Tag: nfl trade deadline

Bears fans were enraged by report team would casually approach Montez Sweat’s extension after trade

The Bears “will make an effort” for a guy they traded a second-round pick for. Really???

Usually, teams who buy at the NFL’s annual trade deadline are contenders trying to bolster their roster for a deep playoff run. For the second straight year, the 2-6 Chicago Bears broke this precedent when they traded a 2024 second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for pass-rusher Montez Sweat.

Chicago likely felt comfortable surrendering more draft capital for an older (arguably lesser) Commanders defender (cough, cough, ahem) because the idea was that Sweat would be their franchise pass-rusher moving forward. After an extension for a guy in the last year of his rookie contract, Sweat would become a part of their long-term future.

But there’s the rub.

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, the Bears traded for Sweat without an extension in place and without significant extension talks already happening. They essentially bought a lottery ticket to get ahead of the crowd of teams who could clamor for Sweat in March’s free agency. Now, after general manager Ryan Poles previously failed to extend former Bears linebacker Roquan Smith and currently disgruntled cornerback Jaylon Johnson (who they reportedly low-balled), they will try their very best to extend Sweat instead of using the dreaded franchise tag on him. Never mind that Sweat preferred to play with the Atlanta Falcons and has all the leverage in the world on the Bears, given what they surrendered to acquire his services.

Oh, good, they’re going to try.

More from ESPN:

Nothing official on the schedule at this point, but I am told the Bears will at least make an effort to try to sign Sweat to a long-term deal before the end of the season.

Words cannot do this potential blunder by the Bears proper justice, but I’ll try anyway. Poles has already shown he has a horrific team-building process, continually chasing Bears needs he himself creates or weirdly didn’t address before. With his team 2-6 and likely needing a reset at quarterback next year — sorry, Justin Fields — the last thing the Bears should’ve been doing is pursuing second-tier pass rushers. But if they were going to make a move, the smart play would’ve been ensuring you could get an extension on the said player, who may or may not want to be there in the long run.

None of that happened with the Bears and Sweat. And if they end up using the franchise tag on him, they risk losing Johnson, another franchise defender they’ve already seemingly alienated. If you’re ever looking for evidence as to why the NFL’s worst marquee team is stuck in the doldrums, the Sweat trade and all the details surrounding it should be a preeminent example.

Seahawks were ‘pretty deep’ in talks for Patriots edge before Leonard Williams deal

According to a report by Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated, the team engaged in trade talks on several different edge rushers first, including Josh Uche of the Patriots.

The Seahawks finally landed a difference-maker for their defensive line, a feat they’d been attempting to accomplish since last season ended. Their trade for Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams gives their roster a serious boost where it was most needed and should help them close the gap with the other NFC contenders – specifically the Eagles, who have more star DL than anyone should know what to do with.

Seattle considered other options too, though. According to a report by Albert Breer at Sports Illustrated, the team engaged in trade talks on several different edge rushers first, including Josh Uche of the Patriots.

“The Seahawks really did look at a lot of different options before trading for Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who’s a big, reliable, disruptive piece for their defensive front. And much of their efforts had been focused on edge-rushers, with talks going pretty deep on players like New England’s Josh Uche…”

Something to file away in case Uche becomes available in the future. For now, the Seahawks should be considered one of the big winners coming out of the trade deadline. A win over the Ravens this week would prove they are fully ready to make a Super Bowl run.

More Seahawks Wire stories

53-man roster tracker: Leonard Williams wearing No. 99

Power Rankings: Titans take huge jump, Seahawks up 4 spots

Ranking all 32 NFL starters by their QBR going into Week 9

Bengals got it wrong at the NFL trade deadline

The Bengals dropped the ball at the NFL trade deadline.

The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t significantly harm their Super Bowl chances by standing still at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

But they didn’t help them, either.

And that’s really the crux of the issue on a day when a stellar pass-rusher like Chase Young cost a mere third-round pick. Or when, at least presumably, help at running back or tight end wouldn’t have cost all that much.

The Bengals have gone away from stubbornness in many areas in recent years. But an unwillingness to get aggressive on the trade deadline is not one of those. They value future assets too much, citing the need not to sacrifice future teams for the sake of the current one.

Which is, in a word, silly. None of the suggestions for this year’s deadline were overdramatic, with Young’s third-round cost being the height of fan suggestions. Those fans can only hear the words “Geno Atkins” thrown around so much by the team while justifying the trade deadline behavior (How long did fans have to throw out “Andrew Whitworth” before they made a change in how they build the line?). He’s an anomaly of a fourth-rounder, a Hall of Famer even. Those mid-round picks are more likely to turn into a Zach Carter, Tyler Shelvin or Michael Jordan as they are to churn out a contributor.

In this scenario, that’s literally the point of a trade — trading away that random chance of production in a few years for an instant producer, especially when a suggested Samaje Perine or Hayden Hurst might be possible.

The Bengals can frame this from a cap space perspective, citing those attractive rookie salaries for four-plus years as a reason never to do something. But that’s asking fans to believe one of the savviest front offices in the league when it comes to cap management can’t make it work, which is, again, just silly.

Coaches will also frame this as belief in the current guys in the room, which they — as coaches — must. But that’s going to ring pretty hollow if a backup running back makes a mistake in a playoff game, Irv Smith never produces at tight end so they need to rely on a practice squad call-up or they run Trey Hendrickson ragged so he’s playing through a broken wrist and/or back issues in December and January again.

Of course, the big disclaimer to all this is that a lack of movement doesn’t mean a lack of effort. Zero moves doesn’t mean they didn’t pick up the phone and try. But that, too rings a bit hollow when a contender like the 49ers goes and makes a splash with Young and another contender like the Eagles got an All-Pro like Kevin Byard. Some would say all of the moves made at the deadline won’t have that big of an impact on the playoffs, too, but we’ll see, right?

It’s hard to blame fans, too. When the team admits it changed the approach to free agency and that push helped reach the Super Bowl and came a few plays from another, it’s fair for fans to wonder if a similar change to trades might be the push that has Joe Burrow hoisting a Lombardi Trophy over his head this winter — especially when the only notable trade example of late is acquiring the excellent B.J. Hill in exchange for Billy Price (another draft pick miss).

The usual counterpoints to this — from the team and outsiders — will rule the day over the next week because they’ve been so deeply ingrained for so long. But remaining in this conservative shell again means fans must play the what if? game if things go wrong over the next handful of months.

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Browns offered Commanders a 6th round pick for Jacoby Brissett at the NFL trade deadline

The Cleveland Browns offered a sixth round pick to the Washington Commanders for QB Jacoby Brissett

The Cleveland Browns offered a sixth-round pick to the Washington Commanders for backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett according to NBC’s Sports’ JP Finlay. The Browns were reportedly pursuing multiple options at backup quarterback and wide receivers leading up to the NFL trade deadline. By the end of the day, the Browns only made one deal shipping out Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Detroit Lions for a future 2025 sixth-round pick.

The Commanders became motivated sellers at the trade deadline after the new owner, Josh Harris, became involved according to The Athletic’s Diana Russini. Harris is the long-time owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and was behind the analytical revolution to tank for the draft. The Browns had a similar franchise-building outlook at the time. Under Harris’s guidance, the Commanders traded away franchise defensive ends Montez Sweat to the Bears for a second-round pick, and Chase Young to the 49ers for a third-round compensatory pick.

Despite the forced liquidity sale, the Commanders’ front office seemed intent on retaining Jacoby’s services for the next nine games. Their coaching staff has made it very clear that Sam Howell is their starter no matter what. This is surprising to me. I would assume that in their current state, the Commanders would be interested in trading a backup quarterback near the end of his contract for anything.

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How did ‘First Things First’ respond to the Chase Young trade?

Some national reactions to the Commanders trading Chase Young.

Of course, Commanders and 49ers fans reacted to the Chase Young trade, but how about neutral sports media shows?

“First Things First” had a segment discussing the trade, where the cast quickly gave their responses.

Greg Jennings: “When you pay Nick Bosa all this money, you expect his production to be through the roof. You want him to be that defensive player of the year you signed up for years. So, you add another guy and give them depth along that defensive line. You expect Chase Young to come in with a chip on his shoulder, wanting to prove himself worthy of a long-term contract. This is a big pickup for the 49ers.”

Chris Broussard: “Great move. I mean, Nick Bosa has been great but not great this year. He’s gotten some QB hits and stuff, but sack-wise, he’s on pace for the lowest of his career. I think he has 2.5 at this point of the season. Chase Young has twice as many as Bosa has. For all of this talk about Brock Purdy, the defense hasn’t played well lately. So, if you strengthen the defense, you think the offense will follow. So, absolutely a great move.”

Nick Wright: “They are giving up what is going to be about the 100th pick of the draft for what might be only nine games of Chase Young. That’s assuming he is healthy. Health has been the biggest concern, but this year, he has been healthy. Listen, when you are so limited at quarterback, these are the things you have to do to be able to win the Super Bowl. Guys, it’s true, it’s true. They think they can win the Super Bowl this year.”

Kevin Wilds: “Not feeling great about my ‘Commanders to the playoffs’ pick. I’m going to have to redo this.”

What do Commanders trades mean for the 2024 NFL draft?

The Commanders add some valuable draft choices for 2024 after Tuesday’s trades.

Chase Young and Montez Sweat might have the same agent, but both were moved on to other clubs, Tuesday.

Word is the powers that be were watching to see if Sweat and Young produced this season. When the defense did not adequately produce in the first eight games, the decision was made these two guys were not going to be part of the future team in Washington.

We also learned Tuesday the rest of the league does not value Chase Young as it did when he was thought to be a generational player during the 2020 NFL draft.

The Commanders in the trades received Chicago’s second-round 2024 choice. As it stands on Oct. 31, through eight weeks, the Bears draft position is now third. Which means, if this same order persists, the Commanders would now be holding to a draft pick that will be 37th overall and fifth in the second round.

Consequently, as of Tuesday, the Commanders would draft in the 11th position (their own position) and then again at 37th, very early in the second round.

How about the Chase Young trade? Young brings to Washington the 49ers’ third-round compensatory selection. This pick is currently listed as the third overall compensatory selection and 98th overall.

Thus, if Washington stands pat, not trading away their draft selections they now own, they currently possess selections number 11 in the first round, selections 37 and 42 in round two, and selections 73 and 98 in round three.

Now, of course, these primary positions will be available for the Commanders, but it will depend upon the new general manager not yet hired, and his staff of scouts and coaches also not yet hired.

Draft choices alone don’t win championships, yet having knowledgeable people in the top of your organization can possibly accomplish much with those extra draft choices.

NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Titans take huge jump, Seahawks up 4 spots

Here’s how we rank all 32 teams heading into Week 9.

This week’s power rankings are out a day late so that we could account for the impact of the NFL trade deadline in addition to Week 8’s results. The deadline has come and gone and there are some clear winners and losers to sort out following a flurry of moves on Monday and Tuesday after an eventful slate of games on Sunday.

We will begin in the capitol, where the Washington Commanders have officially given up on the 2023 season…

Washington waives the white flag

It’s easy to say that a team should get more in a trade when you’re not the one negotiating from a losing position. That said, it seems like the Commanders should have gotten a lot more than they did for two of the best young edge rushers in the league.

First, they sent Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a second-round pick. That’s not a terrible return, but it also seems like a low price given how desperate Chicago should be for any kind of help. Much worse, they unloaded Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers only got a third-round pick in return. The Commanders have something in Sam Howell, but by blowing up their defensive line they destroyed the one good thing the rest of the roster had going for it.

Looking ahead, head coach Ron Rivera will most likely take the fall for this latest failure. He just doesn’t have the ability to raise them out of his hole – and all the coaches that could already have better jobs around the league.

Eagles, 49ers, Seahawks win at trade deadline

Speaking of some of those better jobs, three teams came away as clear winners at the trade deadline.

At the top of the list are the Philadelphia Eagles, owners of the NFL’s best record at 7-1 as well as one of the most aggressive general managers in the four major sports. Howie Roseman did it again last week when he traded a backup safety and two Day 3 picks to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for star safety Kevin Byard, securing the back end of Philly’s defense as they prepare for another Super Bowl run. We have the Eagles back at No. 1 in our rankings.

The 49ers were supposed to be the team that would give the Eagles the most trouble in the NFC this year. However, they’ve hit some choppy waters, having lost their last three games coinciding with Brock Purdy’s first real run with adversity. The 49ers have dropped nine spots since we last saw them at the top of the mountain, but it would have been even worse if they hadn’t managed to nab Young at the price they did.

One of the main reasons the Niners are looking so shaky is the ascension of their rivals. The Seattle Seahawks also made a significant splash just before the deadline, dealing second and fifth-round draft picks to the New York Giants in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams gives Seattle a boost exactly where the franchise needed it most and should help them keep up in what’s proving to be a heated NFC race. After narrowly beating the formerly No. 7 ranked Cleveland Browns, we now have the Seahawks slotted at that spot – up four from last week thanks to the win and the trade.

Titans and Broncos made biggest jumps

The teams that made the most-significant jumps this week did not do it via trade – although one of them did manage to find a difference-maker. The Titans are suddenly looking much tougher thanks to the emergence of rookie quarterback Will Levis, who had a stupendous debut against a tough Atlanta Falcons defense. Tennessee is up eight spots this week to match his number.

The Denver Broncos also made a major breakthrough, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since Week 4 of the 1872 season. Denver is also up eight spots from last week and higher than they have been at any point this year. Meanwhile, KC dropped six spots thanks to the loss and Patrick Mahomes’ ongoing interception issues.

Vikings and Giants lose quarterbacks

While the Titans found themselves a potential franchise QB, two teams lost their starters on Sunday. The worst of it happened to the Minnesota Vikings, who had won two games in a row – including a Monday Night Football victory for Kirk Cousins. Unfortunately Cousins’ Achilles tear has knocked him out for the season. They have since pulled off a trade for Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals, but they also unloaded center Ezra Cleveland to the Jacksonville Jaguars (up to No. 3!!!) for a pittance. So, we’ve dropped Minnesota four spots despite the three-game winning streak.

The Giants also had something good going with Tyrod Taylor, whose numbers were superior to those of Daniel Jones prior to his injury. However, Taylor’s run of bad luck popped up again and he wound up going to the hospital with a rib injury. For now, New York may have to choose between Tommy DeVito and Matt Barkley to start at QB. That state of affairs is bad enough to earn them the second-lowest spot in our rankings below Washington.

Let’s get to it. Here’s how we rank all 32 teams heading into Week 9.

Commanders can’t help but take parting shots at Chase Young

On the day of Chase Young’s trade, we hear of negative stories from his time with the Commaders.

Chase Young hadn’t even had time to leave the DMV on Tuesday after the news broke that the Washington Commanders agreed to trade him to the San Francisco 49ers before the negative stories started coming out.

Shortly after Young’s trade, Ben Standig of The Athletic published an article analyzing Washington’s trades of Young and Montez Sweat, and one thing in particular stood out.

However, the team sees trading Young as a potential addition by subtraction, the source said. Even amid Young’s strong season, there are lingering concerns about his durability and on-field discipline.

Nothing Standig said was wrong here. There have long been concerns about Young’s durability and on-field discipline. However, it was the “addition by subtraction” excerpt that stood out.

Was this necessary on the day of Young’s trade?

Later on Tuesday, Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle covered the trade from the 49ers’ point of view.

Young, according to several Washington coaches and other organizational sources, was viewed as an undisciplined player who developed bad habits such as deviating from assignments in an effort to make splash plays. His off-the-field priorities and commitment to his craft were often questioned, and he was viewed internally as a player who plateaued as a rookie.

Again, none of what Silver said is wrong.

But, it should be noted that Silver is close friends with Washington head coach Ron Rivera. So, when Silver said he spoke to Washington coaches, it’s not difficult to imagine that Rivera could be one of those coaches.

So, were these quotes regarding Young really necessary on the day of his trade?

Again, we’ve all heard and seen enough to believe many of these things are true. Washington’s disgust with Young began in the 2021 offseason when he chose to skip the offseason program. When Young struggled before his knee injury, this quote, directly from Young, really stood out.

For far too long, anonymous quotes trashing former players and coaches have been prevalent in Washington. Almost all of it was unnecessary, but with Daniel Snyder and Bruce Allen in charge, it was expected.

The Commanders have a new owner now. And while Josh Harris and his group had nothing to do with the negative quotes regarding Young, it’s just another example of the organization needing to get the last word.

Washington wasn’t wrong for moving on from Young. Rivera had plenty of reasons to move on. The team didn’t owe anyone an explanation. But the Commanders should’ve just wished Young well and offered “no comment” on why he was moved.

Even if everything said about Young was 100% true, was it necessary?

Tuesday’s moves are likely just the beginning of a massive overhaul for the Commanders in the offseason.

 

For once, the Commanders are thinking about the future

The Commanders did the right thing — they’re focused on the future for once.

The Washington Commanders made a bold statement on Tuesday. By trading former first-round picks Montez Sweat and Chase Young, the Commanders made it clear they’re thinking about the long-term future of the franchise.

For far too long, Washington has been concerned about the present. Former owner Daniel Snyder always did enough to keep the team competitive at .500 by throwing money at players past their prime, but there was never a long-term vision.

In the first half of Snyder’s tenure, he didn’t care about draft picks. The second half of his tenure was more about covering up the numerous scandals he created. He hired people, such as Bruce Allen, who would carry out his orders, with no one ever caring about the long-term health of the franchise.

When Snyder hired Ron Rivera as head coach in 2020, he gave him all the power. Heck, after firing Allen and due to his own reputation, he probably had to provide Rivera with all the power, considering no one else wanted to work for him. But what had Rivera ever done to earn the head of football operations position he was given?

The results, four years in, are as expected. Rivera’s record as Washington’s head coach is 25-32-1. In 13 years as a head coach, Rivera’s record is 101-95-2. If you subtract that 15-1 record in 2015 from his record, Rivera is below .500 coach.

Rivera’s handling of the roster since 2020 has been full of missteps and mistakes. Whether it was terrible free-agent signings, bad draft picks, or poor player development, Washington can’t get over that .500 mark.

Keeping Sweat and/or Young would’ve meant doing enough to remain around seven or eight wins.

That’s not good enough for new owner Josh Harris. If it were up to Rivera, Sweat would have received a contract extension. And, to be fair, Sweat earned one. But in Harris’ mind, the value of obtaining a high second-round pick you may not even retain is too good to pass up.

When has Washington ever employed such critical, long-term thinking?

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Washington’s new ownership had a “strong hand” in Tuesday’s trades. Combined with Harris’ hiring last week of Eugene Shen to head Washington’s analytics group, it’s clear the new owner is focusing on the future — not 2023 and saving Rivera’s job.

Do you think Shen was consulted on the compensation the Commanders received for Young and Sweat? Of course, he was.

Check out this nugget from Field Yates of ESPN.

Think about that for a second. The Commanders have never been patient enough to think long-term, even during Joe Gibbs 1.0. Rebuilding or retooling — depending on your word choice — is much easier in the NFL than in the NBA or MLB. If you have cap space and draft picks, a lot can change in only one year.

Washington has several good pieces remaining on the roster. The biggest question, of course, is at quarterback. Has Sam Howell done enough to prove he should be the franchise quarterback? Not yet, but he has nine games to impress ownership. If he doesn’t, the Commanders have the firepower to move up and go after a potential franchise quarterback in the draft.

With over $90 million in cap room in 2024 and nine draft selections, the Commanders have a massive offseason ahead. So much depends on who they hire as general manager and, eventually, head coach. If things go right, we could be talking about Washington in a much different light at this time next year.

But, with no offense toward Sweat and Young, the Commanders did the right thing.

Welcome to the Josh Harris era.

6 takeaways on Commanders trading Chase Young to 49ers

Some initial thoughts on the Commanders trade of Chase Young to the 49ers.

On Tuesday, the Washington Commanders traded defensive end Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, it was another disappointing ending for the Commanders and a player many considered a “generational prospect.”

Remember late in the 2019 season, when the then-Redskins were playing out the string under interim coach Bill Callahan, and many fans wanted the team to lose just to be in a position to select Young?

That feels so long ago. Ron Rivera took over as head coach in 2020, and Young was his first draft pick. Their first year together had a bit of a storybook ending, as the Commanders, despite a 7-9 record, won the NFC East and took the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the limit in the wild-card game.

That would prove to be the peak of the Rivera era. Now, Young and Montez Sweat are gone, and Rivera could be next.

Here are six takeaways from Young’s trade to the 49ers.