At 4:00 p.m. E.T. today, the NFL trade deadline officially passed. Some of the league’s biggest contenders made moves to bolster their Super Bowl hopes, while other notable franchises – like the Dallas Cowboys – remained relatively quiet.
The biggest acquisition of the day came courtesy of the Washington Commanders. They added cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints, giving up two mid-round draft picks and swapping late-round picks as part of the deal.
Washington (7-2) has been the surprise of the NFL thus far. The franchise’s new ownership group isn’t content letting rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels jus learn the ropes for a year. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport – on Tuesday’s episode of The Insiders – expressed belief the Commanders got active in the trade market because Daniels has them in the earliest stages of a long-term contending stretch.
“The ‘Jayden Daniels window’ is wide open… a lot of people thought the Commanders might take another year to get their talent level to where they need to be to really compete. And then Jayden Daniels started playing… this is a big-time move for Washington.”
Last season, the Commanders were 4-5 and sellers at the deadline. They, and the Detroit Lions, are typically not buyers at this time of year. But Detroit is amongst the best teams in the NFL in 2024 and filled a major void on their defense by trading for Cleveland Browns edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
The Lions have recorded 20 sacks this season, good for 19th in the NFL. But 7.5 of those came from Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 6, and they’ve notched just one sack over their past two games. Detroit needed a boost in that department and got someone Mike Garafolo labeled “a perfect fit” for them.
What other contenders added players?
The Dallas Cowboys (3-5) aren’t considered heavy-weight contenders this year, judging by their performance. Their name value, though, keeps them in “win-now” conversations. Dallas may be without quarterback Dak Prescott for the next month or so, but they pounced and plucked Jonathan Mingo away from the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday.
Mingo was not the player fans were expecting when Jerry Jones told fans Dallas was “going to get a wide receiver they were high on in the draft” earlier today.
The 2023 second-round pick has largely floundered in Carolina, recording 55 catches for 539 yards in 24 games. However, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater, the Cowboys considered him a great buy-low candidate
“They like the upside financially and physically. This guy doesn’t have a lot of tread on the tires… [and] they don’t have to pay him big money… they say this is a guy that can help them now, give them some depth, but also help them moving forward.”
Slater also reported many opposing general managers told her a 2025 fourth-round pick was “too rich” a price for the second-year wideout. Dallas will have to make Mingo work out to avoid future ridicule.
Elsewhere, AFC North franchises took four swings today. The Browns were sellers, but the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals were all buyers to varying degrees. All are low-risk, high-reward moves.
Pittsburgh added wide receiver Mike Williams to their offense and edge player Preston Smith to their defense. The Ravens secured former All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White to boost their embattled secondary. Cincinnati picked up running back Khalil Herbert after placing tailback Zack Moss (neck) on injured reserve this afternoon.
The Steelers parted with a fifth-round pick to acquire Williams, and a seventh-round selection to land Smith. Baltimore swapped seventh-round picks in the White deal, while the Bengals coughed up just a seventh-round pick for Herbert.
Cincinnati (4-5) has little margin for error in their playoff chase. Pittsburgh (6-2) currently leads the division, with the Ravens (6-3) close behind. Baltimore hosts the Bengals on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 10.