The Indianapolis Colts are preparing to end their four-year playoff drought.
They've spent the offseason aggressively adding to both sides of the ball, especially when it comes to the defense under new coordinator Lou Anarumo.
With the former Cincinnati Bengals coach taking over the defensive side of the ball, the Colts could look to address one of their bigger needs by acquiring a defender with 88 starts under Anarumo's scheme.
In proposing one final move for every NFL team, Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron believes the Colts should look into a trade for Bengals star linebacker Germaine Pratt.
"Outside of Zaire Franklin, the Colts have very little starting experience in their linebacking corps. New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo could target the captain of his former defense in Cincinnati, Germaine Pratt," Cameron wrote. "The veteran linebacker is technically still under contract, but the writing is on the wall that he will be cut or traded this summer. The price to trade for Pratt would likely be minimal, or the Colts could take their chances following his release. While Pratt’s modest grading profile (60.5 PFF overall grade in 2024) doesn’t excite, his knowledge of Anarumo’s scheme should.
The Colts could lean on second-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies to fill the WILL void left by E.J Speed, who signed with the Houston Texans in free agency.
The former third-round pick set career-high marks in tackles (143), solo tackles (80) and defensive stops, according to Pro Football Focus. However, he also struggled a bit in coverage, allowing a 103.5 passer rating and career-high three touchdowns on 79 targets.
According to Spotrac, Pratt has one year remaining on the three-year, $20.3 million deal he signed ahead of the 2023 season. He has a $7.9 million cap hit for the 2025 campaign, but the Colts would be on the hook for $5.7 million.