by Cameron Moore (8th)

The NFL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and it was one of the wilder ones from recent years. The deadline was highlighted by the New York Jets dealing defensive cornerstones Sauce Gardener and Quinnen Williams to the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys. But, there is one question on my mind: who won these trades?

To say this trade deadline was a headliner is an understatement. It’s the first time in 30 years that two first-round picks have been dealt at the deadline. Three overall first-round picks were traded, and they all went to the Jets.

The Jets have had an awful year. Currently sitting at 1-7, they have once again reached cellar dweller status in the NFL. So, they did what any bad team would do: sell at the deadline.

Just to be clear, there are two main strategies a team can pursue at a trade deadline in any league: buying and selling.

Buying

The buying strategy is when a team will give up a large amount of draft picks or young prospects in order to get quality, sometimes star players that will be good for their team in the short term. Conducting this strategy at the deadline expresses that a team is in “win now” mode, or that the team is investing to win as soon as possible.

This is a very good strategy to pursue if a team is almost there, and are just a couple puzzle pieces away from a championship. However, this strategy also has many drawbacks. If you give up all of your picks and prospects, you are basically throwing away your future if you don’t win a title within 1-3 years.

Selling

The second trading strategy is the selling strategy. This is basically the opposite of buying; you take in prospects and picks to hopefully make your future a little better. If you make the right moves for the right prospects and draft responsibly, teams can construct a great roster with these young players.

This strategy is traditionally used by bottom-of-the-barrel teams, who know that they cannot win now, even by taking in star players. However, there comes a looming question: what if you draft a bust? What if a prospect underperforms? There are so many possibilities for picks being busts.

Now, back to this year’s trade deadline. Here are the top trades you need to 

know, and my opinions on these trades and what they will do for the teams involved.

Colts get: CB Sauce Gardener

Jets get: WR Adonai Mitchell, 2026 1st round pick, 2027 1st round pick

Let’s be real: the Indianapolis Colts got robbed.

This could be the piece they need to win a ring, but the cost is enormous. Two first-round picks and a young wide receiver is a lot, even for someone as young and as good as Gardener. The Colts are indeed in win-now mode, but this is not how I expected them to do it.

The Jets won this trade. This trade, along with the Quinnen Williams trade (I’ll talk about that in a minute) gives the Jets three additional first-round picks over the next two years. This trade may have been counterintuitive, but it is the right move, in my opinion.

Cowboys get: DT Quinnen Williams

Jets get: DT Mazi Smith, 2026 2nd round pick, 2027 1st round pick

Sorry in advance, Mr. Herod. :)

It’s almost like Jerry Jones is on a mission to create the worst trades possible. I don’t understand the thought process. Yes, Williams is a very good player, but I don’t understand trading away a 2nd and 1st round pick in the next two years for him, especially for a team that is not on the winning trail. This is a terrible deal, and the Jets once again got a bargain, in my opinion. One team truly blew out the other in this trade.

Steelers get: S Kyle Dugger, 2026 7th round pick

Patriots get: 2026 6th round pick

With Steelers safety DeShon Elliot recently suffering a major injury, and having one of the weaker defenses in football, this is a good move for Pittsburgh. Dugger has shown signs of past high-level play, and there is a good chance he could make a big difference in Pittsburgh. The Patriots have been starting to phase out Dugger from their lineup, and will likely clear some cap from this. Both teams won…I guess.

Eagles get: EDGE Jaelen Phillips

Dolphins get: 2026 3rd round pick

This is a very good move for Philly. Ever since Josh Sweat left in free agency, Nolan Smith Jr. got injured, and Za’Darius Smith retired, the Eagles defense, one of the best last year, has been battered. This is the right move for an Eagles team that is looking to go back-to-back and cement their legacy. This is also a great move for the Dolphins, who have been looking to cut cap for next season.

And, there it is. This NFL season had, debatably, the craziest trade deadline this century. There was some good, and some bad, and it will be interesting to see how these trades will pan out this season.