Tag: Trade deadline

Packers end up as sellers, not buyers, at NFL’s trade deadline

The Packers made only one trade at Tuesday’s deadline, sending DE Preston Smith to the Steelers for a late-round pick in next year’s draft.

The Green Bay Packers are 6-3 entering the bye week and a legitimate playoff contender in the NFC at the midway point of the 2024 season.

At Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the Packers were sellers, not buyers.

General manager Brian Gutekunst made one trade, sending veteran edge rusher Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, which recouped the draft capital lost in the team’s trade for backup quarterback Malik Willis before the regular season.

Some outsiders saw edge rusher as an area where the Packers needed to add before the deadline. Instead, Gutekunst sold off an aging, expensive and mostly unproductive part from the pass-rushing equation.

Smith turns 32 in November, has only 10 pressures in nine games and was unlikely to be in Green Bay past the 2024 season. His transition from 3-4 outside linebacker to 4-3 defensive end wasn’t translating into production — a problem many of the pass-rushers in Green Bay are working through. The trade creates valuable cap space in the short-term and long-term, while also opening up snaps for younger players at edge rusher such as Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare.

The Packers have emphasized creating opportunities for young players to get on the field in big roles. That has meant moving on from older, experienced players and taking a risk on young, inexperienced talent. This appears to be another case of the Packers opening the door to the youth on the roster.

Van Ness, a 2023 first-round pick, stands to benefit the most. He is suddenly a very important player for the Packers, who have Super Bowl aspirations but can’t be considered a true title contender without more consistency from the pass-rush up front on defense.

Last year, the Packers were 3-6 and sellers, sending cornerback Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills. This year, the Packers have a 6-3 mark but remained sellers — suggesting Gutekunst found more team-building value in selling off an asset than buying one.

There’s a compelling case to make on the Packers’ need for help at edge rusher or cornerback, even as the defense has made progress under first-year coordinator Jeff Hafley. But the Packers rarely make trade deadline deals, likely as a result of never wanting to risk overpaying — especially for what could be a rental player – and so Gutekunst ended up being a seller once again.

Losing Smith isn’t likely to prevent the Packers from competing for a title. But will not adding a piece at the deadline allow any of the potentially fatal flaws of the Packers roster to be exposed come January? Time will tell. Like last year, the Packers will need internal improvement from a young but talented roster to turn Matt LaFleur’s team from a good one to a great one over the second half of the 2024 season.

Seahawks make no moves at the trade deadline

Seahawks make no moves at the trade deadline

The 2024 trade deadline for the NFL has officially come and gone. Among the teams who made no moves today were the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, the Seahawks made quite a splash by trading for defensive lineman Leonard Williams at the deadline. This year, there was no such plunge into that particular pool.

Seattle may be 4-5 and in last place, but no one else in the NFC West has more than five wins. All their goals are still very much ahead of them, so perhaps it is a little surprising the Seahawks did not make a move.

Then again, Seattle potentially already made their move two weeks ago when they acquired linebacker Ernest Jones IV in a trade with the Tennessee Titans. The Seahawks are building something new under head coach Mike Macdonald, and there is only so much of the future a team can mortgage for one season… a season in which they are not legitimate contenders for the ultimate prize. At least, not the team that we’ve seen for the last six weeks.

Still, given how atrocious the offensive line has been, it is understandable if there are fans who are disappointed the team did not make any move for a guard or center. Anthony Bradford, Laken Tomlinson, and Connor Williams as of late have been disastrous. If they were on any other team, they would not be playing, but these are the only options for the Seahawks right now.

Seattle clearly feels they have the right players this year. At least, that is what Macdonald keeps preaching. They will have to make some major adjustments during the bye week to prove it to the 12th Man.

Recapping the moves Broncos made ahead of NFL trade deadline

The Broncos made one trade ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton downplayed the NFL trade deadline in recent weeks and at least one report suggested the team would stand pat ahead of the deadline.

Perhaps that was a smokescreen.

The Broncos shipped outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. That ended up being the team’s only trade, but it wasn’t their only transaction.

Denver also gave a four-year, $60 million contract extension to fellow pass rusher Jonathon Cooper, locking him up through the 2028 season.

The Broncos could also get some reinforcements on the injury front this week. Denver wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) and center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) are both eligible to return from injured reserve and linebacker Drew Sanders is “close to returning” from an Achilles injury.

Broncos move before NFL trade deadline

  1. OLB Baron Browning traded to Cardinals
  2. OLB Jonathon Cooper signed to extension

With the deadline now passed, Denver’s full attention turns toward Sunday’s showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.

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Expect a quiet NFL trade deadline from Texans on Tuesday. Here’s why

The Houston Texans won’t be active before the 3 p.m. trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon.

Yes, the Houston Texans need to elevate their offensive line.

Yes, the AFC South leaders could use another target for C.J. Stroud in the passing game.

Yes, the favorites to clinch another playoff spot would benefit from more efficient safety play down the stretch with matchups against the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

But no, don’t expect the Texans to be aggressive buyers like other teams before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline. Perhaps they’ll add in a piece or two depth-wise, but the top names on the market aren’t likely to land at NRG Stadium on Wednesday morning.

“We’re always looking to add to our team, add to our depth. That’s something we do constantly throughout the year,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.

Five AFC contenders have added receivers leading into Week 10. The New York Jets reunited Davante Adams with Aaron Rodgers in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Hours later, Amari Cooper was sent from the Cleveland Browns to the Buffalo Bills.

The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs made deals with underwhelming teams like Carolina and Tennessee to land weapons in Dionate Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins, respectively.

Most recently, the Steelers gave George Pickens a running mate by landing former Jets No. 3 target Mike Williams to serve as the No. 2.

Houston, who rarely makes moves at the deadline, technically was the first contender to trade for a proven weapon, though it came before the draft with the acquisition of Stefon Diggs. It would remain a moot point if the four-time Pro Bowl receiver didn’t suffer a torn ACL in Week 8’s win over the Colts.

The Washington Commanders have struck gold by trading for four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints. Houston couldn’t afford to make that move even if cornerback was a need.

No, really, the Texans couldn’t afford Lattimore’s contract, given their current cap space. And to land any player on a substantial deal, they would need to restructure the contracts of players like offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard.

That’s probably not ideal since that would require them to shift salaries beyond the current contracts, meaning another extension.
Do the Texans want to extend Howard beyond his deal in 2026?
What about Tunsil through 2025?

Sure, Houston could offer a higher-value pick for compensation of the previous team paying off a player’s salary, but is the player a rental? The Texans are in win-now mode but still would benefit from keeping draft picks.

A team would also be entering a full-stage rebuild where it would take on the dead cap space for higher draft picks. Outside of perhaps Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf, is there a player worth giving up a second-round pick for?

If Houston adds a player, look for it to be a backup from a struggling team that needs a fresh start. Chicago’s Nate Davis might be the Texans’ best option for an offensive lineman, especially given that the Bears might be willing to eat most of his $8 million salary for the rest of the season.

Outside of him, it should be a quiet day. Houston swung to build its roster in the offseason by adding Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, Joe Mixon, Denico Autry and Diggs. That might be enough for Nick Caserio.

“There isn’t just a mad rush now at the trade deadline for us to change our approach and how we go about managing our roster,” Ryans said.

The Texans’ practice facility will be loud as they prep for their showdown with the Lions on Sunday Night Football.

The phone lines will be quiet until after 3 p.m.

It’s always been that way. It won’t change because of the times.

Trade Deadline: Grading the Steelers acquisition of WR Mike Williams

The Steelers acquired WR Mike Williams before the trade deadline; was the fifth-round pick worth it, or did Pittsburgh overpay for talent?

Pittsburgh fans rejoice!  General Manager Omar Khan has finally pulled the trigger on acquiring a fantastic WR opposite George Pickens when the Steelers traded for New York Jets’ WR Mike Williams.

The Khan artist, as fans often refer to him, had high expectations placed on him as Pittsburgh was hours away from the 4:00 PM EST trade deadline. While Williams is an incredible talent and a welcome addition to the team, did Khan overpay the Jets in this trade?

It was no secret that Pittsburgh needed a WR at the deadline, but it was always public knowledge that Williams was the odd man out in a stacked WR room in New York. With this being said, givHopkins? 2025 fifth-round draft selection, the same price that Kansas City paid for former All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins, seems a bit steep for a player who was being used so sparingly in the Aaron Rodgers-led New York offense.

While the Steelers’ front office did potentially create an unstoppable WR unit by acquiring Williams, the compensation package could have been cheaper, resulting in a B grade.

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AFC North rival strengthens run game with RB trade at deadline

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire RB Khalil Herbert in an attempt to solve their running game woes.

The trade deadline is finally here, and it appears the Cincinnati Bengals, AFC North rivals of Pittsburgh, couldn’t wait any longer for today’s festivities, as the team has made a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire RB Khalil Herbert in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, per insider Tom Pelissero.

The trade came just one day after Cincinnati’s Head Coach Zac Taylor announced that the team’s RB Zack Moss would be out indefinitely with a neck injury. This move boosts not only their run game but also the depth behind newly announced starting RB Chase Brown.

Considered by many to be dark horse candidates to challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North divisional title race, the 4-5 Bengals have bolstered what was once one of their weakest areas on offense, creating a two-headed RB monster with the addition of Herbert.

Will Pittsburgh make a blockbuster trade at the deadline to keep up with the rest of the AFC, or will the team see the deadline as an opportunity to acquire solid depth?

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Insider predicts Steelers to upgrade defense at trade deadline

Steelers insider Gerry Dulac believes Pittsburgh could have their eyes on defensive players at the trade deadline, primarily edge rushers.

The day has finally arrived—the exciting trade deadline!  Several analysts, players, and fans believed the Pittsburgh Steelers would be heavily involved in acquiring wide receivers at the trade deadline; however, one insider thinks that is unlikely. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette predicts the team will use the trade deadline to bolster the defense, focusing on depth concerns.

Appearing on the Randy Baumann & the DVE Morning Show, Dulac stated that “I do think they might make a deal to improve their depth, and you could look at maybe certain positions where they are lacking a little depth.” He mentioned concerns with edge rushers and cornerbacks.

This aligns with relevant issues, as OLB Nick Herbig is dealing with a serious hamstring injury, and OLB Alex Highsmith recently returned from an injury in Week 3.

Whether Pittsburgh should make the safe trade or the exciting one remains to be seen. However, the trade deadline on November 5th at 4:00 PM EST is around the corner, and fans of the Black and Gold will soon know what the team’s roster will look like in the second half of the 2024 season.

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NFL trade deadline: Tracking Broncos news and rumors

Today is the NFL trade deadline. We will be tracking Broncos news and rumors on this page.

Story update: The NFL’s trade deadline has passed and the only move the Broncos made was trading pass rusher Baron Browning to the Cardinals. See our original post below.

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is 2:00 p.m. MT today (Tuesday, Nov. 5). We will be tracking any potential moves the Denver Broncos make on this page.

Latest Broncos trade news

  • Denver agreed to trade outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick on Monday.
  • ESPN has reported that more moves could be on the way.
  • The Broncos have received trade interest in wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the past, but GM George Paton seems unlikely to trade away rookie quarterback Bo Nix’s favorirte target.

Potential Broncos trade candidates

  1. QB Jarrett Stidham
  2. QB Zach Wilson
  3. CB Damarri Mathis
  4. TE Greg Dulcich
  5. WR Courtland Sutton

Potential trade targets to watch

  1. TE David Njoku
  2. TE Evan Engram
  3. TE Taysom Hill
  4. WR Tee Higgins
  5. WR Christian Kirk

Players Broncos aren’t expected to trade

  1. DL D.J. Jones

Check back leading up to the NFL trade deadline as this page will be updated if the Broncos make any moves today.

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Predicting 14 roster moves Broncos could make in second half of season

The Broncos have seven players who could be returning to the 53-man roster soon. Here’s how they could make room for them.

The Denver Broncos could be getting a flurry of reinforcements in the coming weeks.

Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (hand) and center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) are now eligible to return from injured reserve, safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) returned to practice last week and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) is “close to returning.” His timeline is uncertain, but running back Tyler Badie (back) is also eligible to return from IR.

Meanwhile, linebacker Kwon Alexander is out of practice squad elevations and coach Sean Payton hinted last week that Alexander will eventually end up on the 53-man roster. Denver also bumped fullback Michael Burton down to the practice squad last week. Burton can be elevated one more time. After that, he will likely be a candidate to return to the active roster as well.

Reynolds, Alexander and Wattenberg are presumably candidates to all return to the 53-man roster this week. Sanders, Burton, Turner-Yell and Badie might also return at some point in the future.

The Broncos don’t have to make room for all of them right away — new injuries could open spots in the coming weeks — but the team will have to make some roster decisions, soon.

Denver opened up one spot by trading outside linebacker Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday. The Broncos could open another spot by bumping offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton down to the practice squad.

Denver could open three more spots if they traded tight end Greg Dulcich, cornerback Damarri Mathis and quarterback Zach Wilson ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. If they aren’t traded, Dulcich and Mathis might be candidates to attempt to get down to the practice squad. And given Payton’s recent frustrations with the team’s receivers, even Lil’Jordan Humphrey could be in danger of losing his spot on the active roster.

So with as many as seven players potentially returning to the active roster in the second half of the season, here are predictions on how the Broncos could make room for them. Keep in mind that these are projections — this is not a report of what the team will do. Rather, it’s a projection of what the team could do.

  1. WR Josh Reynolds activated from IR
  2. OLB Baron Browning traded (confirmed)
  3. C Luke Wattenberg activated from IR
  4. OL Calvin Throckmorton cut from 53
  5. LB Kwon Alexander promoted to 53
  6. TE Greg Dulcich traded or cut
  7. LB Drew Sanders activated from PUP
  8. CB Damarri Mathis traded or cut
  9. FB Michael Burton activated to 53
  10. QB Zach Wilson traded
  11. DB Delarrin Turner-Yell activated from IR
  12. WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey demoted to PS
  13. RB Tyler Badie activated from IR
  14. Future player placed on IR

Denver seems likely to make at least a few moves this week. Stay tuned.

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ESPN suggests Broncos could trade for pass-catching running back

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes the Broncos could target a pass-catching running back ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

The Denver Broncos traded pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, and more moves could be on the way.

Broncos backup quarterback Zach Wilson and tight end Greg Dulcich will be names to watch leading up to the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes Denver could also add a player ahead of the deadline.

“It wouldn’t shock to see the Broncos comb the market for a pass-catching running back,” Fowler wrote on ESPN.com. “Coach Sean Payton has always coveted those change-of-pace backs, which harks back to the Darren Sproles days.”

The idea of Payton wanting a receiving back is certainly plausible, but it’s hard to imagine there being room for another RB in Denver’s offense. Payton has repeatedly said this season that it’s hard to feature more than two RBs.

Javonte Williams remains the team’s workhorse back and Jaleel McLaughlin has been the change-of-pace back. Audric Estime got a career-high five carries on Sunday and Tyler Badie could return from a back injury at some point this season.

If Payton does bring in a running back, he might have to ship out a current RB to make room. We’ll track any potential moves on Broncos Wire.

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