This year’s 2020 NFL Trade Deadline came with more fizzle than sizzle. It was presented with more challenges than in year’s past, given COVID-19 testing requirements and questions concerning next year’s salary cap limiting teams’ desire to take on bigger contracts.
Still, there was a decent amount of movement on trade deadline day. The biggest move of the day came when the New York Jets agreed to trade linebacker Avery Williamson and a 2022 seventh-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 1 for a 2022 fifth-round pick. Williamson is the player whose situation is most improved, going from the worst to best team in the league. Another big move happened when the Cincinnati Bengals traded DT Carlos Dunlap to the Seattle Seahawks for OL B.J. Finney and a 2021 seventh-round pick. Seattle was able to offset Dunlap’s salary by unloading spare OL B.J. Finney. They ultimately addressed their biggest issue, the pass rush. Dunlap will at least be able to help at the DL position.
The Baltimore Ravens were also big winners at the deadline, trading for DE Yannick Ngakoue from the Minnesota Vikings just a couple months after the Vikings acquired Ngakoue from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minnesota has had a down season so far, so they wanted to get something for Ngakoue before he would potentially leave as a free agent after this season. They ended up recouping a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 fifth-round pick. Ngakoue gives the Ravens a young edge rusher who will make the Ravens defense even more dangerous coming down into the stretch run.
As for the hometown Patriots, they acquired WR Isaiah Ford from the Miami Dolphins for a 2022 seventh-round pick. The Patriots desperately need receiver help after both N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman are down with injuries for the time being. However, they didn’t trade players like Stephon Gilmore or Joe Thuney, who were predicted by some to be selling pieces for the Patriots to begin an official rebuild.
Overall, deadline day came and went with no real surprises. There were several big-name players that seemed to be on the trading block or seemed to be getting shopped, but in the end the biggest name that got traded away was probably LB Avery Williamson. Ho-hum. This year simply presented too many challenges for teams, as it has for everybody. We will see if the inaction of some teams hurts them coming down the stretch.
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