A.J. Green Among NFL Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
The trade deadline has come and gone with several teams either standing pat or making moves to help provide their team with an extra boost forward towards a playoff push in the second half of the season. As always, there were some winners and losers at this year’s deadline that have both long-term and short-term impacts on teams and players. Here are a few of those that either benefitted or were crushed by the movement or lack of it.
Winner: Los Angeles Rams
Over the last couple of weeks, the Rams have been extraordinarily active in making notable moves to their roster to help position themselves better this season and well beyond it.
Los Angeles did that in a significant way with the acquisition of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey shortly after trading Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young. Following rumors that the team was looking to move Aqib Talib to free up more cap space to sign Ramsey to a long-term deal, the front office traded the former Pro Bowler to the Miami Dolphins.
The Rams are now in a better spot to give Ramsey the lucrative deal that he’s looking to land while freeing up my space to adjust their roster accordingly to remain competitive for the playoffs and possibly much more.
Loser: A.J. Green
Throughout the last several weeks, there has been constant dialogue around the availability of Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver A.J. Green.
The Bengals have quickly turned into a dumpster fire this season, having dropped their first eight games under first-year head coach Zac Taylor. The team is clearly out of the playoff picture entirely, there are questions around the team’s long-term future.
Among those is Green, who is in the final year of his four-year, $60 million deal. It would have been reasonable for the team to move him to another situation where he would have had a fresh start. There was some dialogue around a possible deal with the New Orleans Saints.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers
Next to the New England Patriots, the 49ers have been the most impressive team through the first eight weeks of the season. They have glided to a 7-0 mark with a comfortable lead atop the NFC West and a straight path to a first-round playoff bye.
It was a case of the rich getting richer, with the opportunity to snag former Pro Bowl wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders from the Denver Broncos. Sanders has the chance to step right in and become their No. 1 passing game option for their young receiving core the rest of the 2019 campaign.
The 49ers have a tough second half of the season ahead, but their stout defense and continued improving offense should put them in a promising spot in postseason play.null
Loser: Jamal Adams
Like the Bengals, the New York Jets have put together a rough start to the 2019 season, having dropped six out of their first seven games.
It put them in the position of being sellers at the trade deadline that saw them move Leonard Williams while it also thrust Le’Veon Bell and Jamal Adams into the picture as trade assets. The Jets were in talks with the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens about possible deals for the star safety.
However, the team wound up keeping Adams, which has now scarred their relationship with him moving forward. Not only did it prevent him from playing with either the Cowboys or Ravens, but it made it clear that he’s not on stable ground with the franchise moving forward.
