After the NFL trade deadline Oct. 30, some teams have improved in their hopes for a Super Bowl and others who traded away star players for future draft picks to rebuild. Many of the players moved will help their new teams greatly as the NFL moves into the second half of its regular season and playoff pictures start to become clearer in the coming weeks. Here is a reaction to some of the biggest trades made at the deadline.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Washington Redskins for a 2019 Fourth-Round Pick:
It may seem to many that after trading away a young pro bowl safety the Green Bay Packers are jumping ship on this season, but it seemed to be a smart move for the popular franchise. While the Packers are going to have to fight to make the playoffs where they sit behind the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears at 3-3-1 in the talented NFC North defense was never going to be their key to victory. The key to Green Bay’s success is by having Aaron Rodgers and Co. be a top offense that can easily outscore any opponent to go along with a competent but not stellar defense to stop the opposing team. To the surprise of many, even without big-name stars like on many other teams, the team’s defense has been sufficient thus far. Coming into Week 9, the Packers’ defense ranks 12th fewest in yards given up per game, as well as having allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game at 221.7. The impressive secondary certainly won’t improve with the loss of star safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, but if players like Kevin King, Jaire Alexander and Tramon Williams can keep the defense playing well, then there shouldn’t be too much drop off from the success the unit has already seen this season. A fourth-round pick isn’t a huge return, but it gives Green Day more draft capital for the future while getting rid of a player who seemed ready to hit free agency anyway. As for the Washington Redskins, this is a great move as they now have an elite safety duo featuring Clinton-Dix and D.J. Swearinger. Before making the trade, the Redskins’ defense was top five in least yards allowed per game as well as point allowed per game. Now with Clinton-Dix in the secondary, it is easy to see this unit remain top five for the remainder of the season and possibly getting the team into the playoffs.
Demaryius Thomas traded from the Denver Broncos to the Houston Texans for a 2019 Fourth-Round Pick and Swapping of Team’s Seventh-Round Picks:
One of the least surprising moves before the deadline included veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas trading the rocky mountains for the heat of Houston. It had been speculated for weeks that Thomas was bound to be traded despite his reassurance that he wanted to remain with the Broncos. As it stands, the Broncos will have a tough road to get through if they want to make it to the playoffs as they have the talented Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers currently leading the AFC West. Thomas’ production has been down recently as he failed to crack the 1,000 receiving yard plateau at the end of last year breaking a streak of five straight seasons reaching the milestone. This season is even worse as the 30-year-old receiver is on pace for a mere 804 yards and six touchdowns. Part of the reason for his decline in production is that a combination of Case Keenum, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch over the past few seasons don’t compare to the quarterback play Thomas got out of Peyton Manning during their time on the field, those being the receiver’s best years. Denver gets a fourth-round pick to help rebuild, and the Houston Texans get a veteran wide receiver to play opposite of DeAndre Hopkins and gives another “talented” target for young quarterback DeShaun Watson to throw to. After Will Fuller V tore his ACL in Week 8, Houston needed to bolster their receiving corp and take some attention away from Hopkins, getting just what they needed with Thomas. Demaryius Thomas won’t have to wait long to face his former teammates as the Denver Broncos, and the Houston Texans play each other in Week 9.
Dante Fowler Jr. traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2019 Third-Round Pick and a 2020 Fifth-Round Pick:
After starting the season 8-0, the Los Angeles Rams bolstered their defense even more before the trade deadline with the acquisition of former third overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. The Rams already feature a top-10 defense in terms of yards and points allowed per game and already have star players like Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters and Michael Brockers. Fowler, who has had an up and down journey in his young NFL career, is still an elite prospect who can really shine in Los Angeles if the coaching fits well with him. It is just another addition that makes the Rams a legit Super Bowl contender. The Jacksonville Jaguars, on the other hand, are in a bit of a funk going into Week 9 as they sit at 3-5 with a scoring differential of -36. The elite defense hasn’t been able to capture its former glory from last season, and the offense is a mess. The loss of Fowler shouldn’t hurt the defense all that much, and this allows the Jaguars to get draft capital to help improve the offense in the future. Jacksonville still has a legitimate chance to make the playoffs in the AFC South, but it will require a turnaround from the offense to do so.
Golden Tate traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2019 Third-Round Pick:
The former Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles improved their offensive arsenal even more with the addition of Pro Bowl wide receiver Golden Tate. Tate formally being a member of the Seattle Seahawks and most recently the Detroit Lions has three 1,000 yard seasons under his belt as well as a Super Bowl ring. Primarily used out of the slot in his time with Seattle and Detroit, the 30-year-old receiver should take up that role with a new team moving fellow playmaker Nelson Agholor to the outside. Now with three above-average wide receivers with Tate, Agholor and Alshon Jeffery, quarterback Carson Wentz should have no problem moving the ball down the field. The Eagles are in a good spot offensively as they also have Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz along with a backfield by committee featuring Corey Clement, Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood. As for the Detroit Lions, making it to the playoffs in a very competitive NFC North is going to be a challenge, but they haven’t completely given up despite the loss of Tate. Detroit still features two formidable wide receivers with Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones as well as impressive rookie running back Kerryon Johnson giving quarterback Matthew Stafford enough weapons to compete while also getting a third-round pick for the future.
