NFL trade deadline grades: How Cowboys, Jets, Colts and every other team fared

Jerry Jones made good on the hints he’d been dropping about an active deadline. Quinnen Williams instantly beefs up the interior of the defense, and Logan Wilson is a potential upgrade, however marginally, at linebacker at a low cost to boot. The price to land Williams was steep, but the Cowboys still have both first-rounders next spring, and instantly improve the defense, with more resources to pour into it and capitalize on a great season from Dak Prescott and the offense (Monday night excluded).

Trade deadline activity

None

Given how active teams were at the deadline (especially the one in town), it’s a little weird the Giants stood pat, and didn’t deal Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Kayvon Thibodeaux or Evan Neal for picks. Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are fighting for their jobs the rest of the season, and they’ll do it with the same team they had pre-deadline.

Trade deadline activity

RB Tank Bigsby (from Jaguars)
CB Michael Carter II (from Jets)
2027 seventh-round pick (from Jets)
CB Jaire Alexander and 2027 seventh-round pick (from Ravens)
Edge Jaelan Phillips (from Dolphins)

Out

2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks (to Jaguars)
2026 sixth-round pick (to Ravens)
WR John Metchie III (to Jets)
2027 sixth-round pick (to Jets)
2026 third-round pick (to Dolphins)

Allow us to heap even more praise on GM Howie Roseman, who fortified the defense with low-cost CB2 dart throws and a potentially key edge rusher in Jaelan Phillips, and retained 10 picks (including multiples in the third, fourth and fifth rounds) this upcoming draft. At the very least, the Eagles didn’t hurt themselves by trying to get better.

Trade deadline activity

None

It’s been a tough week and season in the nation’s capital, with Jayden Daniels set to miss significant time with his dislocated elbow and the Commanders struggling to win games even with him healthy. Still, it’s surprising that when confronted with that reality, Washington didn’t deal at least one or two of its heavy complement of veterans for draft picks amid the franchise’s overall build.

NFC North

Trade deadline activity

DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and 2026 seventh-round pick (from Browns)

Out

2026 sixth-round pick (to Browns)

The defense needed reinforcements, and just one came in the form of edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. It’s not a bad dice roll, but it’s also likely not going to make much of a difference in Chicago’s quest to make the playoffs in Year 1 under head coach Ben Johnson.

Trade deadline activity

None

Standing pat was probably the right call, given the level of talent already on this roster, the money committed to it, and the money that’s due in extensions coming up this offseason. Help on the interior offensive line would have been nice, but the Lions are hardly hurting and retain picks in every round next spring.

Trade deadline activity

None

You’re not replacing Tucker Kraft’s impact with a single deadline move, and the Packers have a couple of backup options they probably feel good about. While it might be disappointing to not see David Njoku in green and gold, the Browns were reportedly not interested in moving him. Plus, the Packers already made the biggest move of the year for Micah Parsons (at a good price too) before the regular season kicked off.

Trade deadline activity

None

The theory behind the 2025 Vikings is they’re a Ferrari that needs a quarterback to just keep it on the road. J.J. McCarthy is the guy they’ve tabbed for that job, and while some backup QB cover would have been nice with Carson Wentz out for the season, you can forgive them for placing their faith in Kevin O’Connell’s QB whispering instead of parting ways with picks.

NFC South

Trade deadline activity

None

The Falcons have more or less boxed themselves in this season and have only five draft picks next spring, including no first-rounder. It would have been nice to recoup some more for an ancillary edge rusher. Oh, and Kirk Cousins is still burning a hole in their pocket at backup quarterback. Standing pat feels iffy, and it probably has less to do with the deadline and more with the overall plan that got the Falcons here.

Trade deadline activity

None

Listen, maybe this grade is overly complimentary, but team owner David Tepper and the Panthers have been burned in the recent past by aggressively shipping away players and picks. Credit to them for standing pat and continuing to focus on building, which they very much need to do despite their glossy 5-4 record.

Trade deadline activity

WR Ja’Lynn Polk and 2028 seventh-round pick (from Patriots)
2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks (from Seahawks)
2027 sixth-round pick (from Chargers)

Out

2027 sixth-round pick (to Patriots)
WR Rashid Shaheed (to Seahawks)
OL Trevor Penning (to Chargers)

Definitely feels like more could have been done here. The Saints need picks for their rebuild under head coach Kellen Moore, and got a couple for Rashid Shaheed and Trevor Penning, but those were the only players who left a roster that desperately needs to cut salary and add talent.

Trade deadline activity

None

It’s hard to get too mad at a team like the Bucs, who never do anything at the trade deadline … for not doing anything at the trade deadline. Besides, if and when some of the talent they already have on the roster gets healthy, look out.

NFC West

Trade deadline activity

None

Is Kyler Murray the quarterback of the future in Arizona? That’s the only question that matters for head coach Jonathan Gannon, GM Monti Ossenfort and company, and no deal at the deadline was going to change that significantly.

Trade deadline activity

CB Roger McCreary and 2026 sixth-round pick (from Titans)

Out

2026 fifth-round pick (to Titans)

There aren’t many glaring issues on this roster, with a ton of salary cap space and a good haul of picks coming up next offseason. Maybe an offensive lineman would have helped, and it’s easy to pie-in-the-sky Jeffery Simmons to this team in light of the Cowboys’ Quinnen Williams deal, but they’re in prime position to pounce on what might be Matthew Stafford’s last elite season (or last year period?) in the NFL.

Trade deadline activity

DE Keion White and 2026 seventh-round pick (from Patriots)

Out

2026 sixth-round pick (to Patriots)

What the 49ers really need to trade for is a good luck charm to stop all these devastating injuries from hitting them. They couldn’t acquire that, but they could have at least added more help to a roster that’s paying a lot of older stars to try and squeeze one last Super Bowl run.

Trade deadline activity

WR Rashid Shaheed (from Saints)

Out

2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks (to Saints)

Did the free-agent gamble on Sam Darnold work out? Are the Seahawks at the dawn of what feels like a Super Bowl window? The answer to both questions appears to be yes, so good on head coach Mike Macdonald’s team for flexing out the wide receiver room with Rashid Shaheed’s speed. An NFC contender just got better.

AFC East

Trade deadline activity

None

It’s tough to downgrade the Bills too much, given Sean McDermott’s track record on the defensive side of the ball and the fact they still have Josh Allen. After a recent spate of injuries in the front seven, though, a little help there would have been good to see.

Trade deadline activity

2026 third-round pick (from Eagles)

Out

Edge Jaelan Phillips (to Eagles)

This feels like a missed opportunity. This era of the Dolphins is over, with longtime general manager Chris Grier leaving last week, and while getting a third-round pick for Jaelan Phillips was solid, more players should have been dealt to kickstart their rebuild. Also: Miami was reportedly holding strong in asking for a first-round pick for Jaylen Waddle, and if that’s a glimpse at how the franchise was negotiating overall, it’s no surprise more teams didn’t acquire players from them.

Trade deadline activity

2027 sixth-round pick (from Saints)
2026 sixth-round pick (from 49ers)
2026 sixth-round pick (from Steelers)

Out

WR Ja’Lynn Polk and 2028 seventh-round pick (to Saints)
DE Keion White and 2026 seventh-round pick (to 49ers)
S Kyle Dugger and 2026 seventh-round pick (to Steelers)

The Patriots find themselves in strong position, leading the Bills by a half game in the AFC East with one of the NFL’s easiest schedules remaining. As such, it might have been nice to add another skill player for Drake Maye, whether running back or pass catcher. But it’s not like Maye isn’t playing at an MVP level with what he has, and New England is flush with cap space and Day 3 picks to try and fill out the roster next spring.

Trade deadline activity

CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and 2026 seventh-round pick (from Titans)
WR John Metchie III (from Eagles)
2027 sixth-round pick (from Eagles)
2026 and 2027 first-round picks and WR Adonai Mitchell (from Colts)
2026 second-round pick, 2027 first-round pick and DT Mazi Smith (from Cowboys)
CB Ja’Sir Taylor (from Chargers)

Out

2026 sixth-round pick (to Titans)
CB Michael Carter II (to Eagles)
2027 seventh-round pick (to Eagles)
CB Sauce Gardner (to Colts)
DL Quinnen Williams (to Cowboys)
2028 conditional seventh-round pick (to Chargers)

Let’s call a spade a spade: The Jets are bad, as presently constructed, and in the same division as Josh Allen and Drake Maye. Let’s call another spade another spade: They know it, they recognized it, and they acted big-time to address it. New York walks away from Tuesday’s deadline with three (!) additional first-round picks, as well as a couple highly rated prospects who have underperformed in the NFL. This upcoming draft projects to be a solid QB class, and 2027 is expected to be loaded overall. The Jets are in position to take advantage. Good on them.

The Jets and general manager Darren Mougey had a huge trade deadline. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)

(Ed Mulholland via Getty Images)

AFC North

Trade deadline activity

S Alohi Gilman and 2026 fifth-round pick (from Chargers)
2026 sixth-round pick (from Eagles)
LB Dre’Mont Jones (from Titans)

Out

EDGE Odafe Oweh and 2027 seventh-round pick (to Chargers)
CB Jaire Alexander and 2027 seventh-round pick (to Eagles)
2026 conditional fifth-round pick (to Titans)

Will the Ravens go on a run now that Lamar Jackson is back, the schedule is lighter, and the talent that’s already on the roster might start getting deployed differently? That’s the bet here, with a couple dart throws to improve the defense and not much else. Understandable deadline activity here.

Trade deadline activity

QB Joe Flacco and 2026 sixth-round pick (from Browns)
2026 seventh-round pick (from Cowboys)

Out

2026 fifth-round pick (to Browns)
LB Logan Wilson (to Cowboys)

On a day where Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner fetched such huge hauls, it’s a little confounding the Bengals couldn’t find an acceptable deal for Trey Hendrickson (or didn’t look hard for one), even given his age and expiring contract. They got something for Logan Wilson, which, fine, but let’s also not undersell the fact they handed the division rival Browns a draft pick in the Joe Flacco trade for a player who wasn’t going to play again barring injury — and hasn’t helped the Bengals’ playoff outlook much, though it’s clearly not all his fault. The Bengals need to revamp their defense badly, and the pick(s) they could have gotten for Hendrickson feel like a sore miss in the moment.

Trade deadline activity

OT Cam Robinson and 2027 seventh-round pick (from Texans)
2026 fifth-round draft pick (from Bengals)
CB Tyson Campbell and 2026 seventh-round pick (from Jaguars)
2026 sixth-round pick (from Bears)

Out

2027 sixth-round pick (to Texans)
QB Joe Flacco (to Bengals)
CB Greg Newsome and 2026 sixth-round pick (to Jaguars)
DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and 2026 seventh-round pick (from Browns)

Cleveland did most of its dealing well before deadline day, though it moved up a round on Day 3 next spring thanks to the Joe Tryon-Shoyinka trade with the Bears. This year’s rookie class has been promising for the Browns, and it felt like they could have offloaded at least another veteran or two for more picks.

Trade deadline activity

S Kyle Dugger and 2026 seventh-round pick (from Patriots)

Out

2026 sixth-round draft pick (to Patriots)

The Steelers clearly needed reinforcements on defense as well as a WR2. This might be their only season with Aaron Rodgers, who’s guided a pretty solid offense all things considered, and they have 12 picks currently next spring, so it’s not like they would have been sacrificing the soft reboot they desperately need by trading a couple away. Why not be more aggressive here, especially with the Ravens a couple games in your rearview in the division?

AFC South

Trade deadline activity

2027 sixth-round pick (from Browns)

Who/what’s out

OT Cam Robinson and 2027 seventh-round pick (to Browns)

Offensive line, in turns, is: the scarcest in terms of talent in the NFL, arguably the hardest to improve midseason, and the thing the Texans need most. Cam Robinson wasn’t working out, so credit Houston for getting something in return for him. The Texans get bumped up to a B+ after not reacting in kneejerk fashion to fix a problem they made for themselves this past offseason.

Trade deadline activity

CB Sauce Gardner (from Jets)

Out

2026 and 2027 first-round picks and WR Adonai Mitchell (to Jets)

We LOVE the decisiveness here. This more or less locks the Colts into Daniel Jones as their long-term QB this offseason. Cornerback was arguably the single glaring weakness of this team, and Indianapolis filled it in stunning fashion with All-Pro Sauce Gardner. Is it worth the super expensive price? Is the Colts’ Super Bowl window truly opening? Who knows. All that’s for certain is the Colts are going to find out, and it’ll be a lot of fun watching them do it.

Trade deadline activity

2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks (from Eagles)
CB Greg Newsome and 2026 sixth-round pick (from Browns)
WR Jakobi Meyers (from Raiders)

Out

RB Tank Bigsby (to Eagles)
CB Tyson Campbell and 2026 seventh-round pick (to Browns)
2026 fourth- and sixth-round picks (to Raiders)

Adding Jakobi Meyers as another pass-catcher for Trevor Lawrence is nice, and the Jaguars still have a ton of picks next April, even without a first-rounder. But nothing they did Tuesday or before moves the needle too much. We’ll see how those two games against the Colts go in the battle for the AFC South later this season.

Trade deadline activity

2026 sixth-round pick (from Jets)
2026 fifth-round pick (from Rams)
Conditional fifth-round pick (from Ravens)

Out

CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and 2026 seventh-round pick (to Jets)
CB Roger McCreary and 2026 sixth-round pick (to Rams)
LB Dre’Mont Jones (to Ravens)

It’s tempting to ask why Jeffery Simmons and Calvin Ridley (more so the latter) are still Titans after Tuesday, and adding three Day 3 picks overall (one conditional) isn’t eyebrow-raising. But with a new head coach coming in this offseason, the nominal franchise quarterback in place and a ton of cap space, let’s refrain from dinging Tennessee too hard for not selling more.

AFC West

Trade deadline activity

None

Sean Payton’s project is already humming, with one of the NFL’s best defenses, an offense that’s functional at worst with Bo Nix, a good amount of cap space coming up, and 10 draft picks next spring. No reason for the Broncos to make a bold move at 7-2 and in such good position.

Trade deadline activity

None

We’ll trust Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Brett Veach and the NFL’s current dynasty here. Some depth in the front seven would have been nice, and wishcasting Breece Hall or Alvin Kamara into this offense was pretty easy, but it’s not like the Chiefs aren’t one of the top Super Bowl contenders without all that.

Trade deadline activity

2026 fourth- and sixth-round picks (from Jaguars)

Out

WR Jakobi Meyers (to Jaguars)

Outside of Meyers, who wanted out and landed the Raiders a pair of Day 3 picks, who else was realistically getting moved? Maxx Crosby reportedly never asked for a trade, and he wasn’t getting dealt without doing so. The Raiders have some tough questions to answer this offseason. They also have a lot of cap space and 10 draft picks to help do it. No need to overreact here.

Trade deadline activity

OL Trevor Penning (from Saints)
EDGE Odafe Oweh and 2027 seventh-round pick (from Ravens)
2028 conditional seventh-round pick (from Jets)

Out

S Alohi Gilman and 2026 fifth-round pick (to Ravens)
2027 sixth-round pick (to Saints)
CB Ja’Sir Taylor (to Jets)

The roster is thinner than it seems, and the Chargers have just five picks next April. Another one or two picks might have been helpful to add. That said, Los Angeles is 6-3 despite a spate of injuries, and keeping the talent the franchise has added the past couple years on the field is the most important thing in seasons to come.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/nfl-trade-deadline-grades-how-cowboys-jets-colts-and-every-other-team-fared-221708595.html