The New England Patriots could use some help at running back. They should take advantage of Jonathan Taylor's drama with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jonathan Taylor just wants to be paid his worth, but that's unlikely to happen in Indy. A meeting between Jim Irsay and the star running back ended with Taylor demanding a trade out of Indianapolis. However, that's a little complicated at this juncture.
First, while just 24 years old, there are questions around Taylor's health. ESPN's Jonathan Holder reported that Taylor failed his Colts training camp physical and sustained a mysterious back injury the team wasn't previously aware of:
"Taylor failed his physical, the source said, because of a combination of a previous ankle injury for which surgery was performed earlier this year and the back injury. The team's medical staff had not previously discussed a back issue with Taylor, and the Colts were unaware of the problem until Taylor reported on Tuesday, the source said."
Taylor denied this report late on Sunday night on social media.
When healthy, Taylor is arguably the best running back in football. It's unclear right now whether he'll be ready for the start of the season, though, with the Colts hinting they could place him on the PUP list.
NFL Rumors: Would the Patriots trade for Colts RB Jonathan Taylor?
If it turns out this is all posturing from Irsay, then yes, most teams would love a healthy Taylor atop their depth chart. New England, for one, could use some help at running back. Prior to reports about his injury status, the asking price for Taylor was thought to be "an early-round draft pick."
With that in mind, here is what a trade for Taylor would look like, assuming his medicals are clear AND New England has an open mind about signing him to a long-term extension.
While the running back market is depreciating fast, Taylor is young enough to make a decent dime on an extension. If the Pats were to sign him now, for example, it would offer them some assurance that Taylor wouldn't fall of a cliff on the back end of his deal. Running backs tend to struggle after the age of 28.
A second-round pick is on the high end for Taylor, but if the Patriots need help at the position anyway, this is theoretically a pick they would use to stabilize the ground game. Are they really going to pick a player better than Taylor?
