Colts' Zaire Franklin-Colby Wooden trade does not earn great grades
· Yahoo Sports
The Colts made their first offseason transaction Saturday, dealing former Pro Bowl linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Packers for defensive lineman Colby Wooden. Here is how the national media graded the move:
NFL.com: B-
The Colts sought to trade Franklin, the NFL’s leading tackler in 2024, in part to help get under the salary cap. It also felt like a move for a team that no longer viewed the veteran linebacker as a scheme-fit under Lou Anarumo.Turning 30 this summer, Franklin’s play stumbled in 2025 during Anarumo's first year as the team's defensive coordinator. He had a 13.2% missed tackle rate, per Next Gen Stats. The trade saves Indianapolis $7 million on the cap next season, and he’s due $9 million in 2027. Moving on from the middle linebacker opens a hole that the Colts will have to fill in either free agency or the draft. Indy could be forced to spend more on the market to plug the gap, but getting younger in the middle seems the priority.Wooden comes cheap, costing the Colts roughly $1 million this season for a rotational nose tackle who started 16 games in 2025. Thrust into a bigger role last season, he earned a career-high 50 tackles but also struggled for stretches, with a 15.3% missed-tackle rate. The 25-year-old highlighted the Packers' struggles stuffing the run last season. He should slide into a rotation with Grover Stewart in Indy, a role for which he’s more suited.In Green Bay, Franklin provides a veteran presence in the middle of a Packers' defense that is expected to lose Quay Walker in free agency. Franklin’s ability to command the D and stuff the run should help free Edgerrin Cooper to play a more versatile role. Green Bay is banking on Franklin returning to form after a down campaign. It wasn’t a steep price for the Packers if the vet continues to slide. Moving on from Wooden underscores Green Bay’s need to restock the middle of the defensive line in free agency and the draft this offseason.The swap is simply an initial step for both the Packers and Colts early in the offseason. How each fills the holes with the rest of their moves will color how this trade works out.
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ESPN: B
Two days after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Colts were seeking to deal Franklin in order to help get under the salary cap, Indianapolis found a trade partner in Green Bay. The Packers added Franklin via a player-for-player trade involving Wooden.
Franklin, who will turn 30 this summer, presumably will slot in next to Edgerrin Cooper at linebacker, with Quay Walker departing in free agency. Franklin's deal calls for $7 million in cash in 2026, which the Colts will save and the Packers will take on. His contract also includes a $9 million non-guaranteed salary in 2027.
Franklin is most known for his 2024 season in which he led the NFL in tackles (173). That's not a particularly great indicator of linebacker skill on its own and probably overstates his contribution that season, but he was certainly a solid player that year. His metrics took a step back last season. In 2025, Franklin's run stop win rate dropped to the 28th percentile (down from 59th the year prior), along with a 28th percentile tackle rate among linebackers and a worse-than-average missed tackle rate, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
There are a number of linebacker options in free agency, though many of them might end up being a few million more in salary. Franklin brings some risk if his play last season was a signal of decline, but if the Packers believe 2025 was an outlier, then he becomes a player who fills a need with a very reasonably priced contract.
Wooden is a nose tackle who played 52% of snaps for Green Bay last season. He figures to be a depth player for the Colts, who already have Grover Stewart at nose tackle. Wooden, a 2023 fourth-round pick, is in the last year of his contract, which will cost the Colts just over $1 million. Stewart is in the final year of his contract, too.
SI.com: B-
Trading Franklin allows the Colts to move off his $7 million salary and become cap compliant ahead of the new league year. The Colts still should clear up more cap space, but are in a better position after sending Franklin to Green Bay.In Wooden, the Colts add more depth along the defensive line and particularly for their run defense. Per PFF, Wooden ranked 92nd among 127 interior defenders, receiving a grade of 50.6 according to their metrics. After starting just one game over his first two NFL seasons, Wooden became a regular for the Packers in 2025 as he started 16 of 17 games. This move isn’t necessarily a game-changer for the Colts, but allows them to brush off Franklin’s salary with a promising young piece in Wooden, who recorded 50 total tackles and a pass breakup this past season. If Wooden doesn’t work out, he will become a free agent next offseason anyway.
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Grades for Colts' Zaire Franklin-Colby Wooden trade with Packers