Tag: nfl trade deadline

Ravens and Rams are already trading 2027 NFL Draft picks

The Ravens and Rams agreed to a deal at the 2024 NFL trade deadline that involves picks from the 2027 NFL Draft

We are barely six months past the 2024 NFL Draft, with the 2025 version in Green Bay not firing up until the end of next April. It’s pretty commonplace to find teams dealing picks for the 2025 draft around ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday.

There were some 2026 picks dealt as well, parts of packages made by GMs hoping to still be employed two offseasons from now to use them. But the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams upped the ante even further.

The Ravens and Rams agreed to a deal involving Los Angeles cornerback Tre’Davious White in the hour before Tuesday’s deadline. White is heading to Baltimore, along with a seventh-round pick, for a seventh-round pick in return. Those seventh-rounders aren’t in 2025 or even 2026, however. They are from the 2027 NFL Draft.

These are the first 2027 draft selections to be traded, a full two-and-a-half years ahead of time!

[lawrence-related id=654950]

Report: 49ers won’t get chance to add rising star DE at trade deadline

It doesn’t sound like the 49ers will be acquiring DE Azeez Ojulari.

The San Francisco 49ers are running out of options to add defensive end help ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Well before Tuesday’s 1:00pm deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired DE Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. On Tuesday, DE Za’Darius Smith was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Detroit Lions. After that, the Green Bay Packers dealt DE Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

San Francisco might have been aiming to acquire New York Giants DE Azeez Ojulari, but it sounds like he won’t be on the move.

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported Ojulari isn’t likely to get dealt after the Giants held firm on a steep asking price for the 24-year-old.

It’s not a huge surprise the 49ers didn’t want to overpay for a potential rental. Ojulari is in the final year of his contract and figures to command a sizable deal in free agency. He has 6.0 sacks in nine games this season and has stayed healthy after dealing with injuries that limited him to 18 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

For San Francisco, draft capital is going to be important piece of their future with so a roster that will likely rely less on veterans over the next couple of seasons. They’ll need premium picks to replenish their roster, and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to retain Ojulari in free agency.

The 49ers need help on the defensive line, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll come in a trade with the Giants.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Lions add new DE before Week 10 matchup vs. Texans

The Detriot Lions are adding in a defensive end just in time to face off against the Houston Texans in Week 10 on Sunday Night Football.

The Houston Texans must prepare for the Detroit Lions, but must also study some Cleveland Browns’ defensive line tape.

The Lions acquired Za’Darius Smith in a trade with the AFC North franchise early Tuesday morning, adding a veteran pass rusher to their defense just a few hours before the 3 p.m. 2024 NFL trade deadline.

Smith, who’s racked up five sacks in nine games this season, is expected to be good to go when the Lions (7-1) take on the Texans (6-3) on Sunday Night Football in Week 10.

Smith, 32, has been a constant No. 2 option in the pass-rushing department over his decade in the Pros. The three-time Pro Bowler has 65 career sacks over the past 10 seasons with the Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens.

Houston’s offensive line should at least know what to expect from Smith since Laremy Tunsil, Juice Scruggs and Shaq Mason went head-to-head with him twice down the stretch last season, including in the AFC Wild Card Round. Smith recorded two sacks on Christmas Eve against Case Keenum in the Browns’ 36-22 win during the regular season.

The Texans had the last laugh after taking him out of the game in a 45-14 win the following month in the wild-card matchup at home.

The Lions, winners of six straight and NFC favorites, have struggled to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks since Defensive Player of the Year candidate Aidan Hutchinson broke the tibia and fibula in his left leg in a Week 6 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Hutchinson was the star player, but not the only defender to sustain a season-ending injury, as fellow edge rusher Marcus Davenport suffered a knee injury last month. Detriot has recorded five other quarterback hits by defensive linemen in the past two games.

Houston’s offensive line could be in trouble if Smith starts hot. The Texans have allowed the second-most sacks (31) and the fourth-most pressures (89) through nine games this season.

“We have to be at our best at all times,” offensive lineman Tytus Howard said Monday. “We see everybody and hear everybody talk. We just have to be better because, at the end of the day, if we do our job, they don’t any reason to be talking about us.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.

Marshon Lattimore trade grades: Who won the Commanders and Saints deal?

Breaking down the deal that gives the Commanders a star defender for their playoff push.

Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline offered up a few unsurprising deals like stalwart pass rusher Za’Darius Smith joining the Detroit Lions, who solidified themselves as the Super Bowl favorites in the NFC.

But as we got closer to the deadline, the Washington Commanders dropped a bombshell as they pushed for an NFC East division title and a hopeful deep playoff run when they traded for perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. The boundary defender is a much-needed addition for a fledgling Washington defense that is the only real weak link of an otherwise solid playoff contender.

Meanwhile, might the Mickey Loomis Saints finally be trying to rebuild? If that’s the case, I’m kind of shocked, to be candid.

Let’s break this deal down and hand out some grades.

The details

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, here are the exact terms of this trade:

  • Commanders get: CB Marshon Lattimore
  • Saints get: A 2025 third-round draft pick, a 2025 fourth-round draft pick, and a 2025 sixth-round draft pick.

Washington Commanders

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Commanders were already flying high with a 7-2 record that had them sitting atop the NFC East. That’s because Jayden Daniels is the certain Offensive Rookie of the Year and a bona fide MVP candidate, while Dan Quinn has all of his ducks in a row for one of the better-coached teams in the league.

But for as successful as this Washington season has been to this date, it had glaring holes on defense. Through nine games, per RBDSM.com, Washington is just 24th in defensive expected points added per play. According to FTN, it’s 26th in defensive DVOA. Those are decidedly mediocre statistics describing a way-too-porous defense.

A former Pro Bowler, Lattimore won’t sand over all of the Commanders’ defensive issues by himself. After all, this is a team game, and Washington still needs more pieces up front. But Lattimore is a bona fide star cornerback and is just 28 years old. Getting him for a few mid-round draft selections is a coup for a team that is suddenly a strong NFC contender.

The price is worth it.

Grade: A

New Orleans Saints

Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Are … the Saints actually trying to rebuild for once?

They already fired former head coach Dennis Allen after New Orleans’ disappointing 2-7 start. And there aren’t that many core pieces for the future on the roster. Trading Lattimore away — one of the few players who had value to contenders — might be a strong signal that general manager Mickey Loomis will finally tear this operation down to the studs like he should’ve done years ago. A fire sale at this trade deadline would do wonders for the Saints.

And if that doesn’t happen, getting a few solid draft picks for the future for a veteran cornerback languishing on an awful team is still something to be celebrated. Huzzah, Saints fans! Your organization might finally have a long-term plan again. Maybe.

Grade: B

Commanders trading for Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore

The Commanders get much-needed cornerback help with Marshon Lattimore.

The Washington Commanders need help at cornerback. At 7-2 and leading the NFC East, the Commanders have a dominant offense led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington currently ranks in the top five of most offensive categories.

Now, defensive help is on the way.

Seeking help at cornerback, general manager Adam Peters has made a bold move, trading for New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.

The Commanders currently have Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, rookie Mike Sainristil, Noah Igbinoghene and Michael Davis at corner. Forbes, the 2023 first-round pick, rarely plays, leaving St-Juste, Sainristil, and Igbinoghene logging most of the minutes at cornerback.

Lattimore, 28, is a four-time Pro Bowler with 15 career interceptions. He is currently out dealing with a hamstring injury, which doesn’t appear serious.

Lattimore, who played at Ohio State, joins a Washington team with three former OSU teammates: WR Terry McLaurin, DE Jalyn Holmes and WR Noah Brown.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reveals the compensation involved for Lattimore.

Lattimore has two years remaining on his contract after the current season.

 

Instant analysis on Panthers’ reported trade of WR Jonathan Mingo

The math was no longer mathing when it came to Jonathan Mingo. So, the Panthers did a little addition by subtraction on Tuesday.

Selecting wide receiver Jonathan Mingo with the 39th overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft was always going to be a long play for the Carolina Panthers. But after just 18 months and 24 games, that play has been cut short.

NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport were first with the news on Tuesday that the Panthers are trading Mingo to the Dallas Cowboys. The deal, which will be made official later on today, is going to see the 23-year-old pass catcher and a 2025 seventh-round pick head out in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

And if that is indeed the compensation for a player who the Panthers were no longer utilizing, then it’s a win.

Mingo was considered a rather raw prospect coming out of the University of Mississippi, but the upside was there—and it was quite intriguing. Perhaps reminiscent of fellow Rebel A.J. Brown, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder possessed the size, speed and athleticism to become a game-breaking piece at the next level.

But that simply hasn’t been the case in the NFL. Mingo’s tenure in Carolina—one that has yielded 539 receiving yards and zero touchdowns—has been defined by questions about his route-running ability and a lack of effectiveness as the downfield threat the organization was hoping to develop.

Although they spent a high second-round pick on Mingo just a year ago, the Panthers made out relatively well in their return for him. An upcoming fourth-rounder, especially for a team looking to build a fresh foundation, is a solid get for a receiver who has recorded only one catch for one yard over the last month.

With the coaching staff continuing to put their eggs in the baskets of exciting rookie wideouts Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, Mingo was turning into the odd man out. Luckily, however, the Panthers were able to make the math work on this move.

[lawrence-related id=706401,706374,706261]

NFL trade deadline tracker: What moves were made?

NFL trade deadline news

The NFL trade deadline coincides with election day. Something tells us football fans will be distracted until the time for deals passes.

The Detroit Lions made a move to shore up their defensive line.

The Dallas Cowboys are looking at being without CeeDee Lamb due to his injured shoulder. They added a wideout from the Panthers. Jonathan Mingo loses a trip to Munich and gets to join America’s Team on its bye week.

The Cincinnati Bengals added a running back, getting Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears.

The Washington Commanders made a solid move to strengthen their secondary in a deal with the New Orleans Saints.

The Steelers have been in the market for every wide receiver available. They finally were able to catch one as Mike Williams comes over from the Jets. That’ll team Williams. He goes from a 3-5 team with a controversial quarterback who threw him under the bus after a game to a first-place squad.

The Steelers took care of the defensive side of the football, too.

The Ravens needed some secondary help and picked up Tre’Davious White from the Los Angeles Rams.

NFL analyst would ‘love to see’ Bengals WR Tee Higgins trade to Steelers

Bengals fans probably wouldn’t love this trade.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t trading Tee Higgins.

That’s perhaps the most-written sentence about the Bengals here and elsewhere over the course of the last year.

And yet, that won’t stop the ideas from pouring in ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Case in point, when outlining deals he would love to see, USA Today’s Tyler Dragon lists the Bengals sending Higgins to the Pittsburgh Steelers as one of the top six:

Higgins is a strong receiver, has a good catch radius and is comfortable playing as the X or Z receiver.

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said before that he’s not in the business of making other teams better, and the Bengals certainly don’t want to do business with a division rival. But Higgins would be an excellent fit in Pittsburgh’s offensive system and form a great pairing with George Pickens.

Bengals fans, undoubtedly, would not love to see that one.

It’s a lopsided idea in the sense that it stresses how fun it would be to see Higgins in Pittsburgh’s offense, which is fair. Higgins would be an ideal fit there and give the Steelers a reliable weapon they can’t seem to draft well, considering the risks that franchise takes at the position that tends to backfire.

But that makes this more interesting from a free-agency perspective next offseason, not at this year’s deadline.

The Bengals won’t trade away Higgins for pretty much any offer. The offense is simply much better when he’s on the field and there’s still the slim chance they can get him back on a long-term deal next summer. Unlikely, but rest assured the front office thinks that way.

And the Bengals especially wouldn’t trade Higgins within the division. They might have to line up twice per year against him if he chooses the Steelers in free agency next summer, but the Bengals wouldn’t intentionally do that to themselves, anyway.

To top it all off, Higgins is hurt again anyway and the team’s win-now trade move on Tuesday morning shows that the Bengals are all-in as buyers, not sellers.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Bengals ‘not done’ at NFL trade deadline after Khalil Herbert deal

The Bengals aren’t done yet at the NFL trade deadline.

The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t done with the NFL trade deadline just yet, despite making a deal with the Chicago Bears for running back Khalil Herbert.

So says a new report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini: “The Cincinnati Bengals trade with the Bears to get running back Khalil Herbert, and I was told they’re not done. Cincinnati continues to look around the league for an addition on defense.”

Russini was one of several reporters saying that the Bengals will be buyers at the deadline, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

If the Bengals make another move, it figures to happen on that side of the ball. Cornerback depth is an issue and getting Trey Hendrickson some pass-rushing help figures to be a priority.

While there aren’t many affordable corners on the trade block right now, there are plenty of pass-rushers. Expect that to be the move, should the Bengals break their historical ways again with another win-now deal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1]

Panthers fans react to trade of WR Jonathan Mingo

Panthers fans seem to like what their team is getting in exchange for WR Jonathan Mingo.

Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers’ second-round investment in last year’s draft has not paid off. So, it’s time to move on.

On Tuesday morning, NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported that the Panthers are trading wide receiver Jonathan Mingo to the Dallas Cowboys. Mingo, the 39th overall selection in 2023, and a 2025 seventh-round pick will be headed to “Jerry World” in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick.

The former Ole Miss standout closes out his chapter in Carolina with just 55 catches for 539 yards and zero touchdowns over 24 games. And needless to say, the 23-year-old didn’t really catch on with much of the Panthers’ faithful.

Here’s how fans are reacting to the swap . . .

[lawrence-related id=706377,706374,706370]