Many blockbuster trades went down before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline.
The Commanders traded their two standout edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat to get a head start on the many changes that are expected with new team ownership. But, surprisingly, only one went to a contending team.
Chicago probably would have been better off staying quiet for the league’s trade deadline, but it at least drastically improved its defensive front with Sweat.
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As for the contending teams, the race for the NFC West took several turns this week, with the Seahawks landing Leonard Williams before being overshadowed by the 49ers acquiring Young to pair with Nick Bosa.
But many contending teams, including the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs, were too scared to make a move on Halloween. (Sorry, I had to make one Halloween reference.)
Here are our trade deadline winners and losers.
Winners
Seahawks
Seattle didn’t acquire interior defensive lineman Leonard Williams to address immediate needs. It made the splash move to push the 49ers’ cast of skill players. It was a move for depth on the defensive line, similar to what the Cowboys have amassed, and a decision made to match the Eagles’ toughness in the trenches.
The Seahawks went all in with hopes of making a deep postseason run in the NFC. With a new-look defensive line, Seattle is well-equipped to face those aforementioned teams—it also plays the 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles between Weeks 12 and 15.
Seattle paid a hefty price after sending 2024 second-round and ’25 fifth-round picks to the Giants for Williams, the former Pro Bowler in the final year of his contract. But the pros outweigh the cons for this notable move. (The Giants are paying the bulk of Williams’s remaining $10 million salary for this season.)
Williams doesn’t primarily play on the edge, but he’s a quality pass rusher on the interior, similar to what Dre’Mont Jones has provided during his first season in Seattle. Both players will help fill the void of edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu, who recently suffered a season-ending pectoral injury. The team also has second-round standout Boye Mafe, and it recently signed Frank Clark.
The Seahawks also have playmakers with linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks, and cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon. This defense is loaded and primed for a deep postseason run.
49ers
San Francisco one-upped Seattle after sending a 2024 third-round selection to Washington for Young, the No. 2 pick in the ’20 draft.
With a three-game losing streak, the 49ers needed to make a move to keep pace with the Seahawks in the NFC West. More importantly, this move was made to potentially make life difficult for Seattle’s Geno Smith, Dallas’s Dak Prescott, Detroit’s Jared Goff and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts in playoff games come January.
Young, a pending free agent, might just be a rental, but that’s O.K. for a star-studded team that has come up short the past few seasons. He is in the midst of a bounce-back season after dealing with injuries the past two years. He has five sacks, nine QB hits and a 79.7 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus.
But I won’t give the Niners too much credit for this splash move. They already had Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead and Randy Gregory, and, so far, the defensive line has been a disappointment. But you have to give GM John Lynch credit for addressing an issue and ensuring this defensive front is on point come the postseason.
They do have issues offensively with Brock Purdy, but that unit should be fine once Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams return to the field. The real issues were on the defensive side.
Commanders
The Commanders haven’t had much to brag about for a long time besides having one of the best defensive lines in the NFL.
Most teams would love to have Sweat and Young at edge rusher, and Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne at defensive tackle. But Washington hasn’t won many games with this defensive front, and it was time to break up this loaded group to improve other areas on the roster.
The Commanders gained a 2024 second-round pick from the Bears, a selection that will probably end up being a top-40 pick.
Sweat is still a productive player, but he was on the final year of his deal and this team has too many needs to keep using the bulk of their salary cap on the defensive line. Payne and Allen are both making $14 million-plus annually. As for Young, he was probably too risky to re-sign due to his lengthy history with injuries.
Now Washington can use the second-round pick from Chicago and the third-rounder from San Francisco to improve the secondary and offensive line, two areas that have caused many issues this season. But the biggest priority for Washington is finding a franchise quarterback. Sam Howell, who has been sacked 41 times, isn’t the answer.
Perhaps that extra Day 2 pick will come in handy if the Commanders see an opportunity to trade up for a quarterback.
Giants
The Giants also won the trade involving Williams because they added a valuable second-round pick and finally began rebuilding the roster GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll inherited last year.
It’s impressive how much Schoen got in return for a 29-year-old player with a few months remaining on his deal, and a player they likely weren’t going to re-sign after giving Dexter Lawerence a four-year, $90 million contract extension. Essentially, the Giants agreed to pay $9.4 million of Williams’s salary for Seattle’s 2024 second-round pick.
We also can’t forget how realistic the Giants have been since Schoen and Daboll arrived. They won games last year, but they knew how many holes their roster had and have been sellers instead of buyers the past two seasons. (The Giants traded wide receiver Kadarius Toney to Kansas City for a third-round pick in 2022.)
New York (2–6) likely won’t be heading back to the postseason this year. The Giants can finally prioritize adding younger players to rebuild this roster.
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Eagles
Of course, the Eagles are listed under “winners” for this trade deadline story. They have GM Howie Roseman.
Roseman filled a need in the secondary and improved the Eagles’ odds of winning a Super Bowl after convincing the Titans to trade former All-Pro safety Kevin Byard in exchange for 2024 fifth- and sixth-round draft picks, and safety Terrell Edmunds. You don’t need me to tell you which team got fleeced in that trade.
The Eagles’ secondary continued to struggle during Byard’s debut Sunday. Philadelphia allowed 397 passing yards and four touchdowns passes to Howell in the 38–31 win over the Commanders. But Byard was added to make a difference in the postseason. As long as the Eagles (7–1) continue to win regular-season games, they can afford a few downfield throws per game while Byard gets acclimated to a new scheme.
Stud wide receiver A.J. Brown said he told Byard he’s a winner now after the two former Titans reunited in Philadelphia. Yes, he is, as the new starting safety for the team with the best record in the NFL.
Bills
The Bills (5–3) finally addressed their needs in the secondary after acquiring cornerback Rasul Douglas a few minutes before the deadline. Buffalo reportedly sent a third-round pick to Green Bay and also got back a fifth-rounder.
With Tre’Davious White out for the season, the Bills needed to make a move to help their defense, which has struggled after a wave of injuries. Buffalo has also lost All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones.
Douglas, who has 57 career starts and 96 games of experience, has had a productive 2023 season in seven games with the Packers.
Losers
Bears
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Someone needs to remind the Bears (2–6) they’re not a contending team, something they haven’t been in a long time.
Yes, the Bears desperately need pass rushers with a league-low 10 sacks this season. But why didn’t Chicago just wait for Sweat to become a free agent to sign him in the offseason?
Here’s another idea: Chicago could have just kept its second-round pick to draft an edge rusher before giving it to Washington for Sweat. A cheaper alternative than re-signing Sweat on the franchise tag or a long-term contract extension.
Sweat has been one of the most consistent edge rushers (35.5 career sacks) since entering the league as a 2019 first-round pick, but he has never been named a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro.
I understand the Bears will have two high first-round picks, including the one they gained from the Panthers, but this roster is in no position to trade away a second-round pick for the second consecutive trade deadline. GM Ryan Poles whiffed on the Chase Claypool move last year. He sent Claypool, along with a 2025 seventh-round pick, to the Dolphins earlier this month in exchange for a ’25 fifth-round selection.
For strange reasons, the Bears have taken the quick-fix route with their lackluster roster. Poles splurged on linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards in free agency, and the team still has one of the worst defenses in the league.
Titans
I wonder whether the Titans blocked Roseman’s number after they realized they should have asked for more for Byard. They probably should have realized that a long time ago, especially with how dominant Brown has played since the Titans traded the Pro Bowl wideout to Philadelphia.
The Titans could have acquired more draft picks for running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins—definitely better than two 2024 Day 3 picks they got in the Byard trade. But the Titans decided to keep both veteran playmakers, which doesn’t make sense for a franchise in need of younger talent.
Tennessee might have something in rookie quarterback Will Levis after his sensational starting debut against the Falcons last week. But I doubt the Titans (3–4) will make the postseason in a competitive AFC with the trio of Levis, Henry and Hopkins. I get that coach Mike Vrabel is too competitive to give up on the season, but it’s time to move on from his veteran core group in Tennessee.
Also, the Titans missed an opportunity to trade Ryan Tannehill to Minnesota or another quarterback-needy team for possibly a Day 2 pick. But then again, this is the same franchise that decided to keep Tannehill on the books instead of releasing him to save $27 million on the salary cap and went out to sign Hopkins as if it were a contender in the AFC.
Lions and Cowboys
The Lions and Cowboys might have lost ground in the NFC after the moves the 49ers, Seahawks and Eagles made before the trade deadline.
Detroit, however, wasn’t quiet after acquiring wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Browns, who required only a 2025 sixth-round selection.
The Lions have the offensive line to take shots downfield with Peoples-Jones, Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown against the stout defensive lines of Seattle, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas. But Detroit probably should have prioritized the defensive side, especially the secondary. The Lions could have also used another edge rusher to help Aidan Hutchinson.
The Cowboys have played well defensively after a few rough weeks adjusting without cornerback Trevon Diggs, who tore his ACL earlier this season. But the Cowboys are in need of offensive line help and another running back to complement Tony Pollard.
Broncos
Surprisingly, the Broncos didn’t have the fire sale many expected.
Wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, safety Justin Simmons, and cornerback Patrick Surtain II all remained in Denver. Perhaps the Broncos changed their mind after defeating the Chiefs for the first time since 2015.
Sean Payton and the Broncos needed a teardown to finally rebuild a roster that has taken many steps back since the trade for Russell Wilson.
Chiefs
The Chiefs didn’t use the upset loss to the Broncos as a wake-up call. Perhaps they should have because they’re in need of help at wide receiver.
Kansas City will likely be fine and in the mix for another Super Bowl, but the AFC is crowded with the surging Bengals, Jaguars, Ravens and Dolphins. It’s tough to ding the defending champions for standing pat, but the AFC is now up for grabs with no clear front-runner.
Vikings
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This might be harsh, but trading for Joshua Dobbs won’t do much to help the Vikings make the postseason.
Minnesota (4–4) was in a tough position to continue being competitive after losing Kirk Cousins for the season after he tore his Achilles against the Packers last week. Dobbs will add depth at quarterback and could help with the development of rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison.
But this team would have been better off being a seller at the trade deadline. Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith would have netted more than the sixth-round pick the Vikings got for trading offensive guard Ezra Cleveland to the Jaguars.
The Vikings do deserve credit, though, for not being aggressive in their pursuit of adding another quarterback—they plan on starting fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall against the Falcons on Sunday. They sent a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Cardinals for Dobbs and also received a seventh-rounder in return.
Chargers
The Chargers thought they were getting one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL when they signed J.C. Jackson to a five-year, $82.5 million contract ($40 million guaranteed) in the offseason of 2022.
A year later, the Chargers paid Jackson to return to New England in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a ’25 fifth-round pick. Los Angeles is paying the bulk of Jackson’s guaranteed money.
It quickly went south for Jackson in L.A.. He frequently got torched downfield in the few games he played for the Chargers. He missed most of the 2022 season with a knee injury. He managed to return for the start of this season, but he continued to be a liability in coverage and reportedly had rifts with the coaching staff.
The Chargers might have hoped for an addition-by-subtraction scenario by sending Jackson back to Bill Belichick, but Brandon Staley’s secondary continues to be among the worst in the NFL.
Rams
The Rams’ two second-round picks from the 2020 draft were shipped off earlier this season.
First, the Rams traded running back Cam Akers and a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a conditional ’26 sixth-round pick. That was followed by L.A. sending wide receiver Van Jefferson and a ’25 seventh-round draft pick to the Falcons for a ’25 sixth-round draft pick.
As you can tell, the Rams got very little back for two players who were expected to contribute a lot more under Sean McVay’s guidance. Also, the Rams are set on keeping their draft picks in this new phase with GM Les Snead, but those late draft picks might not do much to help in the near future.
