Jonathan Taylor landing spots: 3 teams that should make aggressive trade offer for Colts RB 

The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly allowed Jonathan Taylor to seek a trade. It’s an unfortunate development for what started as a promising partnership between the two parties. Taylor has been productive during his first two seasons, especially in 2021, when he led the league in rushing yards.

But the relationship between Taylor and the Colts plummeted as a by-product of the devalued running back market. Indianapolis even wanted to put him on the non-football injury list, giving them room to void his 2023 salary.

Now that the Colts are giving him a way out, here are three teams that would benefit from trading for the All-Pro running back:

3 teams that make the most sense as landing spots for Jonathan Taylor

#1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have elite weapons surrounding quarterback Baker Mayfield. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans went over 1,000 receiving yards last season and combined for nine touchdowns. However, they could use some help in the backfield, especially after finishing last in rushing yards per game (76.9) in 2022.

Tampa Bay has Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn on their prospective depth chart at running back. Adding Jonathan Taylor adds another dimension to their offensive attack that opponents must respect. But for a trade to happen, the Buccaneers will likely trade one of their stalwarts on defense.

#2. Buffalo Bills need someone like Jonathan Taylor

The Bills finished seventh in rushing yards per game (139.5) last season. Advancing the chains through their ground attack helped them get ranked second in points per game (28.4).

However, a deep dive into their rushing yards reveals that quarterback Josh Allen was second in rushing yards last year (762) behind Devin Singletary (819).

Singletary isn’t with the Bills anymore. Meanwhile, Buffalo must minimize Allen’s scrambling to reduce injury risks. Buffalo has James Cook, Damien Harris, and Latavius Murray as their projected backfield unit.

But for a team that has sniffed to a Super Bowl stint over the last three seasons, the running game has been their weak point. Adding Jonathan Taylor could get them over the hump.

#3. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins were identified as one of the potential landing spots for Dalvin Cook. Instead, the former Minnesota Vikings running back signed with the New York Jets. They have another chance to land a premiere player in Jonathan Taylor.

Miami doesn’t have any problems in the passing game, thanks to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. But they could bolster a backfield rotation with Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., and De’Von Achane.

Plugging in Taylor also protects Tua Tagovailoa from precarious situations of holding to the ball longer, making him a target of opposing pass rushers.