Phew. Catch your breath yet?
What an absolutely WILD trade deadline. There used to be a time when the NFL deadline was nothing to write home about, with few players of consequence finding new homes. This year? Seemingly every major contender (for January 2023) and every rebuilding team (for the 2023 season) made some kind of move.
With so many moving parts, this whirlwind acquisition period is sure to have a demonstrative impact on this year’s playoff chase and many teams’ respective futures down the line.
From a few happy young quarterbacks to some veterans, more or less, being hung out to dry, let’s break down the biggest winners and losers of the 2022 NFL trade deadline.
Winners
Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence's futures
Before the complete madness of this deadline, one could’ve argued that Justin Fields and Trevor Lawrence were without a paddle in Chicago and Jacksonville, respectively.
In Fields’ case, even with recent promising performances, his No. 1 receiver was Darnell Mooney. Now, Mooney is a nice player, but no one would confuse him for a matchup problem or someone you have to worry about if they’re the only meaningful downfield option. With the addition of classic X receiver Chase Claypool, Fields has a real go-up-and-get-it target that can complement Mooney. What’s more, Claypool can develop some chemistry with Fields through the second half of 2022 as the Bears start preparations for genuine competition in 2023.
In Lawrence’s case, while the Jaguars went out and acquired Zay Jones and Christian Kirk in the offseason, no one would confuse either for being able to take the tops off a defense. Calvin Ridley, by contrast, is a bona fide game-breaker. He’s one of the purest speedsters and best route-runners in the NFL. We won’t see Lawrence throw to Ridley until next season because of the wideout’s sports betting-related suspension, but I think it’ll be worth the wait.
And with how things are shaking out now, Fields and Lawrence just might become the most successful quarterbacks of their 2021 draft class — as everyone (rightfully) expected. Tuesday was a major win for proper quarterback development and support.
People who are nostalgic for a classic Bills-Dolphins rivalry
The Bills are everyone’s Super Bowl favorites for a reason. Aside from the occasional sloppy finish or miscue, there’s a reason most folks in NFL circles see Josh Allen and Co. staking a claim on a berth in February 2023’s Big Game. Depth/versatile backfield additions like Nyheim Hines only make Buffalo a more polished heavyweight. Unfortunately for the Bills, their long-standing franchise mission to end a Super Bowl drought just got a lot harder with division rival Miami’s wheeling and dealing in the last moments of the deadline.
A complete edge defender like Bradley Chubb will boost the Dolphins and what was one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses on paper. It’ll slot 2021 first-rounder Jaelan Phillips in a more comfortable complementary position and let pass rushers like Melvin Ingram and Emmanuel Ogbah be the role players they are.
It’ll also help the Dolphins chase around Josh Allen and potentially close the gap on Buffalo. All-around edge dynamos like Chubb don’t grow on trees because they have a tremendous impact on elevating the rest of their unit. As long as Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle continue to do their thing on offense, Miami suddenly looks like one of the NFL’s more balanced teams. With the Dolphins already tripping the Bills up earlier this season, a heated December matchup between the two (the second of three? including playoffs?) just got a lot more intriguing on paper.
Yes, friends, it’s 1993 again!
Kirk Cousins' lifelong dream of doing anything relevant in January
At a glance, the NFC is the weakest it’s been in years. Frankly, we’re talking about a JV conference with maybe only one real contender in the undefeated Eagles. But if there’s a squad we might be sleeping on too much — a team that still only has one defeat — it’s the Minnesota Vikings.
I’m not sure that the Vikings expected to be the No. 1 contender to the Eagles’ NFC belt, but at the midseason point, that’s where they are. Strange, I know. They gave up a heck of a draft haul to nab T.J. Hockenson from the rival Lions, which will undoubtedly hurt the future. But the Vikings aren’t concerned about the future, and Hockenson’s one of football’s few actually good tight ends. And even if Kirk Cousins is a running joke to some, he should have little issue finding his big target in the middle of the field.
Pairing Hockenson with living nightmare Justin Jefferson on the outside is one of the better ideas anyone’s had in this league for a long time. It might manifest in a deep playoff run on talent alone for a quarterback notorious for letting his team down in big moments.
Speaking of that black and green majestic bird (elephant) in the room …
Howie Roseman and the Eagles' championship window
The Eagles didn’t have to make any major trade deadline acquisitions. They were probably going to coast to the NFC’s No. 1 seed and have not one but two (unofficial) byes with the state of the putrid conference.
But Howie Roseman — that front office magician who already brought Philadelphia its first-ever Super Bowl — knows when he sees an opening. After decades at the Eagles’ captain’s wheel, he knows opportunities to win the Super Bowl come and go like a flash in the pan. And some of the best teams bow out of the playoffs for the stupidest reasons.
Robert Quinn isn’t a superstar edge rusher by any means, but he’s a lot better than a mid-30s Brandon Graham and swing-rusher Josh Sweat. He sands over what might’ve been the Eagles’ only fundamental flaw — pass rush depth — and makes them look like a force of nature that maybe only a handful of teams can currently wrestle with.
If you can upgrade your potential Super Bowl ticket to first class with just a fourth-round pick, you snatch that chance in every single situation.
Losers
Aaron Rodgers' continued desperate pleas for, well, any help
In a normal season, with more quality across the board, the 3-5 Packers would already be done. Pack it up for next year. Start scouting and reading mock drafts. In this awful 2022 campaign, Green Bay is still very much in the thick of it for at least an NFC Wild Card spot.
That’s why Aaron Rodgers has to be quite frustrated that the green and gold didn’t add any legitimate receiving help. Aside from Rodgers’ general inconsistencies, the absence of a legitimate field tilter on the outside is probably the main reason the Packers offense has been mired in futility this year.
Oh wait, the NFL’s Goldilocks — of which everything is too hot or too cold no matter what — already took time to take some passive-aggressive shots at his front office:
Aaron Rodgers said on @PatMcAfeeShow: “I was kinda hoping there might be some (trade) news during this show we can break. … Not surprised to hear we were in on (Chase) Claypool and we’ll see what happens.” pic.twitter.com/e8rJ8qAMti
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) November 1, 2022
Another year, another deadline, and even more desperation from an aging, Super Bowl-hungry Rodgers as time wears on.
Brandin Cooks' escape from the rebuilding Texans
Of every significant piece reportedly available at the trade deadline, Cooks staying in Houston Texans is probably the biggest surprise. The 29-year-old has an attractive 1.5 years left on his contract and would probably have been best served to go to a contender while the rebuilding Texans recoup some picks.
Uh, that didn’t happen, and it doesn’t seem like Cooks was happy about it.
Don’t take a man’s kindness for granted. Covered for the lies for too long those days are done. Crossed the line with playing with my career 🏹
— Brandin Cooks (@brandincooks) November 1, 2022
There is a potential out built into Cooks’ deal this offseason, but he still more than likely won’t be on a team chasing a Super Bowl until he’s in his 30s. Buddy, I feel your pain. Imagine wasting your prime years as a dynamite player on a perennial bottom-five team with Davis Mills at quarterback.
A likely quiet end to the Rams' Super Bowl defense
Good offensive linemen are rare (maybe very rare), and they’re certainly almost never available at the trade deadline. So, in a way, the Rams had little to no chance of improving with any noteworthy deals amidst all the commotion.
But with the way other NFC contenders (the Eagles, Vikings, and 49ers) loaded up for the stretch run, it might be time to start eulogizing the defending champions. L.A. still has Sean McVay and a ton of excellent skill position talent. However, you won’t go anywhere in this league if you can’t block anyone. The Rams might have the NFL’s worst offensive line, especially for a supposed contender.
It might be time to pack it up for 2023 and hope for the best of what you can salvage the rest of this season in Southern California.
Prudent team-building and football fans who love parity
I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a deadline like this. Legitimate building blocks were tossed around from a few teams willing to admit defeat and look to the future, while others took a plunge at trying to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in 2023.
Is this the start of a new era? Where general managers are less cautious about making one or two phone calls to be genuine buyers (or sellers)? I think so, and it’s worth mentioning it wasn’t always this way. There was a time when the deadline had maybe one major shift of a player, and it certainly wasn’t on the caliber we saw traded on Tuesday. Part of that was Football People believing it was harder to transition to new schemes and cultures midseason (a silly thought; this game isn’t that hard). And part of that was, let’s be honest — Football People just being too flat-out conservative when building their rosters.
This new high level of trade activity is fantastic for the NFL’s future. In the years to come, more executives will likely be encouraged to stake a claim on a potentially deep playoff run by dealing picks they have no use for if it means astounding January success. Meanwhile, many rebuilds might be accelerated by the presence of more picks and more draft capital from veteran players who won’t help bad teams up off the mat.
The NFL is a better (and more interesting!) sports league when the people with keys to the car are willing to throw caution to the wind.
“This LEAGUE” has never been more applicable, and I, for one, am here for it.
