Tag: trades

Feb 29, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter (LB24) works out during the 2024 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles go trade wild, make nine deals during draft

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Eagles played an aggressive version of “Let’s Make A Deal” during the final two days of the NFL draft.

The Eagles made nine trades during the seven-round draft, reportedly the most since draft deals began being tracked in 1990.

One of the deals came to move up to the second round Friday to draft cornerback Cooper DeJean of Iowa.

Philadelphia made two trades in Friday’s third round and three more in Saturday’s fourth. They netted Clemson running back Will Shipley with one of the fourth-round trades.

One of the two fifth-round trades led to the choice of linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. from Clemson. The elder Trotter was a four-time Pro Bowler for the Eagles, playing for the team in 1998-2001, 2004-06 and 2009.

“It means a lot,” the younger Trotter told reporters about being drafted by Philadelphia. “I know the type of legacy that he left with this organization, and the fans, how they treated him, and the coaches that he played for, and players he’s played for with the Eagles.

“It definitely means a lot to come in and continue that legacy and help out the team any way that I can. I’m a hometown kid, and the Eagles were always my favorite team growing up.”

Philadelphia made its final trade in the sixth round and was quiet in the seventh.

Before the Eagles began their trade frenzy, they used their first-round pick on Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell at No. 22 overall.

“Obviously, he’s got a lot to prove as a small-school player,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman told reporters. “The MAC is not the National Football League. We understand that. We’ve had tremendous success with big schools. To take a player like this from the MAC, he has to be special.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 12, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Football Team defensive end Chase Young (99) and defensive end Montez Sweat (90) on the field against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

NFL trade roundup: Commanders sell; Vikings add QB Josh Dobbs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Washington Commanders made the most noise at the NFL trade deadline, parting with starting defensive ends Montez Sweat and Chase Young, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Chicago Bears gave up a 2024 second-round draft pick for Sweat, and the San Francisco 49ers followed by trading a compensatory third-rounder for Young.
The two former first-round picks both will be free agents at the end of the league year.

Under the new ownership of Josh Harris — famed for green-lighting “the process” with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers — the 3-5 Commanders bid farewell to both Sweat and Young rather than trying to retain one or both on long-term deals. Tuesday’s trades will give Washington five picks in the first three rounds of the 2024 draft.

Young, 24, missed much of his second and third NFL seasons due to multiple injuries after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020. He had five sacks in seven appearances (six starts) in 2023 and has tallied 14 sacks and 26 quarterback hits in 34 career games.

The 49ers (5-3), currently on a three-game losing streak, added Young to an imposing front seven that already features defensive end Nick Bosa, Young’s former Ohio State teammate and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Bosa was the No. 2 pick in the 2019 draft, one year before Washington drafted Young second overall.

Sweat, 27, has recorded 6.5 sacks in eight games this season and is one of seven players with at least 5.0 sacks in each of the past five seasons.

Part of the motive for the Commanders to make the trades was the cap crunch surrounding their haul of first-round picks at the position. Washington had previously signed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a four-year, $72 million extension and his interior linemate Daron Payne to a four-year, $90 million contract.

Other trades reported or officially announced Tuesday before the 4 p.m. ET deadline:

–The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Josh Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals for a 2024 sixth-round draft choice.

The Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins when he sustained a season-ending torn right Achilles injury on Sunday.

The Cleveland Browns had traded Dobbs to Arizona at the close of training camp as the Cardinals were forced to start the season without Kyler Murray, still recovering from ACL surgery.

Dobbs, 28, completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,569 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games for Arizona. He has thrown for 2,025 yards with 10 touchdowns and eight picks in 16 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans and Cardinals.

–The Vikings also dealt left guard Ezra Cleveland to the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick, per multiple reports.

Cleveland, 25, missed the past two weeks with a foot injury, and former Denver Broncos starter Dalton Risner has held down the position in Minnesota.

Cleveland was a second-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2020, and he started all 17 games in both 2021 and 2022. He has made 53 appearances (49 starts) in his three-plus years in the NFL.

–The Detroit Lions acquired wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Browns in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2025.

Peoples-Jones, 24, has eight catches for 97 yards in seven games this season for the Browns, who drafted him in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. He hails from Detroit and played his college football at Michigan.

“We feel like he fits our style,” Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters. “He’s smart and he can play multiple positions. … We just felt like he’d be a good fit for the team and the room.”

In four seasons with Cleveland, Peoples-Jones has 117 catches for 1,837 yards and eight touchdowns. His best season was 2022, with 61 catches for 839 yards and three touchdowns.

–The Buffalo Bills acquired veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas and a fifth-round draft pick from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a third-rounder on Tuesday, NFL Network and The Athletic reported.

Douglas, 29, heads to an AFC contender that lacked cornerback depth after Tre’Davious White suffered a torn Achilles and was lost for the season.

Douglas had one interception, one fumble recovery and 32 tackles in seven starts for the Packers (2-5) this season.

Green Bay is in rebuilding mode in Jordan Love’s first year at starting quarterback in place of Aaron Rodgers, while Buffalo (5-3) is in the thick of the AFC East race despite up-and-down performances.

–Field Level Media

Oct 6, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Bradley Chubb (55) gestures after a play in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Broncos receiving trade offers for several players

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The struggling Denver Broncos have received multiple trade inquiries about star pass-rusher Bradley Chubb and wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, ESPN reported Sunday.

The Broncos (2-4) brought a three-game losing streak into their Week 7 game against the visiting New York Jets.

Denver could be interested in acquiring draft capital after trading two first-round picks and two second-rounders to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire quarterback Russell Wilson in March.

Chubb, 26, recorded 5.5 sacks in the first six games but is playing in the final season of a four-year, $27.3 million deal he signed in 2018 after the Broncos selected him fifth overall in the NFL draft. He is earning $12.7 million in 2022.

Jeudy, 23, had 17 catches for 290 yards and two touchdowns in the first six games in his third season since Denver drafted him in the first round (15th overall) in 2020.

Hamler, 23, had just four receptions for 109 yards and no scores in five games entering Week 7. The Broncos took him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jeudy and Hamler are both playing on their rookie contracts.

According to ESPN, the Broncos are also open to trading tight end Albert Okwuegbunam — one of five TEs on their roster. Also a 2020 draft pick (fourth round), Okwuegbunam, 24, had seven catches for 50 yards in five games heading into Sunday’s contest.

–Field Level Media

2015 NFL trades: Business as usual?

Posted on | by Tony Villiotti | Leave a Comment on 2015 NFL trades: Business as usual?
The NFL is no stranger to big trades. Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember the 1959 trade that sent Ollie Matson from the Rams in exchange for seven players and two draft choices. I also clearly remember the 1989 trade where Herschel Walker went from the Cowboys to the Vikings in a trade that involved 18 players and draft choices. Even far more modest trades, though, have been the exception rather than the rule in the NFL.
Because of this, the NFL trades made so far in 2015 have been the source of much discussion. Have there been an unusually high number of trades this offseason? Or is it just a matter of more visible players being traded? This article is intended to put the 2015 trades into a proper context and at least partially answer those questions. Before starting, the point should also be made that this is very early in the trade season and it is likely that more 2015 trades are yet to come.
First, let us address the context. NFL trades can be categorized as being one of five types:

  • Off-season trades that occur before the draft
  • Draft day(s) trades where a team moves up in the draft order
  • Post-draft, pre-training camp trades where a team tries to fill a need it has not met through the draft or free agency
  • Training camp trades where a team may trade a surplus player
  • In-season trades that are few in number and are often necessitated by injuryThis article will focus on the pre-draft trades since that is where we are in 2015 process.During the period from 1995 through 2014 the number of pre-draft trades has ranged, by our count, from zero in 2011 to 20 in 2010. The average has been about 10 such trades per year. The following table shows the distribution of the annual number of trades over the study period:


The number of trades in each of the four years preceding 2015 have been relatively few in number compared to the norm with zero in 2011, eight in 2012, ten in 2013 and seven in 2014.
Individual trades over the past five years are listed in the following tables. The expected impact of each trade at the time of the trade is presented in the tables. A “10” in the trade impact column indicates a very impactful trade. A “0” indicates a trade with no impact. If there is no year in parentheses after the draft choice, it means that the choices involved were in the same year as the trade (e.g., a 2012 draft choice was received for a 2012 trade).
2011 Trades
By our count there were no (as in zero) offseason trades

2012 Trades
The trade-up to draft RG3 occurred in 2012 and was the most impactful trade of the offseason. It was really a trade-up of draft choices but is included in the trade list because of its timing.
The trades are:

2013 Trades
There were several relatively significant trades preceding the 2013 draft. Alex Smith went from the 49ers to the Chiefs; the Jets traded Darrelle Revis to the Bucs and the Vikings traded Percy Harvin to the Seahawks. A fourth trade (Carson Palmer) did not seem significant at the time but was big for the Cardinals. A complete list follows:

2014 Trades
Not much of significance happened during the 2014 preseason. Jeremy Zuttah was a starter for the Ravens and Darren Sproles was a situational player for the Eagles. Not much happened with the rest of the trades and they were relatively minor, both in terms of number and impact. A complete list of trades follows:

2015 Trades
While it is unlikely that 2015 will go down as one of the years with highest number of trades, the ones that did occur have been high impact. The Graham trade may be the most impactful of the group, as it provides a missing piece to a Super Bowl contender.
The McCoy for Alonso trade is very interesting because there have been historically few recent cases where top-level players are exchanged one for one. Most one for one deals involve role players or are “change of scenery” trades (e.g., Jeff Baldwin for A.J. Jenkins, Jason Smith for Wayne Hunter, etc.) The last trades having anywhere near the import of the McCoy/Alonso deal was the Joey Galloway (from Cowboys to Bucs) for Keyshawn Johnson trade in 2004. Clinton Portis was sent by the Bronocs for Champ Bailey deal in the same year but the trade also included a 2nd round pick.
It is also interesting that the Saints participated as sellers in three of the nine trades. Are there more Saints trades to come?
A list of trades made through March 15 is as follows:

Follow Tony on Twitter @draftmetrics

Let the games begin

Posted on | by Greg Gabriel | 11 Comments on Let the games begin

Yesterday was the official start of the 2015 NFL calendar. With that, trades can be officially consummated, and of course, free agency begins. While there were some big free agent deals done, they took backseat to some of the surprising trades that were made.
Baltimore trades Haloti Ngata to Detroit
The first surprise move was the Baltimore Ravens sending perennial Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and a 7th round pick to Detroit for the Lions 4th and 5th round picks in this year’s draft.
That trade took many off guard. Who even knew that Ngata was available? Baltimore has been getting old on defense and good aging players cost a lot of money to keep. Taking a page out of Bill Belichick’s book, they moved Ngata a year or so earlier than expected. They have been trying to get a deal done for quite some time, and when they couldn’t they moved on and will use that money elsewhere.
Getting only a 4th and 5th round pick in return doesn’t sound like much, but they also have the extra cap room in which to either acquire other players or take care of some of their own younger guys.
Detroit decided they weren’t going to pay Ndamukong Suh what he wanted and got the 31 year old Ngata to replace him. Suh and Ngata are two very different types of players. With Ngata, the Lions won’t be that feared pass rushing team but will be very difficult to run against.
Ngata did not come cheap and has only one year left on his contract. Going forward, that gives him a lot of leverage in future contract negotiations with Detroit. At 31, Ngata is three years older than Suh, and while he still has a few good years left, would the Lions have been better off just paying Suh in the first place?
The Rams and the Eagles swap quarterbacks and draft picks
The St. Louis Rams sent quarterback Sam Bradford and a 5th round pick in this year’s draft to Philadelphia for quarterback Nick Foles, a 4th round pick this year and a 2nd round pick next year.
Every time I look at this deal, I can’t help but think that the Rams made out like bandits. St. Louis is getting a young quarterback who is only in his fourth year in the league and is still an ascending player. As a starter, Foles has a 14 – 4 record and just two years ago, was in the Pro Bowl after throwing 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions. No matter how you look at it, he is an ascending player with his best football in front of him. Granted, he didn’t play as well in 2014 as he did in 2013, but the Eagles offensive line was also in total disrepair because of injuries. Foles also comes with a salary of only $1.5 million being in the final year of his rookie deal.
Bradford, on the other hand, has been a disappointment since his very strong rookie year. He also has only played seven games in the last two seasons and has suffered 2 ACL injuries. On the bright side, Bradford played his best when his offensive coordinator was Pat Shurmur who just happens to be the OC in Philly. The difference is, Philly doesn’t play Shurmur’s offense, they play Chip Kelly’s offense, and they aren’t the same. Philly also picks up the final year of Bradford rookie contract at a salary of nearly 13 million. Bradford has to totally turn his game around for this deal to become successful for the Eagles. If not they could look foolish.
New Orleans trades Jimmy Graham to Seattle
The last surprise trade of the day was New Orleans sending Pro Bowl Tight End Jimmy Graham and a 4th round pick to Seattle for center Max Unger and a 1st round pick in this year’s draft. This was shocking considering Graham, along with Drew Brees, were the face of the New Orleans offense. The mismatches that Graham created helped the rest of the offensive flow.
Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis, in interviews following the trade, said that the Saints have to get better on defense and the first round pick they acquired in a strong defensive draft will help them achieve that goal. Max Unger is no throw in. He was the leader and heart and soul of the Seattle offensive line. His presence in the locker room will be difficult to replace. As a player, he is one of the better interior offensive linemen in the NFL, so he will greatly help the Saints.
Graham immediately becomes Russell Wilson’s #1 target. His size and athleticism give Seattle something they have never had and will make the wide receivers better players because of the coverage that Graham will get.
While Unger’s leaves a big hole behind, the Seahawks will be able to get a quality interior offensive linemen in the second or third round of the draft.
Follow Greg on Twitter @greggabe