The best and worst moves at the NFL trade deadline
Some teams added reinforcements. Others did nothing (which isn't always a bad thing). Plus, we have our pick for Jets vs. Colts on Thursday night.
The NFL trade deadline ended on Tuesday afternoon, and is the case most years, it didn’t quite live up to the hype. Yes, a couple of big names are now playing for new teams, but when the only quarterback dealt in the leadup to the deadline is Joe Flacco, then you know it lacks much pizzazz.
But hey, at least it was more exciting than last year’s!
The good news is that there were several moves made, and others that weren’t, that are worth discussing in further detail. Here are our main takeaways from this year’s trade deadline.
Trade that’s already paying dividends: Zach Ertz to the Cardinals
All offseason, rumors swirled around a potential Zach Ertz trade. Still, the longtime Eagle remained an Eagle until just a few weeks ago, when the Cardinals needed tight end help after Maxx Williams’ season-ending knee injury.
In just two games with the Cardinals, Ertz has almost matched the numbers he put up in six games with Philadelphia this year. He has seven catches for 108 yards, plus both his first rush and the longest touchdown of his career:
Despite his short time in Arizona, Ertz has already shown chemistry with Kyler Murray. In a close loss to the Packers, Kyler Murray targeted Ertz four times (he caught all four balls), including a key fourth-down conversion on a fourth-quarter touchdown drive and a 9-yard grab that set up said touchdown.
The Cardinals are 7-1 and have blown out a few quality opponents (Titans, Rams, Browns I guess). There’s no denying that right now, they’re contenders. However, they’ve suffered a second-half slump in each of the last two seasons. Having a weapon like Ertz — a veteran with Super Bowl experience and good hands — can help keep this offense, and the Cardinals as a whole, rolling.
Trade that could most help a contender: Von Miller to the Rams
Von Miller is no longer the Von Miller at his peak, but he’s still pretty dang good:
After missing the 2020 season with an ankle injury, Miller returned to the Broncos lineup and racked up a team-high 4.5 sacks and 28 pressures in 6.5 games (Miller left halfway through Week 7 with a minor injury). He was that productive, despite seeing his share of double teams due in part to a banged up defense around him — Bradley Chubb, who was drafted in 2018 to wreak havoc alongside Miller, has only been on the field with his pass-rushing counterpart for 21 total games and just once this season.
Now he joins a defensive line that includes Aaron Donald, god of all pass-rushing tackles, and Leonard Floyd, an outside linebacker who’s on pace for his best season yet. Miller should only help with that; teams can’t double- or triple-team Donald AND Miller AND Floyd.
The Rams are already No. 1 in the league in sacks, but Miller’s presence will help them with more than just that. As Sean McVay pointed out, Miller can be used in a variety of ways and his still-strong run-stopping skills can only help a defense that has taken a step back in that department. Last year, their defensive run DVOA ranked No. 3; this year it’s No. 18.
While we won’t know if the Rams will make it to the Super Bowl until early February, this was yet another aggressive move from a franchise that’s determined to go all in.
Trade that gives both the player and team a do-over: Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs
In hindsight, Melvin Ingram should have just signed with the Chiefs when he visited them during free agency. Instead, he ended up with the Steelers and quickly became miserable due to a lack of playing time. Meanwhile, the Kansas City pass rush has been a major disappointment, recording just 11 sacks on the season — fewer than all teams except the Falcons, who have played seven games to the Chiefs’ eight.
As we said last week, Kansas City’s best chance for a defensive rebound had to be courtesy of the pass rush. On Monday night, with both Chris Jones and Frank Clark on the field together for just the third time all season, the Chiefs managed to tally a season-high three sacks. Though Ingram is no longer the reliable sack artist he used to be, he can still help bring pressure to a defense that needs to improve in that area (and every area, but that’s another topic). Plus, with Ingram lining up at defensive end opposite Clark, Jones can return to his natural spot as a defensive tackle.
Ingram might not have the same impact as Miller will with the Rams, but at least the Chiefs are trying something — and rescuing a “hostage” from Pittsburgh at the same time.
Trade that shows you can go home again: Mark Ingram to the Saints
Mark Ingram started his career with the Saints, who drafted him in the first round in 2011. He played in New Orleans through the 2018 season and left as the No. 2 rusher in franchise history, just behind Deuce McAllister, and as the leader in rushing touchdowns. After two seasons with the Ravens, Ingram joined the Texans’ crowded running backs room and led the team in touches and rushing yards. His stats weren’t great, mind you — e.g. a career-low 3.2 yards per carry — because he was playing for the worst-run team in the NFL.
Luckily, he was saved by his old team, who traded for the 31-year-old to bolster their depth at running back. In his first game back with the Saints, Ingram played a small but pivotal role in an upset over the Bucs. He had six carries for 27 yards and added two catches for 25 yards. More importantly, he helped give poor Alvin Kamara a break from having to do everything.
The Saints need all the stability they can get after losing Jameis Winston, and Ingram is a steady, respected veteran who will also be a positive locker room presence. So would Philip Rivers, if the Saints decide to go that route at quarterback (please go that route!).
Trade that thankfully didn’t happen: Deshaun Watson to anywhere
Deshaun Watson currently faces 22 civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct. The Texans have reached some kind of understanding with Watson and/or the NFL that Watson will not play for them this season (or ever again). Roger Goodell has said the league doesn’t have enough information at this point to put Watson on the commissioner’s exempt list, but 1) the NFL makes its own rules all the time and 2) it doesn’t have to take action right now because the Texans are, in effect, putting him on their own version of an exempt list.
If Watson had been traded, the NFL would have had to take a real stance, one way or the other, which it absolutely didn’t want to do:
Not only that, but if a team had traded for Watson while these lawsuits remain active, it’d have been a blatantly cynical and shameless move that would’ve left most of us feeling icky. And the Dolphins at least entertained it!
Can we please just let the lawsuits and grand jury play out before there’s any more speculation about which team Watson will suit up for next?
Trade that best encapsulates the excitement of the NFL deadline: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif for Daniel Brown
An offensive lineman who hasn’t played since 2019 in exchange for a tight end who hasn’t caught a pass in 2021. That was the closest thing to a buzzer-beater deal we got Tuesday. The NFL trade deadline briefly felt exciting, given a 14-team playoff field and a handful of rebuilding squads looking to shed salary. Instead, we got depth moves.
Non-trade that waved a white flag on the season: Nobody to the Seahawks
Everyone in the NFC West added talent in advance of the trade deadline … except Seattle. The Cardinals landed Zach Ertz to punch up its passing game. The Rams defense got scarier with Von Miller. The 49ers even brought in Charles Omenihu to fill out their pass rush rotation.
But the Seahawks, with needs on both sides of the ball and a track record of botching their early draft picks anyway, stayed out of the fray. Maybe that’s a sign they trust a healthy Russell Wilson to get them back on track — though he was 2-3 as a starter before getting hurt. Or maybe it’s a white flag from a team that’s been good since 2015, but not good enough to make it past the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Seattle stands to make its highest draft selection in more than a decade if its 3-5 record persists. By not making a deal, Pete Carroll may have quietly informed his fanbase he’s already looking forward to making that pick.
Thursday Night Football picks: Jets vs. Colts
Now *this* is a Thursday night matchup. Mike White, fresh off dismantling the then AFC-leading Bengals (what a wild sentence to write), now gets the stingy Indianapolis defense on a short week in primetime. The Colts have a top-five defense by DVOA, but that’s via a top-ranked rushing D and a 20th-ranked unit vs. the pass. There will be room for White to operate.
But Indianapolis won’t be caught by surprise by a player with limited game film like Cincinnati was. The Colts can dissect White’s flaws and force him into mistakes, even if he gets Corey Davis back to help boost his downfield throws. Frank Reich’s team is in a must-win situation at 3-5. Expect them to defend their home turf.