade deal where they trade for a guy and sign him to a long-term deal like what happened to Frank Clark and Dee Ford last offseason. This year people like Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue are prime candidates for this. Both can stop the run and rusher the passer with the best of them. The best fit for the Colts though would be either Ngakoue or Clowney. Both guys can play 4-3 end in base defense well and if need be stand up and rush from the outside linebacker spot.

Find a shutdown corner either in free agency, draft or trade

There aren’t many true shutdown corners in the game of football left. You have guys like Gilmore, White, Sherman on a good day and Peterson when fully healthy. You got guys like Humphrey and Ramsey who are young and doing it well too. But there isn’t a true shutdown cornerback for every team in the league. That’s what makes the need or want for one that much greater. The Colts have a good collection of corners now but if they have a true shutdown guy, then their secondary will be even better in all aspects of their game. The best thing for them to do in this case is sign, trade or draft a guy. There aren’t too many shutdown guys in free agency, but they can target guys like Jimmy Smith or James Bradberry. They could even draft a guy or two they feel like can come in and be a lockdown guy like AJ Terrell, Jeff Okudah, CJ Henderson, Kristian Fulton or Trevon Diggs. Yet, the best bet for them to obtain their guy this offseason is in a trade. I can really see them trading with the Lions for a second-round pick for Darius Slay. He will give them a lockdown corner for one side of the field allowing them to mix and match the rest of the guys around.

-By: Darren Braxton

Writer/Interviewer