Kwesi Deals; Packers, Commanders Sell: Recapping a Busy 2023 NFL Trade Deadline
The 2023 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and as has been the trend in recent years, it was a rather busy one.
We saw Kwesi Adofo-Mensah keep the Vikings active in the market for the second year in a row, and many teams around the league shuffled their decks for the second half of the year.
With the deadline now behind us, here is a recap of some of the big moves that occurred across the league.
Two Moves by the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings were one of the most active teams at the deadline as Adofo-Mensah swung not one, but two trades throughout the afternoon.
Firstly, as expected, the Vikings brought in another QB to solidify the room following Kirk Cousins’ injury. Minnesota sent a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for Joshua Dobbs as well as a 2024 seventh-round pick. Jaren Hall has been named the starter in Week 9 against the Falcons, but Dobbs joins the room as another veteran presence to help throughout the rest of the season.
The Vikings then sent Ezra Cleveland to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for Carolina’s 2024 sixth-round pick, meaning Minnesota should have one of the top picks in the round. The left guard has been dealing with a foot injury over the past couple weeks, and Dalton Risner has filled in valiantly. As a result, and considering Cleveland is a pending free agent in 2024, Minnesota felt comfortable moving on.
Cleveland has an opportunity to strengthen Jacksonville’s offensive line and play for a team that is poised to make a deep run in the AFC playoffs this season. At 6-2, the Jaguars stand 2.5 games above everyone else in the AFC South and could move as high as the No. 2 seed in the conference this weekend.
Commanders Say Goodbye to Their Pass Rushers
The Washington Commanders were expected to sell at the trade deadline, and they did just that. They moved off a couple pass-rushers today, and now, they are hoping to rebuild for the future with some extra draft capital.
First, they found a somewhat surprising trade partner in the Chicago Bears for Montez Sweat. The pass rusher has recorded 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks through Washington’s first eight games this season, and he is hoping to solidify a Bears pass-rush that has ranked last in sacks (10) this season. In return, Chicago sent Washington a 2024 second-round pick.
Then, they dealt Chase Young as well, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They found a partner in the San Francisco 49ers to get this deal done, who now somehow look even scarier on their defensive front. Young had his fifth-year option declined during the offseason, so he is set to hit free agency in the spring if the 49ers don’t offer him an extension. San Francisco sent a 2024 third-rounder in exchange.
Packers Sell
The Green Bay Packers are now on a four-game losing streak following their loss to the Vikings on Sunday. Sitting at 2-5 and multiple games out of the playoff race, Green Bay opted to be sellers at the deadline.
As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Packers sent CB Rasul Douglas to the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have been dealing with multiple injuries on their defense this season, so this addition brings another veteran presence to their secondary for the remainder of the season.
Douglas has been one of the few healthy defenders on the Packers defense throughout the year, starting all seven games. He has recorded 32 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, and an interception this season. In return, Green Bay gets a third-round pick from Buffalo while the Packers also send away a fifth-rounder.
Lions Add WR Depth
The Detroit Lions are another team poised to make a playoff run this year, and they earned another big win on Monday night over the Las Vegas Raiders to improve their record to 6-2. They followed that win by solidifying their WR room, acquiring Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns, which was reported by Tom Pelissero.
Peoples-Jones isn’t a WR1 type by any means, but he brings an intriguing skill set, especially as a deep threat. Throughout his three-plus seasons in Cleveland, the WR has recorded 117 receptions for 1837 yards and 8 TDs, averaging 15.7 yards per reception. In return, the Browns are getting a 2025 sixth-round pick from Detroit.
Seattle Acquires Pro Bowl Defender
The New York Giants showed signs of hope over the past few weeks, playing a close game against the Buffalo Bills and beating the Washington Commanders. However, those good vibes came crashing down with an ugly loss to the New York Jets, dropping them to 2-6 on the season.
As a result, New York opted to offload Pro Bowl defender Leonard Williams, and he was acquired by the Seattle Seahawks, as reported by Pelissero. In return, the Giants got a 2024 second-round pick as well as a 2025 fifth-round pick.
In Williams, the Seahawks get a terrific defensive tackle who can solidify their pass-rush through the remainder of the season. The 29-year-old has recorded 59 tackles for loss and 39.5 sacks during his decade in the league, including a 2020 season that saw him put together 11.5 sacks. Seattle sees an opportunity at a playoff run as they stand atop the NFC West, and they took advantage.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.