The NFL trade deadline has trended upward in recent years, and Tuesday resembled — to some degree, at least — the frenzy the NBA or MLB deadlines bring. In the days leading up to Tuesday’s record-setting deadline sequence — a 10-trade day — other teams improved their situations as well.
Although the Broncos received the only first-round pick exchanged during this year’s in-season trade cycle, the 49ers came away with the splashiest addition. San Francisco showed off its Christian McCaffrey move against their rivals and second-place CMC finishers Sunday, with the versatile back joining Walter Payton and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only backs to complete the rush-catch-throw touchdown triple.
On the other end of that deal, the Panthers collected four draft picks for McCaffrey and two from the Cardinals for Robbie Anderson. Carolina now has two additional Day 2 choices from the McCaffrey swap, though the retooling team is believed to have passed on a Rams offer of two first-round picks for edge rusher Brian Burns. Was that the right call? Because the Rams could not acquire McCaffrey or Burns, they ended up as odd bystanders during an action-packed deadline.
The Dolphins sent the 49ers a fifth-rounder for Jeff Wilson, reuniting him with ex-San Francisco OC Mike McDaniel, but Bradley Chubb was Miami’s deadline prize. Seven months after they sent a first-rounder and change to the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins became the first team since the 2019 Chiefs (Frank Clark) to send over a Round 1 pick for an edge defender. Chubb (5.5 sacks) will step in to take over as Miami’s pass-rushing anchor, while the Broncos obtained more than they did for Von Miller‘s one-time sidekick than they did for the future Hall of Famer. Denver, which collected first- and fourth-rounders and Chase Edmonds in this blockbuster, now has a 2023 first-round choice after previously being without first- or second-rounders next year due to the Russell Wilson trade.
The Bears vacillated between buyers and sellers over the past several days, unloading Ryan Pace-era defensive investments Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith but adding Chase Claypool. Chicago picked up second- and fifth-round picks from Baltimore for Smith but sent its own second to Pittsburgh for Claypool, beating out Green Bay’s offer of a Round 2 choice for the 238-pound wideout. The Bears, who still have a 2023 sixth-rounder left over from the Khalil Mack trade, will have three additional draft choices because of their activity this week.
Pittsburgh did well to obtain a second for Claypool, who turned out to carry considerable value on the market. Known aficionados of Day 2 wideouts, the Steelers can replenish their receiver cadre — or add in other areas — with two second-rounders next year.
Although the Browns nabbed Deion Jones in October for a low cost, the Ravens’ Smith addition headlined the AFC North’s moves. The Ravens had attempted to keep C.J. Mosley in 2019 and made Bobby Wagner a big offer this year. GM Eric DeCosta has his acclaimed linebacker now. Though, the Ravens could be faced with an interesting offseason predicament. They have now acquired a contract-year standout ahead of a franchise tag window in which Lamar Jackson will be expected to receive the tag.
Chicago’s Claypool addition was not the most interesting NFC North move. Due to the scarcity of intra-division trades, the Lions’ decision to send T.J. Hockenson‘s through-2023 contract to the Vikings may linger for a while. While most teams prefer to send key players out of the conference, or at least out of their division, Detroit — which partnered with Minnesota on April’s Jameson Williams trade-up — collected second- and third-round picks for Hockenson and multiple Day 3 choices. The Vikings will return to Detroit with Hockenson Dec. 11 and should be expected to discuss an extension with the Pro Bowl pass catcher, who will team with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen on the 6-1 squad.
The Bills made two pre-deadline moves, acquiring Nyheim Hines and reuniting with safety Dean Marlowe, while the Falcons added a player (cornerback Rashad Fenton) and dealt away two (Marlowe, Calvin Ridley). Jacksonville’s move qualifies as one of the most unique in recent NFL history, with Ridley suspended for gambling but also now part of a trade that could send a second-rounder to Atlanta if the once-promising receiver re-signs with the Jaguars. Ridley, who totaled 1,374 receiving yards in 2020, could be an interesting piece in the Jags’ Christian Kirk-led receiving corps. But he will apply for reinstatement next year having not played since midway through the 2021 season.
How much will the Chiefs pickup of injury-prone but electric wideout Kadarius Toney move the needle? Will the Jets’ James Robinson get do enough to fill the Breece Hall void? What team improved its situation the most during this year’s leadup to the deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
I can tell you who did the worst.
green bay.
fire gute please.
Gut needs to stay as long as possible. The mvp is happy with management. Thats all that matters.
More like who Farted best.
Not the comment we want, but probably the comment we deserve.
This gets a bit tricky because some teams are just looking for short term gains while others are taking a longer view. I think the Panthers could be the big winners if all that draft capital they acquired is used wisely but with Tepper as owner that becomes a big if.
Its always a big if. The positive is that the Panthers have an owner willing to make changes and take risks for the betterment of the team. The last owner made very, very few moves to help the team be better.
I don’t know if that’s a positive. Tepper’s lack of patience and desire to bulldoze his way through intricacies do not set the Panthers up for any of his moves to be successful. He has a long way to go to top Richardson’s accomplishments, which by themselves are not really top ten in the league.
49ers and Dolphins definitely made the largest investments, and I think they did the best job of attempting to shore up their rosters for an extended playoff run.
Jeff Wilson Jr. is a very underrated dual threat RB, and he’s already likely very familiar with the Dolphins blocking schemes and their playbook.
Then, they also upgraded their pass rush by acquiring Chubb who is in the top 5 when it comes to win rate %. He might even be in the top 3, I’m not 100% positive though.
The 49ers acquired CMC who is a dynamic offensive do it all weapon, and when he’s healthy he’s one of the most productive players in the NFL. He looks healthy, and he should give them a huge boost alongside their previous lead back, Elijah Mitchell, who is due to come back from his own injury.
With the 49ers FINALLY getting healthy on both sides of the ball, and with the addition of CMC they quickly have positioned themselves to make a significant run after their bye week..
It’ll be interesting to see how these moves impact their teams and their respective races..
Chubb has had his share of injuries in his short career; I think the Dolphins gave way too much for him
Chubb is a great player at a premium position and he’s only 26. Those type of players are very hard to find and are therefore worth a great deal.
Giving up what will probably be a pretty late 2023 1st rounder and a 2024 4th rounder while unloading Chase Edmonds salary actually seems pretty fair.
And, they are going to sign Chubb to an extension so this is a long-term move.
Does Chubb have an injury history? Yes. But this is football which is a violent sport. Injuries are part of the deal and a risk for any player.
Lastly, Miami’s pass rush has been a glaring weakness this year and now they have two young studs on the edge for years to come.
Panthers for getting anything of remote value for CMC.
steelers got similar return for Chase Claypool
Panthers will still be paying CMC dead cap for years to come .. wouldn’t say they did great
8 million this year and 18 million next year. that’s not a long time.
for 18 mil I woulda kept him
The Panthers fared best. Their offense is still playing well and they have 4 new higher level draft picks.
1. Carolina Panthers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Philadelphia Eagles
Can’t decide where to put the Dolphins. They improved the most, but I think they overpaid.
CMC is small and is usually going to miss 6 to 10 games a season, most seasons.
2nd round pick for Claypool is a steal.
they drafted him r2 and never lived up to that draft position
steelers also added a pro bowl corner for the long run
While I am a little less excited by Jackson, it cost little to try him. Claypoll trade was the biggest steal of all these trades, with Pittsburgh the obvious winner.
Way too soon to call the Claypool trade a “steal”. Poles knows that the WR FAs look weak next off season and he made a calculated move. It won’t be til we see how Claypool performs with Fields over time and what the Steelers do with that pick that we can judge. Let’s touch base this time next year.
What year did Jackson make the Pro Bowl? I assume that’s who you’re referring to. He’s 30 and will be nothing but a extra defender. Still carries 15 million on his contract. Not worth that
Bears got Claypool.
Vikings got Hockenson.
Detroit got draft picks.
Green Bay got the ol’ middle finger, we were in on some guys to the end, we like the core of receivers we got BS.
They could have Jerry Rice in his prime and that defense would still screw them over.
I voted 9ers. Playmakers win big games and they got the best player that changed teams in deadline season.
CMC is obv an njury risk but it’s football so realistically everyone is a risk. If they keep him around 15 touches a game he could put them over the top come playoff time.
The worst possible thing happened last year when the Rams went all in, trading away their future for in some cases rental players like baseball does & it worked. They’re already sinking this year with not much draft capital for a few years. Was it worth it? Possibly, if one SB win is worth potentially a decade of mediocrity.
Now the 49ers are fast following in their footsteps, trading draft capital 3 years out for right now. Looks like the Dolphins may be headed that way also, although they haven’t even won a playoff game in forever. Denver tried & looks to have failed. The Colts as well, albeit it to a lesser degree. I am of the belief that the way to build a consistent winner is through the draft. Most cost effective & lasts the longest in terms of winning. High priced FA & trade pickups rarely work out.
Except the Niners have their core players all locked up for 3 or more seasons. The Rams just threw money away again to move the salary cap problem down the road for a few years. This upcoming draft is the wasted one for the Niners. After that, they have all their picks back. They weren’t going to draft anybody this year that was going to start anyway, Two totally different situations between the Niners and Rams.
What do they do at quarterback? Are the Deebo and Bosa contracts reflected on not having Jimmy G? They may not have the money to sign him
The 49ers are currently about 7 million under the cap for 2023. They can restructure Williams, Kittle and McCaffrey’s deals and make 38 million extra in cap space.
As far as I know, Trey Lance will be the starter next season again. He didn’t really have much to show for this year in terms of playing time.
Top priority is to re-sign Bosa to a long term deal. A new deal could open up more space so his 2023 base salary isn’t 17.85 million. After that, shore up the offensive line at Left Guard, Center and Right Tackle.
I don’t think it’s the biggest move, but the Vikings picked up Hockenson for almost nothing. Getting two picks back from Detroit for a young and talented player who was a high pick is rather good. They basically moved down in the draft and gained a possible long term player at tight end, and took him from a division rival.
If Hockenson does not work out, they’re not down any selections, those selections are just lower (and if one fourth round pick is used on a tight end for some reason, I think we can say that it’s a fair slot to pick one). The Vikings made the most efficient move in my opinion, with very little loss and a potentially long term gain if it works out.
2nd and 3rd round pick is nothing?
they got some mud rounds back , but they def paid a pretty hefty price for Hock
Not really, considering that Detroit had to send two fourths to get those picks. They didn’t get more, they just moved up. It’s not bad to move up in the draft, but considering the hole they now have at TE, you figure that one of those picks will be invested there at some point. I don’t think that Detroit moved the needle that much, but Minnesota got a young player who could be good without losing much ground, and took him away from a rival.
Using the Overthecap.com draft trade value chart, let’s use extremes. Vikings win Super Bowl this year and Lions finish last to get 1st overall.
R2P64=892, R3P96=687 – Total 1579 to Detroit
R4P97=682 x 2 – Total 1364 to Minnesota
Explosive/Often Injured TE to Minnesota
$9.3M 2023 Cap Space Cleared for Detroit
Certainly if Minnesota does win the SB this year it will absolutely be worth it. For Detroit, that $9.3M cap space clearing for 2023 has the highest value.
The vikings can’t beat the Eagles haahahaha
I agree with you, AFK. I think it was a fantastic trade for Minnesota. First, I don’t even look at the 2024 picks. The Vikings pick will probably be a high 3rd and the Lions pick a low 4th. It’s a couple spot difference, which is basically a wash.
So they essentially traded a 2nd rounder for Hockenson and a 4th this coming draft. That’s a great trade, especially if Minnesota wins a SB because of it.
Detroit isn’t anybody’s rival. Maybe for the first 4 games of the season
Just their own.
Washington….
They appear to be gaining major changes at the top of the food chain.
Although you know the old saying… Better the devil you know then the devil you don’t.
Panthers have some good picks coming their way but they need to draft smart and not waste any on complimentary pieces.
Somebody needs to tell these idiots that the Bears already traded the 6th they got for Mack. THEY HAVE NO 6th ROUND PICK IN 2023. Please do some research. Besides you can’t even remotely consider who did the best at the deadline until the Playoffs. Dumb Poll.
Sorry. Pace( The gift that keeps on giving), Traded the Bears 2023 6th rounder to the Dolphins for Jakeem Grant, Because you know that was the Bears biggest need at the time( Really?) . Then, Poles got the Chargers 6th rounder in 2023 for Mack. Which he then traded back to them for the 2 7th rounders they had in 2022. That he used on Gill and Hicks. My bad. Long story short, They don’t have a 6th round pick in 2023. Yet. To Sam Robinson, Whoever he is( Or She maybe) , I’ll do it for you.
As a Dolphins fan, not really a huge fan of Chubb. Could have had two first round picks, now they have zero. But This was a team who essentially swapped minkah for Austin Jackson so picks are never a sure thing. Can’t hate them for really going for it
getting a proven pass rusher with age on his side is no easy task.
they didn’t get a bargin, but I wouldn’t call it an overpay.
Massive overpay lol.
nah you just don’t understand how pass rushers are valued
Ravens getting smith is soooo underrated given there defense was lacking a clutch shut down guy that would have stopped the 3 comeback loses that would otherwise make us 8-0