Tag: nfl trade deadline

Report: 49ers trade for DE Chase Young before deadline

John Lynch and the 49ers have reportedly made a splash on trade deadline day with the acquisition of edge rusher Chase Young.

Before the trade deadline, John Lynch and the San Francisco 49ers made a splash with a blockbuster move.

With the clock ticking down on deadline day, the 49ers acquired edge rusher Chase Young in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Commanders, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the 49ers are reportedly sending a 2024 third round pick to Washington to land the former top draft pick.

Via @MikeGarafolo on Twitter:

Young was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020, Young has racked up 14 sacks over 34 games in his campaign with the Commanders.

The former Buckeye will provide a much-needed boost alongside reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

Report: Bears have high asking price for CB Jaylon Johnson ahead of trade deadline

According to Brad Biggs, the Bears have a “high asking price” for CB Jaylon Johnson as the trade deadline nears its end.

The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching, and cornerback Jaylon Johnson is still a Chicago Bear at time of publication (roughly an hour before the 3 p.m. CT deadline).

Johnson formally requested a trade late Monday night, and the Bears granted him permission to seek one shortly after. It could very well be a negotiating tactic to help Johnson gauge exactly what other teams would be willing to give him, as opposed to Chicago.

If the Bears opt to pull the trigger and deal Johnson, it sounds like a premium draft pick could be in play. According to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs, the Bears have a “high asking price” for Johnson, which could very well be a second-round selection.

Biggs also raised a good point: How much money does Johnson have in mind for a new contract?

That’s what both sides failed to find common ground on during negotiations. If Johnson’s camp sees that they likely won’t find a better deal than what Chicago is offering, it could wind up being good for the Bears.

Chicago has been active in the trade market already, acquiring defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2024 second-round selection.

We’ll see if Chicago will look to get that high selection back in dealing their top cornerback.

Commanders agree to trade DE Chase Young to 49ers

Washington moves on from Chase Young.

First Montez Sweat, now Chase Young. After trading Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick, the Commanders have dealt Young to the San Francisco 49ers, reportedly for a 2024 third-round pick.

The 2020 No. 2 overall pick was the NFL defensive rookie of the year, recording 7.5 sacks. However, after struggling in 2021, Young injured his knee in Week 10 and missed the remainder of the season.

Young didn’t return from injury until Week 16 of the 2022 season.

He played in six games this season and had played well. Young has five sacks in 2023 and recorded some strong pass-rush numbers via ESPN’s pass-rush win rate and Pro Football Focus.

Young will be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2023 season but now has a chance to play for one of the NFL’s best teams.

Jaguars acquire OL Ezra Cleveland in trade with Vikings

The Jaguars added to their offensive line before the trade deadline by acquiring Ezra Cleveland from the Vikings.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a move to bolster their offensive line, acquiring Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings just a couple hours before the NFL’s 4 p.m. trade deadline Tuesday.

According to Josina Anderson of FOX Sports, the Jaguars will send a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft to the Vikings in exchange for Cleveland.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was live on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show when the deal was reported.

“We’ve already got a good offensive line and Ezra can come in and give us really good depth,” Pederson said on the show. “It’s just a matter of getting him caught up. Getting him in the room with a really good offensive line. Guys like Brandon Scherff, he’s the leader in there, and Luke Fortner. Cam Robinson, Walker Little, these guys are just busting their tail every week.

“So getting a guy like Ezra, his caliber, we’ve got a starting type guard. It really solidifies our offensive line and makes us better.”

The Vikings drafted Cleveland in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft and he’s spent his entire career at guard with the team. After beginning on the right side, he’s spent time at left guard as of late and started the first six games of the 2023 season on the left side.

So why send Cleveland away for cheap?

According to Minnesota sports reporter Darren Wolfson, Cleveland has viewed himself as an offensive tackle and is itching to market himself as one in free agency. With his contract expiring in the offseason, the Vikings saw Cleveland as a player who wouldn’t be with the team in 2024 and beyond.

It could also mean the Jaguars are only getting a short-term rental. However, it also means Jacksonville would be the team getting a compensatory pick in 2025 if Cleveland leaves and there’s a strong free agency market for his services.

While the Jaguars’ offensive line has underwhelmed for much of the 2023 season, it’s unclear if Cleveland will be an immediate starter in Jacksonville. The team moved Walker Little to left guard after Cam Robinson returned from suspension and got good play from Little before a knee injury sidelined the lineman.

The likely answer is that Cleveland will take over guard duties sooner rather than later, though.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Joshua Dobbs trade grades: Did the Vikings gain anything besides pity in deal?

Dobbs isn’t a Kirk Cousins replacement, but he’s a veteran quarterback for a roster that needed one.

The Minnesota Vikings needed a quarterback after losing Kirk Cousins in the midst of a resplendent comeback season due to a torn Achilles. The Arizona Cardinals had little use for Joshua Dobbs, a benched journeyman passer in the midst of a lost, rebuilding year.

Thus, the two made logical dance partners as the 2023 NFL trade deadline rapidly approached. On Tuesday, amidst the backdrop of trade chatter for stars across the league, Minnesota added a quarterback with starting experience to take the reins and help push a 4-4 team toward the postseason in a sloppy and wide-open NFC Wild Card race.

But will bringing in Dobbs, a player already traded once in 2023, make any actual difference for the Vikings’ playoff hopes?

Montez Sweat is a great player, but what are the Bears thinking? Grade: C (or A)

The Chicago Bears’ trade for Montez Sweat makes sense in the short term, but the long term is undefined and potentially nonsensical.

Usually, teams at the trade deadline are either buyers (teams in playoff contention looking to fill those few final holes) or sellers (teams out of the race looking to stack draft picks for the future). In the case of Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, Tuesday’s trade with the Washington Commanders for the services of edge-rusher Montez Sweat for a 2023 second-round pick is a mixed message.

The Bears currently stand at 2-6, and even when Justin Fields returns from his thumb injury, there’s no guarantee that this team can get anywhere near the playoff hunt. Now, there’s no denying that Sweat, who Washington selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Mississippi State, is a superlative player at a position the Bears desperately need. This season, Sweat has eight sacks, four quarterback hits, and 15 quarterback hurries this season. Those 27 total pressures make him the most productive quarterback disruptor in his new defense — Yannick Ngakoue has 22 quarterback pressures, and Demarcus Robertson has 21.

And Sweat’s tape against the league’s best offensive linemen is entirely legit — his sack and four total pressures last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles came primarily against right tackle Lane Johnson, the gold standard at his position.

So, the immediate on-field benefits are clear. The long-term ramifications are stickier. Sweat is in the final year of his rookie deal, and though the Bears might be able to sign him to an extension, if they can’t for whatever reason, you have a situation in which a team in desperate need of a rebuild just gave away a high pick (37th overall at this point) for a player who will not be a part of that process.

So, yes — if the Bears have some sort of tacit agreement in place for Sweat’s future, this is a wise move. But if not? Poles is putting himself out there in ways he really shouldn’t.

5 takeaways on Commanders trading DE Montez Sweat to Bears

Five thoughts on the Montez Sweat trade.

After weeks of speculation, the Washington Commanders did make a move ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Washington sent defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 second-round pick.

The trade should give the Commanders three picks in the top 50 of the 2024 NFL draft.

Sweat leads Washington with 6.5 sacks in 2023 and is on pace to shatter his previous career-high of nine sacks set in 2020.

While we’ve seen what others think of the move, here are five takeaways from Sweat’s trade to Chicago.

Bengals won’t trade Tee Higgins despite WR garnering interest at deadline

The Bengals won’t move Tee Higgins at the deadline despite teams calling.

As expected, teams have shown interest in Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins at the NFL trade deadline.

And as expected, the Bengals continue to say no thanks.

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Higgins has “garnered trade interest” as the deadline approaches, but the Bengals aren’t expected to move him.

The Bengals have never had any legitimate interest in moving Higgins, who they view as a core piece of the franchise moving forward, despite the inability to work out an extension with him this past summer.

Last offseason, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin went viral for his “go find your own” comments when asked about teams calling the Bengals about Higgins.

Despite the slow start to Higgins’ season and the fractured rib, Higgins will play out the final year of his rookie dead in Cincinnati before the two sides head back to the negotiation table next offseason.

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

Report: Commanders taking calls on DE Chase Young

Could Chase Young be moved even after the Commanders traded Montez Sweat?

The Washington Commanders traded defensive end Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears Tuesday ahead of the NFL trade deadline. In return, the Commanders received Chicago’s 2024 second-round pick.

That should mean the Commanders are keeping Chase Young, right?

Not necessarily.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Commanders are still fielding calls for Young.

It’s long been believed Washington would never sign all four former first-round picks to long-term contracts. The Commanders already have re-signed defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne to new deals, so the logical conclusion was that Washington would choose between Young and Sweat.

Young returned this season after missing 21 games over the previous two seasons with a knee injury. In six games this season, Young has five sacks. His career-high is 7.5 sacks, set in his 2020 rookie season.

The Commanders declined Young’s fifth-year option in the spring, meaning he would be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. If Washington keeps Young and he continues to play well, the team could use the franchise tag on him and work out a new long-term deal.

Stay tuned.