With Frank Gore gone to Miami and Marlon Mack not quite ready to be the featured back, it's no secret that the Colts are in the market for a running back. This is considered a deep and talented running back draft class, but could the Colts fulfill their need via trade? Apparently, a surprise target could be in play for them: Bears RB Jordan Howard.
The second-year pro out of Indiana recently deleted all Bears-related posts from his Instagram account, and no one seems to know why.
Chicago holds the 8th overall selection, and if they're interested in moving up, the Colts widely believed to be open to trading down (again). A hypothetical trade scenario would be the Bears giving up the #8 and Howard for the Colts' #6 pick and then a later-round selection (#67? #104?). Giving up two spots and a third-rounder (or later) to nab a 23-year old starter would seem like a no-brainer for Indy.
All of that said, there has been no official word from the Bears or Colts that anything is in the works. It's unclear why Howard would be unhappy or why the Bears would want to deal him. He just wrapped up his second-straight 1,000-yard season, is under contract through the 2019 season, and is only owed about $1.4 million over that span. Howard is crazy productive and cheap, which are two very valuable assets for any player to have, so unless he's starting World War III over at Halas Hall, I don't see why the Bears would be really motivated to move the young running back. But, keep an eye on this situation.