The trade deadline has come and gone, and it did not live up to the hype for reasons we’ve been outlining for quite some time here at The MMQB.
By far the biggest name available was Deshaun Watson, who we now know will remain with the Texans. ESPN reported Tuesday that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross demanded certain “contingencies” be in place before any deal between Miami and Houston could be struck. Apparently, those were not met. But as we’ve been saying in this space for quite some time, it would be absolutely ludicrous and irresponsible from both a moral and administrative standpoint for any team to trade for him given his current unresolved legal situation.
And so it seems real the fireworks culminated with the Von Miller trade, which we wrote plenty about on Monday. There were also a handful of deals leading up to Tuesday, even going back a few weeks, so in the absence of deadline-day deals, we’ll formally grade each of those.
Edge rusher Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs for a 2022 sixth-round pick
Grade for Chiefs: B+
Grade for Steelers: B
Pittsburgh gets a pass here since the entire world knew Ingram was unhappy with the Steelers. As we’ve seen, the secondary market for veteran pass rushers is saturated, meaning that the return anyone gets at this point won’t be spectacular. Kansas City bet a throwaway pick on the hope that it can catch some lightning in a bottle to right its floundering campaign.
DE Charles Omenihu to the 49ers for a 2023 sixth-round pick
Grade for Texans: B
Grade for 49ers: B
The 49ers needed an upgrade opposite Nick Bosa, and while a Von Miller–type move was out of the equation, 2019 fifth-round pick Charles Omenihu has played above replacement level and is a better-than-average pass rusher who has steadily improved throughout his career. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, himself a former Texan, will likely get the best out of Omenihu, who will get a boost from playing alongside a far better slate of rushers. Houston, again, is arming itself with the kind of late-round fist of lottery tickets it hopes will formulate the basis of the rebuilt post-Watson roster.
OT Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to the Jets for TE Dan Brown
Grade for Jets: A-
Grade for Chiefs: C-
This is a fun player-for-player swap that gives the Jets something they desperately need: more offensive line help. Duvernay-Tardif seems to fit the mold of what general manager Joe Douglas is looking for. His entire front is packed full of heady grinders who can eventually ease the mental dirty work necessary for Zach Wilson to succeed up front. While Duvernay-Tardif is aging out of his peak window, he is a worthwhile gamble after he became expendable in Kansas City after a handful of solid seasons. That unit is better than people are talking about right now.
Brown is a former converted wide receiver with solid hands who has not been able to see the field on the Jets’ roster, but could be there to supplant rookie Noah Gray, who has seen some increased usage as a No. 2 tight end in recent weeks.
DB Kary Vincent Jr. to the Eagles for a 2022 sixth-round pick
Grade for Broncos: C
Grade for Eagles: B+
I like what the Eagles, a defensive back-needy team, are doing here. Their draft strategy included a contingency plan for nabbing a highly-rated cornerback—a source says they were high on Eric Stokes, who eventually went to the Packers—but DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle were of utmost importance. If neither were there, we’d be talking about a different landscape in Philly. Now, the Eagles get their second project pick (see the Zach Ertz deal below) for pennies on the dollar. Vincent was a 2020 opt-out whose draft stock may have suffered as a result. He was projected to go as high as the fourth round and has some versatility in the secondary.
