The 2023 NFL trading period is now over. Dozens of trades — some in the roster-reshaping mold, others executed for depth purposes — ended up coming to pass. Since the NFL moved its trade deadline from Week 6 to Week 8 in 2012, trades have gradually become a more important part of the league’s roster builds.
An argument can be made the NFL should move its deadline deeper into the season, as the MLB, NBA and NHL deadlines come after the midpoint. The NFL moving to a 17-game/18-week slate in 2021, after 43 years at 16 games, also factors into this line of thinking. For now, the league will still force its buyers and sellers to assess their teams fully by Week 8.
To gauge the value of the moves teams have made, here are the trades completed across the league in 2023. (Note: only trades involving veteran players, as opposed to draft-weekend deals only involving picks, are listed here.)
January 31
- Broncos obtain Sean Payton‘s rights, 2024 third-round pick from Saints in exchange for 2023 first-round pick, 2024 second-rounder
The Saints chose defensive tackle Bryan Bresee at No. 29 overall
March 9
- Jets acquire S Chuck Clark from Ravens for 2024 seventh-round pick
March 10
- Bears send Panthers No. 1 overall pick in exchange for No. 9, No. 61, a 2024 first-rounder and 2025 second
The Panthers chose Bryce Young first overall; the Bears traded down from No. 9 to No. 19, drafting tackle Darnell Wright. Trading up from No. 61 to No. 56, Chicago chose cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
March 12
- Dolphins acquire CB Jalen Ramsey from Rams for 2023 third-round pick, TE Hunter Long
The Rams selected outside linebacker Byron Young at No. 77 overall
March 13
- Patriots trade TE Jonnu Smith to Falcons for 2023 seventh-round pick
New England selected defensive back Isaiah Bolden at No. 245
March 14
- Texans obtain G Shaq Mason, 2023 sixth-round pick from Buccaneers for 2023 seventh-rounder
Houston used the No. 230 pick in a package to trade up for center Juice Scruggs in Round 2; Tampa Bay packaged No. 179 to move up for guard Cody Mauch in Round 2
- Giants acquire TE Darren Waller from Raiders for third-round pick
At No. 100, the Raiders drafted wide receiver Tre Tucker
- Colts send CB Stephon Gilmore to Cowboys for 2023 fifth-round pick
The Colts selected running back Evan Hull at No. 176
March 20
- Cowboys give Texans 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 sixth-rounder for WR Brandin Cooks
The Texans used No. 161 to trade up for wide receiver Tank Dell
March 22
- Jets send WR Elijah Moore, No. 74 to Browns for No. 42
The Jets included No. 42 in the picks package sent to the Packers for Aaron Rodgers; the Browns chose wide receiver Cedric Tillman at No. 74
March 25
- Panthers deal K Zane Gonzalez, 2025 seventh-round pick to 49ers for 2025 seventh-rounder
April 11
- Falcons traded 2023 fifth-round pick to Lions for CB Jeff Okudah
The Lions packaged No. 159 to move up for defensive back Brian Branch in Round 2
April 18
- Rams send WR Allen Robinson, No. 251 to Steelers for No. 234
The Rams agreed to pay $5MM of Robinson’s 2023 salary. At No. 234, the Rams chose cornerback Jason Taylor II; at 251, the Steelers selected offensive lineman Spencer Anderson.
April 24
- Packers send QB Aaron Rodgers, Nos. 15, 170 to Jets for Nos. 13, 42, 207, conditional 2024 second-round pick
Rodgers needed to play 65% of the Jets’ 2023 offensive snaps for the 2024 pick to become a first-rounder; his Week 1 Achilles tear will prevent that from happening. At No. 13, the Packers chose pass rusher Lukas Van Ness; at 15, the Jets took defensive end Will McDonald. At Nos. 42 and 207, Green Bay respectively chose tight end Luke Musgrave and kicker Anders Carlson. The Jets moved down from No. 170, picking up an additional seventh-round pick.
April 29
- Lions deal RB D’Andre Swift, No. 249 to Eagles for No. 219, 2025 fourth-round pick
At No. 219, the Lions chose wide receiver Antoine Green; at 249, the Eagles selected defensive tackle Moro Ojomo
- Saints send TE Adam Trautman, No. 257 to Broncos for No. 195
The Saints chose wide receiver A.T. Perry at No. 195; the Broncos selected center Alex Forsyth at 257
May 12
- Browns send 2024, 2025 fifth-round picks to Vikings for DE Za’Darius Smith, 2025 sixth-, seventh-round picks
May 25
- Jaguars trade K Riley Patterson to Lions in exchange for conditional 2026 seventh-round pick
July 19
- Jets move WR Denzel Mims, 2025 seventh-round pick to Lions for conditional 2025 sixth-rounder
Mims needed to make the Lions’ 53-man roster for the pick to convey. With the Lions cutting Mims with an injury settlement in August, the Jets will not end up receiving a pick in this trade.
August 24
- Cardinals trade LB Isaiah Simmons to Giants for 2024 seventh-round pick
- Cardinals move OL Josh Jones, 2024 seventh-round pick to Texans in exchange for 2024 fifth-rounder
- Cardinals acquire QB Josh Dobbs, 2024 seventh-round pick from Browns for 2024 fifth-rounder
August 25
- Cowboys send 49ers 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for QB Trey Lance
August 27
- Patriots acquire OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr. from Browns in exchange for Pierre Strong
- Steelers send G Kevin Dotson, 2024 fifth-round pick, 2025 sixth-rounder to Rams for 2024 fourth-, 2025 fifth-round picks
- Vikings deal T Vederian Lowe to Patriots for 2024 sixth-round pick
August 28
- Chargers obtain 2025 seventh-round pick from Browns in exchange for K Dustin Hopkins
- Bears acquire G Dan Feeney from Dolphins in exchange for 2024 sixth-round pick
August 29
- Panthers obtain WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette, 2025 conditional seventh-round pick from Chiefs for 2025 conditional seventh
- Giants land DE Boogie Basham, 2025 seventh-round pick from Bills for 2025 sixth-rounder
- Saints send K Wil Lutz to Broncos for 2024 seventh-round pick
- Patriots deal K Nick Folk to Titans in exchange for 2025 seventh-round pick
- Chiefs acquire DL Neil Farrell from Raiders for 2024 sixth-round pick
- Steelers move OL Kendrick Green to Texans for 2025 sixth-round pick
- Cowboys send CB Kelvin Joseph to Dolphins in exchange for CB Noah Igbinoghene
- Broncos trade TE Albert Okwuegbunam to Eagles for 2025 sixth-round pick
September 20
- Rams shuttle RB Cam Akers, conditional 2026 seventh-round pick to Vikings for conditional 2026 sixth-round pick
Akers must tally more than 500 yards from scrimmage to meet the conditional requirement
October 4
- Chargers send CB J.C. Jackson, 2025 seventh-round pick to Patriots for 2025 sixth-rounder
October 6
- Dolphins obtain WR Chase Claypool, 2025 seventh-round pick from Bears for 2025 sixth-rounder
- Broncos deal DE Randy Gregory, 2024 seventh-round pick to 49ers for 2024 sixth-rounder
The Broncos agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum of Gregory’s 2023 base salary
October 10
- Rams trade WR Van Jefferson, 2025 seventh-round pick to Falcons for 2025 sixth-rounder
October 18
- Chiefs acquire WR Mecole Hardman, 2025 seventh-round pick from Jets for 2025 sixth-rounder
October 23
- Eagles trade 2024 fifth-, sixth-round picks, S Terrell Edmunds to Titans for S Kevin Byard
October 30
- Giants trade DL Leonard Williams to Seahawks for 2024 second-round pick, 2025 fifth-rounder
Giants agreed to pay all but the prorated veteran minimum on Williams’ remaining $10MM in base salary
- Eagles send DL Kentavius Street, 2025 seventh-rounder to Falcons for conditional 2024 sixth-rounder
Street must play in at least six games as a Falcon to meet the conditional requirement
October 31
- Bears acquire DE Montez Sweat from Commanders in exchange for 2024 second-round pick
- Cardinals send QB Joshua Dobbs, conditional 2024 seventh-round pick to Vikings for 2024 sixth-rounder
- Jaguars acquire G Ezra Cleveland from Vikings for 2024 sixth-round choice
- 49ers obtain DE Chase Young from Commanders in exchange for 2024 third-round pick
- Browns send WR Donovan Peoples-Jones to Lions in exchange for 2025 sixth-round pick
- Packers move CB Rasul Douglas, 2024 fifth-round pick to Bills for 2024 third-round choice
This felt like the year of Player plus a 7th for a 6th. Nice to see I wasn’t imagining it.
There were quite a few salary dumps this year. Shaq Mason, J.C. Jackson, Za’Darius Smith…I’d throw Byard in there, almost. Not much salary in his case, though.
And quite a few “disappointing but athletic” players hoping for a change of scenery.
“An argument can be made the NFL should move its deadline deeper into the season”
What’s the argument? I prefer that teams not be able to use late season trades to cement playoff positions that they would otherwise play themselves out of.
It creates more content on sites like this.
When was the last time a team cemented a playoff position at mid season? The league thrives on parity and even with two weeks remaining in the regular season there are usually still 10 or more conference teams in the playoff hunt. There’s a reason the league had to invent about a dozen tie breakers to sort out the log jam.
Edlemon – the Chiefs have all but cemented a division title, again
They’ve had a good 7 games but if they lost Mahomes or Kelce for the remainder of the season they could take a nose dive right out of the postseason action.
They already showed what can happen when Kelce isn’t playing…the got beat at home in the opening game of the season vs. the Lions. I can’t help but think that if he were active for that game, that the Chiefs would have beaten Detroit. No way to know for sure but it’s likely.
The passer-centric model the league has adopted places enormous pressure on a team keeping their starting QB healthy. If a Mahomes, Allen, Burrows, Lamar etc. misses a huge chunk of playing time then season will probably go down the drain. The Vikings are without both Jefferson and Cousins now so they might as well starting planning for next season.
My argument would be injuries happen all the time in the NFL. Moving a deadline to say week 12 or week 14 at least gives a contender time to make moves to compensate for that occurrence.
“OH no your star player who was healthy for 13 weeks but sustained a season ending injury week 14 and you can’t do anything about it”- kind of a gut punch for fans.
I’m sure someone can do an analysis of how many significant injuries to key players have occurred in the last 10 or so years after the trade deadline passed.
yawn
The Redskins/Commies were supposed to trade one of their DE, either Sweat or Young, not both. I would have preferred they kept Sweat and have managed a second for former defensive rookie of the year Young.
Yeah, trading Sweat made sense since they’re going to receive an incredibly high 2nd round choice in return. It was the right move when you can’t tag both Sweat and Young.
Trading Young for what will be a late 3rd seems foolish though. Even if they didn’t want to tag him, worse case they get a marginally lower comp pick when he leaves.
The Redskins/Commies didn’t pick up Young’s fifth year option. Apparently that makes him ineligible for compensatory picks. Which makes it all the better to get him out of town. Maybe keep Sweat but trade Young to Chicago for Chicago’s real third round pick (which would be a round and a half higher than a third round compensatory pick from San Fran.
Water under the bridge. Neither of the trades are awful. A team can always replace free agent players at about the same price. Neither Sweat nor Young are essential to the core of the Redskins/Commie team, except as talent.
Lions needed to find a support for Hutchinson.
Dick’s sells supporter for an unreasonable price.
You’re telling me the Jets couldn’t get Brissett for Bryce Hall?
Weak sauce
I am absolutely STUNNED that none of the click bait trade proposals landing every game changer at every position DIDN’T come to fruition.
I wish all these dopes who sit around dreaming up these ideas would get together on one single website and call it Ludicroustradeproposals.wtf
But seriously, I may need several weeks to come to terms with GB not re-acquiring Davante adams. I really believed it was going to happen…
Don’t be ridiculous. Gutekunst needs that pick for another first round corner
I obviously don’t care for the Packers but I give the organization credit for looking at the big picture and knowing when it’s time to move on. The Rodgers era is dead so they are ready to begin the next chapter. Belichick meanwhile is trying to squeeze into a time machine and go back to the future. It’s an easy trap for GMs and coaches to fall into but it seldom if ever works.
What makes you think all those sites aren’t owned and operated by the same couple people? The articles are all copy/paste and absurd.
I’m shocked the Chiefs stood pat at WR. I really thought they would go get a guy that could take pressure off the rest. It’s sad to say but they miss that from JuJu. Those 78 catches and 930+ yards go a long way.