Poll: Who Fared Best At Trade Deadline?

The NFL trade deadline has trended upward in recent years, and Tuesday resembled — to some degree, at least — the frenzy the NBA or MLB deadlines bring. In the days leading up to Tuesday’s record-setting deadline sequence — a 10-trade day — other teams improved their situations as well.

Although the Broncos received the only first-round pick exchanged during this year’s in-season trade cycle, the 49ers came away with the splashiest addition. San Francisco showed off its Christian McCaffrey move against their rivals and second-place CMC finishers Sunday, with the versatile back joining Walter Payton and LaDainian Tomlinson as the only backs to complete the rush-catch-throw touchdown triple.

On the other end of that deal, the Panthers collected four draft picks for McCaffrey and two from the Cardinals for Robbie Anderson. Carolina now has two additional Day 2 choices from the McCaffrey swap, though the retooling team is believed to have passed on a Rams offer of two first-round picks for edge rusher Brian Burns. Was that the right call? Because the Rams could not acquire McCaffrey or Burns, they ended up as odd bystanders during an action-packed deadline.

The Dolphins sent the 49ers a fifth-rounder for Jeff Wilson, reuniting him with ex-San Francisco OC Mike McDaniel, but Bradley Chubb was Miami’s deadline prize. Seven months after they sent a first-rounder and change to the Chiefs for Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins became the first team since the 2019 Chiefs (Frank Clark) to send over a Round 1 pick for an edge defender. Chubb (5.5 sacks) will step in to take over as Miami’s pass-rushing anchor, while the Broncos obtained more than they did for Von Miller‘s one-time sidekick than they did for the future Hall of Famer. Denver, which collected first- and fourth-rounders and Chase Edmonds in this blockbuster, now has a 2023 first-round choice after previously being without first- or second-rounders next year due to the Russell Wilson trade.

The Bears vacillated between buyers and sellers over the past several days, unloading Ryan Pace-era defensive investments Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith but adding Chase Claypool. Chicago picked up second- and fifth-round picks from Baltimore for Smith but sent its own second to Pittsburgh for Claypool, beating out Green Bay’s offer of a Round 2 choice for the 238-pound wideout. The Bears, who still have a 2023 sixth-rounder left over from the Khalil Mack trade, will have three additional draft choices because of their activity this week.

Pittsburgh did well to obtain a second for Claypool, who turned out to carry considerable value on the market. Known aficionados of Day 2 wideouts, the Steelers can replenish their receiver cadre — or add in other areas — with two second-rounders next year.

Although the Browns nabbed Deion Jones in October for a low cost, the Ravens’ Smith addition headlined the AFC North’s moves. The Ravens had attempted to keep C.J. Mosley in 2019 and made Bobby Wagner a big offer this year. GM Eric DeCosta has his acclaimed linebacker now. Though, the Ravens could be faced with an interesting offseason predicament. They have now acquired a contract-year standout ahead of a franchise tag window in which Lamar Jackson will be expected to receive the tag.

Chicago’s Claypool addition was not the most interesting NFC North move. Due to the scarcity of intra-division trades, the Lions’ decision to send T.J. Hockenson‘s through-2023 contract to the Vikings may linger for a while. While most teams prefer to send key players out of the conference, or at least out of their division, Detroit — which partnered with Minnesota on April’s Jameson Williams trade-up — collected second- and third-round picks for Hockenson and multiple Day 3 choices. The Vikings will return to Detroit with Hockenson Dec. 11 and should be expected to discuss an extension with the Pro Bowl pass catcher, who will team with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen on the 6-1 squad.

The Bills made two pre-deadline moves, acquiring Nyheim Hines and reuniting with safety Dean Marlowe, while the Falcons added a player (cornerback Rashad Fenton) and dealt away two (Marlowe, Calvin Ridley). Jacksonville’s move qualifies as one of the most unique in recent NFL history, with Ridley suspended for gambling but also now part of a trade that could send a second-rounder to Atlanta if the once-promising receiver re-signs with the Jaguars. Ridley, who totaled 1,374 receiving yards in 2020, could be an interesting piece in the Jags’ Christian Kirk-led receiving corps. But he will apply for reinstatement next year having not played since midway through the 2021 season.

How much will the Chiefs pickup of injury-prone but electric wideout Kadarius Toney move the needle? Will the Jets’ James Robinson get do enough to fill the Breece Hall void? What team improved its situation the most during this year’s leadup to the deadline? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Which team fared the best at this year's trade deadline?
San Francisco 49ers 22.80% (922 votes)
Miami Dolphins 21.77% (880 votes)
Minnesota Vikings 11.82% (478 votes)
Chicago Bears 10.66% (431 votes)
Pittsburgh Steelers 6.88% (278 votes)
Baltimore Ravens 6.80% (275 votes)
Buffalo Bills 4.33% (175 votes)
Denver Broncos 3.51% (142 votes)
Philadelphia Eagles 3.14% (127 votes)
Detroit Lions 2.25% (91 votes)
Carolina Panthers 2.03% (82 votes)
Jacksonville Jaguars 1.41% (57 votes)
Atlanta Falcons 1.36% (55 votes)
Another team (make your case in the comments) 1.24% (50 votes)
Total Votes: 4,043

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/2/22

Here are today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dolphins GM: Team Anticipates Near-Future Bradley Chubb Extension

After taking another big trade swing for a veteran Tuesday, the Dolphins do not have a first-round pick in 2023. But they hope to follow their Tyreek Hill extension with a Bradley Chubb deal soon.

Chris Grier said he believes a long-term Chubb accord will come to pass soon. Chubb is in the final year of his Broncos rookie contract, playing out a fifth-year option worth $12.716MM. Illustrating Chubb’s market value, the Dolphins are picking up the remainder of the edge rusher’s option salary, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. That undoubtedly led to the Dolphins including Chase Edmonds‘ two-year, $12MM contract in Tuesday’s deal. Miami held barely $6MM in cap space before the trade; Chubb is on the Dolphins’ payroll at just more than $7MM.

When you do a deal like that for a player, you always would like to — from our perspective, when we do business — we would like to have something done,” Grier said, via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons. “And we anticipate having something finished up here shortly.”

Miami traded first- and fourth-round picks to the Broncos for Chubb, including Edmonds in the swap. The team filled Edmonds’ role by reuniting Mike McDaniel with Jeff Wilson. Grier said he and Broncos GM George Paton — once coworkers with the Dolphins during the 2000s — began discussing Chubb weeks ago but noted conversations became serious after the Broncos returned from London.

Grier and Paton, both 52, worked together from 2001-06 with the Dolphins, prior to Paton leaving for Minnesota. Grier said (via Local10.com’s David Lang) he did extensive homework on Chubb’s injury history. The former No. 5 overall pick has missed 24 career games — due mostly to a 2019 ACL tear and two 2021 ankle surgeries. Chubb has not missed any time this season, registering 5.5 sacks in eight Broncos games.

The Broncos discussed Chubb with more than 10 teams, driving his price up. That eclipses the suitor volume of last year’s Von Miller sweepstakes. The Broncos needed to pick up most of Miller’s contract-year salary to land second- and third-round picks from the Rams, but the future Hall of Famer was in his age-32 season in 2021. Chubb is 26. Paton said (via Klis, on Twitter) a first-round pick needed to be included for him to sign off on unloading Denver’s latest contract-year edge standout.

Chubb has not accomplished anything close to what Miller has, but his Dolphins contract will eclipse the future Hall of Famer’s Bills free agency deal for AAV. Six edge defenders now earn at least $20MM on average. Miller is in that club, though the nonguaranteed years of his Buffalo deal moved the AAV to $20MM. Chubb can probably push to top Maxx Crosby‘s $23.5MM-per-year price, considering what the Dolphins paid in the trade and the salary cap set to spike again after its 2021 dip.

The Broncos are the first team to collect a first-round pick for an edge rusher since the Seahawks obtained one in a 2019 deal that sent Frank Clark to the Chiefs. The Dolphins are the first team to surrender a first-rounder for a defender in-season since the Rams dealt two for Jalen Ramsey later in 2019. Miami also collected a first-rounder for a defender during the ’19 season, having dealt Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers that September.

Like they did with Hill, the Dolphins are betting big on a veteran. Miami entered training camp with two 2023 first-round picks. Both are now gone, with the other (the Dolphins’ original 2023 first-rounder) stripped because of the Tom BradySean Payton tampering scandal. The pick sent to Denver for Chubb is the one obtained in last year’s Trey Lance swap with San Francisco.

It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins move forward with a Chubb deal before he takes the field with his new team. They greenlit Hill’s receiver-record $30MM-per-year pact the day they acquired him from the Chiefs. Chubb signing now would also protect him against another injury affecting his value. But any scenario in which the Dolphins do not sign Chubb before free agency would likely lead to a franchise tag.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/1/22

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

  • Released: QB Reid Sinnett

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

49ers To Trade RB Jeff Wilson To Dolphins

Minutes after trading away one running back, the Dolphins have acquired another. San Francisco is sending Jeff Wilson to Miami, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds that the Dolphins are sending a 2023 fifth-round pick in return (Twitter link).

[RELATED: Dolphins To Acquire LB Chubb From Broncos]

Last week, it was reported that the 26-year-old was drawing trade interest. That came as little surprise, given San Francisco’s acquisition of Christian McCaffrey to operate as their new No. 1 back. Wilson represented one of several veterans at the position who either have been (or have been rumored to be) on the move in advance of this afternoon’s deadline. Moving him will allow the 49ers to recoup a small amount of draft capital after the McCaffrey trade.

Wilson will represent a familiar face for Miami despite the cross-country move, of course. He will be reunited with Mike McDaniel, who is in his first season as the Dolphins’ head coach after working on San Francisco’s staff. Wilson had spent each of his four-and-a-half seasons in the Bay Area, making contributions as part of the team’s rotation at RB along the way. His career high in rushing yards was 600 (set in 2020), but he was enjoying another productive year in 2022 (5.1 yards per carry).

Wilson will also resume his work in a tandem with Raheem Mostert in the backfield for Miami, just as the pair did in San Francisco. The latter signed a one-year deal this March in following McDaniel to the Sunshine State. Wilson, too, has been operating on a one-year pact in 2022. He and Mostert are in line to lead the Dolphins’ backfield for the remainder of the season, after Chase Edmonds was included in the package sent to the Broncos for pass rusher Bradley Chubb

To say the Dolphins’ plan of teaming Jaylen Waddle with Tyreek Hill has worked so far would be a dramatic understatement. The wide receiver tandem has proven to be arguably the league’s best, with Hill and Waddle ranking first and fourth league-wide in yards, respectively. The ground game has been much different, however. Miami sits 28th in the NFL with an average of only 88 rushing yards per game.

That figure demonstrates the team’s inability to substantially improve on last year’s struggles in the run game, something which played a key role in their offensive inconsistency. With Wilson in place now, how much of a step forward the team takes in at least complimenting the pass game (and what is now a much-improved defense) will be worth watching down the stretch.

Broncos Trade Bradley Chubb To Dolphins

Barely 90 minutes before the trade deadline, the Broncos have decided to accept a Bradley Chubb trade offer. They are sending the fifth-year pass rusher to the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Denver will receive the 2023 first-round pick Miami obtained from San Francisco, along with a 2024 fourth-rounder and running back Chase Edmonds. The Dolphins will receive Chubb and a 2025 fifth, Schefter tweets. The Broncos needed to make a decision: accept an offer including a first-round pick or attempt to extend Chubb in 2023. Second-year GM George Paton took the first-rounder-fronted package. The teams have announced the deal.

This marks the second time in two years the Broncos have traded a cornerstone edge rusher at the deadline. Chubb, 26, will join 2021 trade chip Von Miller in the AFC East. Miami has made some moves to fortify its pass rush this year, re-signing Emmanuel Ogbah and adding Melvin Ingram and Trey Flowers in free agency. Despite these moves, the Dolphins have tallied only 15 sacks this season. No player has more than three. Chubb will head to Miami after registering 5.5 sacks in his final Broncos season.

Denver’s latest seller trade wraps a swiftly developing saga. At this point last week, Chubb was expected to bring in a Miller-like haul (second- and third-round picks). But the Broncos discussed Chubb with more than 10 teams; a first-rounder was reported to be on the table since Sunday morning. The Jets and Dolphins were linked as being willing to send the Broncos a first-rounder, but while New York was believed to have backed off, Miami will pay up for the contract-year pass rusher. It is unclear if another team offered a first, but it is unsurprising the Broncos parted with Chubb for such compensation.

The Dolphins are now expected to work out a long-term deal with Chubb, Schefter tweets. Such a contract will cost north of $20MM per year. But the Dolphins are in a better position to pay Chubb his market value compared to the Broncos, who now have an expensive quarterback on their payroll.

Ogbah is signed to a $16.35MM-per-year deal, while first-rounder Jaelan Phillips (team-high three sacks) is attached to a rookie contract through 2024. The Dolphins ponied up record-setting receiver dough for Tyreek Hill, and they are set to pay Chubb as well. These accords will complement Tua Tagovailoa‘s rookie contract. With Tua not an open-and-shut 2023 extension candidate like Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert yet, the Dolphins can slow-play it with the 2020 No. 5 overall pick. Tagovailoa can be kept on his rookie deal through 2024, via the fifth-year option.

Sitting in a tie for second place in the AFC East with the Jets, the Dolphins (5-3) will be armed with a former Pro Bowl pass rusher. The Broncos chose Chubb fifth overall in 2018, and while the Nos. 6 and 7 picks from that draft became top-tier players (Quenton Nelson, Josh Allen), the North Carolina State-produced pass rusher still developed into an upper-echelon edge defender in Denver. Chubb registered 12 sacks as a rookie and bounced back from a 2019 ACL tear with a 2020 Pro Bowl berth. Chubb underwent two ankle surgeries in 2021, leading to a zero-sack season, but has rebounded again to help the Broncos form a top-five defense despite Vic Fangio‘s exit.

The pre-deadline deal closes the Broncos’ book on a decent what-if chapter in their modern history. The team’s John Elway-led regime drafted Chubb to pair with Miller, but after 2018, the two rarely ended up playing together. Chubb went down early in 2019; Miller missed all of the 2020 season. Chubb was lost early in the 2021 campaign; by the time he returned, the Broncos had traded Miller to the Rams. Denver has retooled on the edge in 2022, and each of its current cogs are Paton-era investments.

Denver signed Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70MM deal, moved Baron Browning from inside linebacker to the edge and drafted Nik Bonitto in Round 2 this year. All three have shown flashes, but both Gregory and Browning are out with injuries presently. While Tuesday’s trade depletes Denver’s 2022 edge corps, the team is 3-5 and pounced on a rare opportunity to land a first-round pick for a somewhat injury-prone player.

After losing its first- and second-round 2023 picks in the Russell Wilson trade, Denver has replenished its draft cupboard to some degree. The Dolphins have also been active with first-round selections under GM Chris Grier. They collected this 2023 draft choice from the 49ers in 2021’s Trey Lance deal, moved up to draft Jaylen Waddle that year and sent the Chiefs a 2022 first-rounder for Hill. While the Chubb move gives the Broncos a first-round pick next year, the Dolphins are now without one. The NFL stripped Miami of its original 2023 first-round pick, in the Tom BradySean Payton tampering scandal, and the last of the selections obtained for Lance is now sacrificed for Chubb. The Dolphins are betting big Hill and Chubb can lead them to their first playoff win in 22 years.

Edmonds signed a two-year, $12.1MM deal this offseason but has seen ex-Mike McDaniel 49ers charge Raheem Mostert overtake him in Miami’s backfield. This season, Edmonds has 216 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He has not surpassed 10 carries in a game since Week 1. Edmonds, 26, showed more while playing alongside Kenyan Drake and James Conner, respectively, in Arizona. A fourth-round pick out of Fordham, Edmonds topped 800 scrimmage yards in 2020 and ’21. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry last season, but the Cardinals turned to Conner as their primary back and re-signed him this offseason.

The fifth-year back is tied to a $2MM 2022 base salary and a nonguaranteed $5.7MM 2023 salary. The Broncos could look to pair Edmonds with Javonte Williams next year, with current backfield cogs Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray unlikely to be with the team in 2023. For now, Edmonds will join the veterans who have been sharing the backfield since Williams’ ACL tear.

Dolphins Place OL Liam Eichenberg On IR, Activate Austin Jackson

The Dolphins have made a pair of moves affecting their offensive line. The team announced on Tuesday that they have placed guard Liam Eichenberg on IR, while activating tackle Austin Jackson.

Eichenberg was carted off the field during Sunday’s win over the Vikings on Sunday, and is believed to have suffered an MCL injury. Today’s news confirms that an extended absence will be forthcoming, as he will now be sidelined for at least the next four weeks.

A second-round pick in 2021, Eichenberg was seen as one of the top tackles in last year’s class. After a successful career at Notre Dame, he primarily saw time as the left tackle in his rookie season with the Dolphins, filling in as well on the right side. His PFF grade of 50.8 was a reflection of the team’s overall struggles up front, which led to a number of significant investments to bolster the unit this offseason.

That included the five-year, $75MM deal given to Terron Armstead, a move which has so far solidified the LT position as intended. That allowed Eichenberg to shift inside, though an improvement in his play has yet to take place. The 24-year-old currently ranks 71st out of 81 qualifying guards with a PFF grade of 44.9. Miami has a number of options to turn to as his replacement, including swing tackle Greg Little.

The latter could indeed see playing time on the inside once Jackson returns to game action. The USC product suffered an injury during the team’s season opener, which quickly landed him on IR. Miami turned to Little as his replacement protecting Tua Tagovailoa‘s blindside, but with limited success, based on Little’s league-worst tackle PFF rating. Jackson had been designated to return just under three weeks ago, so the Dolphins had to activate him ahead of Sunday’s game for him to be eligible to play again in 2022.

This move will leave the Dolphins with six activations for the remainder of the campaign. In addition to Eichenberg, the team has cornerback Byron Jones available to be activated at some point. In the short-term, at least, they will move forward with one staring o-lineman back in the fold while needing to replace another.

Injury Updates: Eichenberg, Smith, Parker, Moore, Bellinger

Dolphins guard Liam Eichenberg was carted off the field in this Sunday’s trip to Detroit. The injury isn’t as serious as initially feared, but it appears Eichenberg has suffered an MCL injury and will miss some time, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Miami will have options to replace Eichenberg. Michael Deiter started eight games at center last year for the Dolphins and 15 games at Eichenberg’s left guard position in 2019. Brandon Shell and Greg Little are also options with plenty of starting experience, albeit at tackle. Robert Jones is also an option after starting a game last year.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the NFL:

  • The Vikings are expected to be down another tight end after Irv Smith suffered a high ankle sprain in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. With Ben Ellefson on injured reserve, Minnesota will have to rely on veteran Johnny Mundt who came over from Los Angeles in the offseason. Mundt has had limited targets this year with Minnesota’s litany of talented pass catchers, but his 12 receptions are already more than he had during his five years with the Rams. The Vikings will also likely explore the option of signing one of its two practice squad tight ends, Jacob Hollister and Nick Muse.
  • After suffering a knee sprain on the first play of the Patriots’ win over the Jets this weekend, wide receiver DeVante Parker is not expected to miss extended time, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rapoport reports that if he does miss time, it should only be one game, especially since New England has a bye after next Sunday’s contest against the Colts. He should definitely be back in time for a rematch with the Jets in Week 11.
  • Colts cornerback Kenny Moore suffered a right hand sprain in practice last week, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. As Boyd inquired about the injury, Moore revealed that he has also been playing with a torn ligament in his left hand since the start of the season. Neither injury is expected to hold Moore out of any games, but this interview offered a glimpse into what Moore has been playing through this year.
  • After a gruesome freak accident that saw Jaguars rookie linebacker Devin Lloyd strike Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger directly in the eye on a whiffed attempt to punch the ball out, Bellinger reportedly “underwent successful surgery to correct fractures on (the) lower window of (his) eye socket and damage to (his) septum,” according to Fowler. Bellinger hopes to return in two to six weeks, but other sources indicate that four to six weeks is a much more reasonable timeline.

Jets, Dolphins Eyeing Bradley Chubb

With less than 48 hours remaining until the trade deadline, the interest shown in some of the top available players continues to heat up. A pair of serious suitors has been identified in the case of one big-name pass rusher.

A league GM informs NBC Sports’ Peter King that the Jets and Dolphins are “interested” in acquiring Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb. He adds that both teams could be willing to part ways with a first-round pick to land the 26-year-old, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

While that fact has made Chubb a prime trade candidate amidst the Broncos’ unexpected struggles, it also makes a Day 1 selection a steep price to pay for a midseason rental. For that reason, King adds, a deal involving a first-rounder would only be consummated if an extension were to be in place. It was reported last week that second- and third-round picks were likely to end up being the price for the former No. 5 pick – just as they were last season for Von Miller.

[RELATED: Chiefs, Rams Expected To Pursue Edge Rushers]

From a financial standpoint, both Miami and New York would need to undertake in some financial maneuvering to land Chubb. The Dolphins and Jets rank mid-pack in terms of current cap space, and neither has the room to fully absorb the $7.1MM remaining in Chubb’s 2022 compensation. Small extensions and/or restructures could open the door to a deal being possible, though.

Chubb has enjoyed a resurgent 2022 season, one in which Denver’s defense has played as one of the league’s elite units. He has 5.5 sacks, a welcomed sight after he was held without one last season. Ankle surgery limited him to seven games played in 2021, adding further to his injury troubles (resulting in 24 missed games across his first four NFL seasons).

Yesterday’s win over the Jaguars may have eased concerns about the Broncos’ offense and head coach Nathaniel Hackett‘s job status slightly, but at 3-5 the team could still very well find themselves in selling mode over the next two days. Denver is reportedly willing to move a number of players, a list which could include not only Chubb but also wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, running back Melvin Gordon and tight end Albert OkwuegbunamRegardless of the market for those players, however, an enticing offer for Chubb could be coming soon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/22

Here are the minor moves leading into Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Show all