The NFL trade deadline has come and gone as in most years there were just a handful of trades. A few teams made attempts to fill needs as they attempt to make a playoff push while some others dealt with some harsh roster realities and made decisions on players at the deadline in order to make sure that they got value out of players that were heading to free agency. Week 8 is the halfway point of the season and it‘s time for teams to decide if they are contenders or if they will be part of the also-ran group. The debate is on as these moves are being discussed online and among fans. Who are the big winners and losers and what is to come next?
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There is lots of talk about the players that were involved in the deals and the success of the teams that made these trades. In the end, there are positives and negatives to all of these moves because they solved organizational problems, even when the moves were hard to make. I have been thinking in a different way. Yes, I am talking about the big winners of the day but I'm not looking at those directly involved in the deals. There were some players in the league who are big winners despite not being part of any trades. Those are the players I am interested in today.
1. Courtland Sutton WR, Denver Broncos
Of all the players waking up today to new look teams and opportunities, Courtland Sutton should be smiling the widest. With the Denver Broncos parting ways with Demaryius Thomas in a trade that saw him moved to Houston, there is now a big fat opening at the WR position in Denver and it has Sutton's name all over it. Sutton has been operating as the Broncos #3 WR all season and has looked great in limited action all year. He has made some dynamic plays and actually leads the team in big play catches. The only thing standing between him and WR #1 status was the ageing and slowing Thomas. Sutton will now work as an every down WR along with Emmanuel Sanders who is having a fantastic season and works primarily out of the slot.
2. Dak Prescott QB, Dallas Cowboys
About a week before the deadline the Cowboys acquired Amari Cooper meaning that Dak Prescott will finally have a #1 calibre WR. Prescott has been struggling this season and much of that can be attributed to the fact that he doesn't have anyone to throw the ball to. Cooper should help open things up and stretch the field a little which will give Dak more options down the field and possibly open things up for other wide receivers. Allen Hurns is better suited as a WR 2 and will no longer have as much attention on him as well. Having Cooper on the field should help free up the offence a little and allow Prescott to run with the ball a little more. This all hinges on Cooper showing the 1st round pedigree in a new scenery situation.
3. Nick Chubb RB, Cleveland Browns
In another trade that took place a week before the deadline, Carlos Hyde was moved to the Jacksonville Jaguars to help fill the void at RB there with Fournette still missing time. This opened up a massive opportunity for rookie Nick Chubb who in all honesty should have been playing over Hyde in the first place. Of course, in classic Cleveland Browns fashion, they had Chubb buried on the bench. Chubb has shown great skill and power in his limited opportunities and did not disappoint. In his first two games as a starter, he has averaged over 4 yards per carry and has scored a rushing TD. If the Browns are able to get their offensive issues turned around after the coaching changes this week then he could emerge as a solid RB #1 for the remainder of the season.
On a side note, the Cleveland fans might be the biggest winners in all of the NFL with a move that wasn't a trade. The long-overdue firing of Hue Jackson opens up a huge opportunity for the team to find a new coach who can take this talent-filled group to the next level. The only unfortunate part here is that they couldn't fire all the coaches mid-season. There will be a long lineup for what I think is a very enticing head coaching job.
4. Carson Wentz QB, Philadelphia Eagles
In one of the bigger moves of the day yesterday, the Eagles were able to acquire WR Golden Tate from the Detroit Lions. This was a move that the Lions didn't want to make but with Tate scheduled to become a free agent this winter and the writing on the wall saying that they wouldn't be able to resign him they had to let him go. This was great news for Carson Wentz as the Eagles have added another bonafide weapon the receiver corps. Tate is one of the best after the catch receivers in the league and possesses big-play ability. He works primarily out of the slot meaning Wentz will work with Jeffery and Tate on 2 wide sets with Algholor jumping in on 3 receiver downs. That is a pretty sweet set of targets for the quarterback trying to round back into the top ten form he showed last year.
5. Kenny Golladay WR, Detroit Lions
Finally, in the same move that benefited Carson Wentz, a huge opportunity opened up in Detroit for Kenny Golladay. The 2nd year Lions WR has already been having a breakout season and now there are a significant number of targets that have left with Golden Tate. Yes, those targets will be spread out a bit but Golladay is going to soak up some of that action as well. If this kid is going to consistently get 10 plus targets then his numbers will have the potential to skyrocket. I think that we are only beginning to scratch the surface on what Mini-Megatron is capable of and we will get to see a full onslaught of passes going his way through the remainder of the season.
6. Aaron Jones RB, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay was very active at the deadline and one of their moves was shipping Ty Montgomery off to the Baltimore Ravens. It was a very unexpected move but one that actually makes a lot of sense and will help clear up a lot of the muddy waters in the Packers backfield. Over the past two years, it has been clear to everyone outside the Packers organization that Aaron Jones was the best RB in town. Unfortunately, they have been running a three-headed monster that has been an absolute mess. Jones is a hard runner who is explosive at the line of scrimmage and has power at the point of tackle. If the Packers can finally see that they have a #1 RB and make him the workhorse then we could be in for an explosion of numbers.
I'm sure there are lots of other players you feel won on trade deadline day and I would love to hear your opinions down below. What do you think of my opinions? Who are your big losers on the day? Let the water cooler banter begin.
