The NFL commerce deadline formally handed on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, and whereas there weren’t as many noteworthy offers as in latest weeks, a number of groups made strikes to enhance their playoff hopes.
With that in thoughts, listed here are the most important winners and losers from Tuesday’s flurry of trades:
WINNER | Washington Commanders
Having a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract can utterly change the trajectory of a franchise, and the Commanders are benefiting from the chance Jayden Daniels is giving them.
Washington (7-2) made the biggest splash at the trade deadline, buying four-time Professional Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round decide in a cope with the Saints on Tuesday. To finish the commerce, the Commanders gave New Orleans their third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks within the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Commanders have been probably the most stunning and feel-good tales of the common season’s first half. Nevertheless, Tuesday’s blockbuster solidified them as a real menace to win the NFC East and a staff able to making a deep playoff run.
After permitting essentially the most passing yards (4,627) and touchdowns (39) final season, Washington’s protection has improved considerably underneath new HC Dan Quinn. By 9 video games, Washington is permitting 202.41 passing yards per contest, the Eleventh-fewest within the NFL, although the stats are a bit skewed as a consequence of going through just a few underwhelming quarterbacks.
The addition of Lattimore ought to assist the unit proceed to make progress. In seven video games this season, the previous first-round decide has made 30 tackles and two go breakups whereas permitting simply 83 yards in coverage, the fewest amongst cornerbacks who’ve performed no less than 400 snaps.
LOSER | Dallas Cowboys
Regardless of proudly owning a 3-5 report and anticipating to be with out QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) for no less than the following 4 video games, the Cowboys determined to be patrons forward of the commerce deadline. On Tuesday, Dallas traded a fourth-round pick within the 2025 NFL Draft to accumulate second-year WR Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round decide from Carolina.
Whereas it is not a horrible concept to begin constructing for the long run amid a misplaced season and taking a flier on a participant underneath contract via 2026, it is nonetheless a questionable deal for Dallas.
Mingo hasn’t proven a lot promise since being drafted thirty ninth total in 2023. Final season, the Ole Miss product solely caught 43 passes for 418 yards, and he hasn’t fared significantly better via 9 video games in 2024. Not solely does Mingo have simply 121 yards on 12 receptions, however he additionally misplaced reps to rookie Jalen Coker, an undrafted free agent out of Holy Cross.
Except for the truth that Mingo in all probability is not a participant price playing on, the Cowboys overpaid to accumulate him primarily based on how the large receiver commerce market shook out, making the transfer much more questionable. In any case, the Chiefs traded a conditional fifth-round decide to land five-time Professional Bowler DeAndre Hopkins, and the Ravens despatched a fifth-rounder of their very own to Carolina for Diontae Johnson and a sixth-round decide.
WINNER | Pittsburgh Steelers
Time will inform if the AFC North-leading Steelers (6-2) are professional Tremendous Bowl contenders. Regardless, Pittsburgh desperately must win no less than one playoff recreation — one thing it hasn’t achieved since 2016 — to think about this season a hit, and the staff made strides towards doing so on Tuesday.
The Steelers executed two low-risk, high-reward trades, sending a fifth-round pick to the Jets in trade for WR Mike Williams and dealing a seventh-rounder to land ex-Packers edge-rusher Preston Smith.
Williams, an impending free agent, was a non-factor in 9 video games with New York, catching simply 12 passes for 166 yards. Even so, the 6-foot-4, 218-pounder is a reliable veteran who ought to enhance a Steelers staff whose second-leading receiver, TE Pat Freiermuth, ranks 92nd within the NFL in receiving yards (264).
In the meantime, the 31-year-old Smith ought to function a priceless rotational piece for a protection that ranks second in factors (14.9) and ninth in yards per recreation allowed (310.25). Up to now this season, Smith, who averages 7.5 sacks per season, has collected 19 tackles, two for loss, 2.5 sacks and 4 QB hits.
LOSER | Patriots govt vice chairman of participant personnel Eliot Wolf
Like many groups, the Patriots (2-7) had a comparatively uneventful commerce deadline, although they did commerce edge-rusher Josh Uche to the Chiefs final week for a 2026 sixth-round decide. Although that was a worthwhile deal for New England, Wolf ought to’ve continued making strikes to assist expedite the staff’s rebuilding course of.
Final week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Patriots might do a mixture of shopping for and promoting, but they questionably selected to not. In accordance with Rapoport, groups have been enthusiastic about buying Ok.J. Osborn and Tyquan Thornton, two wideouts who haven’t got a lot of a future in New England. As a staff that clearly will not be in playoff rivalry for a while, the Patriots ought to’ve continued promoting off belongings.
Moreover, it could’ve made sense to accumulate no less than a good large receiver to help promising rookie QB Drake Maye’s improvement. Maybe there wasn’t a wideout accessible price overpaying for, however the Patriots might’ve afforded to take an enormous swing for an impending free agent, particularly since they’ve essentially the most cap house within the NFL for 2025.
WINNER | New Lions edge-rusher Za’Darius Smith
Smith, a three-time Professional Bowler who has 5 sacks this season, had the privilege of being traded from one of many NFL’s worst groups to among the finest. There was appreciable buzz surrounding a possible deal that might ship Smith to Detroit main as much as the deadline, and the Lions and Browns lastly got here to an settlement on Tuesday.
As a part of the deal, the Lions traded a 2025 fifth-round draft selection and a 2026 sixth-rounder to Cleveland for Smith and a 2026 seventh-round decide. It was a sensible transfer for each groups, because the Browns acquired some much-needed draft capital to construct for the long run, whereas Detroit strengthened its possibilities of contending for Tremendous Bowl LIX.
With Smith added to the combo, the Lions discovered a high quality substitute for star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a season-ending leg damage in Week 6. The Lions protection has struggled within the first three video games with out Hutchinson, racking up the eighth-fewest sacks within the NFL (five) whereas posting a 30.6% pass-rush win fee, rating twenty sixth amongst groups.
LOSER | New York Giants
The two-7 Giants selected to face pat on the commerce deadline, which might come again to hang-out them by the point April rolls round. New York had just a few intriguing commerce candidates, together with impending free brokers WR Darius Slayton and edge-rusher Azeez Ojulari, who drew curiosity from groups like Pittsburgh and Atlanta.
It is inconceivable to disclaim that Slayton and Ojulari have been strong for the Giants. Slayton has caught 32 passes for 469 yards and one landing this season, whereas Ojulari has notched six sacks, two shy of his profession excessive. Though the Giants might re-sign each gamers, it is puzzling why they did not money in on their worth now, provided that it opted in opposition to extending Slayton final offseason and traded for star edge-rusher Brian Burns to switch Ojulari.
Hanging on to Slayton and Ojulari would’ve made extra sense if Giants GM Joe Schoen was on the recent seat. Nevertheless, proprietor John Mara told reporters final month that he did not plan on firing Schoen or HC Brian Daboll this offseason. Now that they’ve handed up the chance to gather potential trade-up ammo for the 2025 draft, the Giants should hope they do not string collectively just a few meaningless wins to fall out of vary to land a high quarterback prospect.
