NFL Trade Deadline Aftermath

The NFL trade deadline has come to an end. There were 8 trades today, which is tied for the second most in history. More than 25 players have been traded since the beginning of the season, so let's breakdown some of the most impactful moves, and some moves that probably should have happened at the deadline.

Jets Trade Away Key Defensive Stars

Jets fans, look away. It was clear that Gang Green was going to be sellers at the deadline after a miserable 1-7 start. But the scale and pieces moved are ones that no one saw coming. To start, the Jets shipped away Michael Carter II and a seventh-round pick to the Eagles for John Metchie III and a sixth. Carter is the top paid slot in the NFL, and he goes to a Super Bowl Contender in the Philadelphia in need of help in the secondary. But the Jets didn't stop unloading in the secondary. In an absolute blockbuster deal, the Jets ship off Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two first-rounders, and AD Mitchell. Sauce is one of the better young corners in the league who recently received an extension with the Jets and now lands on a Colts team with a shocking 7-2 record, despite having one of the worst secondaries in the league. But the Jets didn't stop there, as the Dallas Cowboys would soon come calling.

Cowboys Upgrade the Defense

After a loss to the Arizona Cardinals last night, Jerry Jones was cryptic in whether or not the Cowboys would be active at the trade deadline or not with the team having one of the worst defenses in the league. Immediately after these comments, it was announced that Dallas would be acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals. Wilson has been one of the leaders of an equally subpar Bengals defense, so while Wilson has shown his talent despite the defenses struggles, it was a head scratcher as to why the Cowboys would make such a move. But then, seeing the Jets shipping off major pieces, the Cowboys would make a major move in acquiring Quinnen Williams for Mazi Smith, a second round pick this year, and a first round pick next year. Quinnen is one of the premier run stopping defensive tackles in the league, with solid upside in the pass rush. He and Wilson should help Dallas with stopping the run, but their assistance in pass coverage and pass rush will be a question moving forward.

Veteran Receivers on the Move

Despite all the different trades made throughout the season, only six of the players traded were on the offensive side of the ball. And while Joe Flacco has helped out the Bengals offense, not many others have moved the needle that much. The only two that can be considered in this is Jakobi Meyers and Rashid Shaheed. Meyers was traded from a struggling Raiders team to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth and sixth-round pick. The move made sense for both sides, as the Raiders are looking to get younger on the offensive side of the ball, and the Jaguars were in need of receiver depth after injuries to Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter. Meanwhile in the NFC, the Saints completed a trade to send Rashid Shaheed to Seattle for a fourth and fifth round selection. Another trade that makes sense, as Seattle gets a field stretching receiver to complement their passing attack, and New Orleans gets some more draft capital as they look to start their rebuild.

Who Should've Been Traded?

There are a couple different players that I'm stunned weren't traded. I'll start with the obvious, Breece Hall. The Jets traded away their young defensive superstars who could've been cornerstones for years to come. So, with the Jets clearly having ambitions to build towards the future, why keep Hall? He's a phenomenal running back talent, but his position has one of the shortest shelf lives in the league. So, there's a good chance that by the time the Jets are ready to begin competing again, Hall will be past his prime. Another name is Jaylen Waddle. There are several teams that were interested in getting a wideout at the trade deadline, and Waddle was the best name on the market. And with Miami looking like they might need to undergo a rebuild (as shown by their earlier trade of Jaelen Phillips to the Eagles for a third-round pick), it's interesting why they wouldn't trade Waddle away with many teams presumably willing to pay to get him. Finally, I'm surprised by the lack of trades for offensive lineman. Contending teams such as the Texans, Patriots, and Chargers were in desperate need of upgrades up front. But the only trade to come was a trade between the Chargers and Saints for Trevor Penning at the deadline buzzer. And with several tanking teams having good offensive lineman, it's interesting to see the lack of deals that were actually completed.