NFL Analysis
11/8/24
6 min read
5 Overreactions to the 2024 NFL Trade Deadline
The 2024 NFL trade deadline brought a ton of action, including eight deals on Tuesday and 18 since this season began. Teams were wheeling and dealing, swapping picks for veterans who can make an impact right now. While the 2025 NFL Draft has some good talent throughout the top 100, the volume of trades suggests that teams do not care for who will be available on Day 3.
With so many deals done but no real stars moved, it's a good time for hot takes and overreactions. Each has kernels of truth contributing to the take, but we're going all-in. Some of these deals can swing the Super Bowl race or even decide which team will land the No. 1 pick in 2025.
Here are five overreactions to the NFL trade deadline.
NFL Trade Deadline Overreaction Takeaways
Deion Sanders Will Be the Saints' Head Coach in 2025
The New Orleans Saints enter a difficult rebuild after trading Marshon Lattimore and firing Dennis Allen. Their cap situation in 2025 will be one of the most challenging feats after they continually kicked the bucket down the line until reaching a point where the margins to be cap-compliant are minuscule.
There's no way around the fact that New Orleans can't improve its failing roster through the draft until 2026.
Our latest 2025 NFL mock draft has Shedeur Sanders landing in New Orleans with the third overall pick, which sparked an idea. With Colorado performing better than most expected and Coach Prime remaining steadfast that his son won't just go anywhere in the NFL, the Saints could make an interesting roll of the dice by hiring Deion Sanders.
What other qualified coach would sign up for a situation where the Saints must shed $61 million? The Saints will likely see Ryan Ramczyk retire, which will help relieve some commitments. But they'll either have to June 1 cut or further extend Cameron Jordan, Derek Carr, and Alvin Kamara. That's far from ideal, considering Carr's poor play and the ages of each player (36, 34, and 30, respectively).
Instead, pairing Deion Sanders with Shedeur is a low-risk, high-upside play if he can gather a quality staff like Dan Campbell did with the Lions. If it doesn't work out, the Saints still have the top quarterback from this class to develop and will be in a healthier cap environment in 2026.
Lions Didn't Do Enough to Win the Super Bowl
Nabbing Za'Darius Smith from Cleveland was a solid addition for a swap of Day 3 picks. Losing Aidan Hutchinson gave the Detroit Lions a nearly impossible void to fill, so it's unfair to knock them for not landing Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby. Cleveland and Las Vegas would've been foolish to entertain those deals.
However, the reality is still what it is. Detroit is 7-1 and has the NFL's top-scoring offense and fifth-best defense. Despite the raw stats, the Lions have allowed the 29th-most passing yards, 22nd-most total yards, and 28th-best scoring rate and are heavily reliant on interceptions. Chances are good they'll regress as competition improves.
Smith isn't nearly good enough to anchor a pass rush with two effective interior defenders but lacks edge talent. Going for Azeez Ojulari, Darrell Taylor, or Arden Key would have been more impactful acquisitions in comparison. Now, Detroit's flame will burn out, barring a massive breakout and historical anomaly in how defenses win playoff games.
Dallas Made the Worst Deadline Deal in Years
There's no question the Dallas Cowboys had to add some playmaking to its offense, but trading a fourth-round pick for an unproven and ineffective second-year receiver after Dak Prescott went on injured reserve was a horrible move. Mingo, overdrafted as a second-round pick in 2023, has caught just 55 of 111 targets for 539 yards in two seasons. Carolina had to do a backflip when it received this offer.
Considering that Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins, and Davante Adams were traded for about the same cost, it's clear Jerry Jones has lost his marbles. Jones said in an interview after the trade deadline that they graded Mingo highly during the draft process, revealing a lack of awareness about what he's been in the NFL. Best as a power slot, playing Mingo next to CeeDee Lamb is next to impossible.
Losing a Day 3 pick isn't the end of the world, but Dallas had no reason to make this trade now, especially not for a premium price. This roster needs affordable, high-upside playmaking. Mingo offers little value.
Lattimore Can Swing the NFC Playoff Race
The Washington Commanders don't seem to have the talent needed to make a Super Bowl run, but adding Marshon Lattimore was a big swing that made sense. The 28-year-old is posting excellent coverage numbers despite not intercepting a pass this season. Lattimore, who can play effectively in press-man and off-zone, is a shutdown defender.
He ranks 13th among all corners in receptions and yards allowed despite playing on the 26th-ranked scoring defense and bottom-five pass defense. Washington has made do with a young cast of corners that has punched above its experience and talent in many regards. Now, adding a No. 1 presence helps Benjamin St- Juste and Mike Sainristil thrive in more refined roles.
The NFC is wide open. While I doubt Washington's pure talent will get them to the Super Bowl, Dan Quinn will use Lattimore and his veteran ragtag group to the best of their abilities.
Miami Set Franchise Back By Keeping Tyreek Hill
The window to take advantage of a player's highest value closes quickly. Injuries, age, and salary all contribute to what a team can ask for. There was a chance the Miami Dolphins could've beaten the receiver trade market by making Tyreek Hill available after Tua Tagovailoa's latest concussion, but instead, the Dolphins held onto the potential future Hall of Famer.
Turning 31 this offseason, Hill was invisible with Tagovailoa out of the lineup. Despite his immense talent and speed, the Dolphins utterly failed to keep him involved. He has 34 catches for 446 yards and one touchdown through eight games, and Miami is sitting at 2-6.
As soon as Tagovailoa was put on injured reserve, the Dolphins should have made Hill available to the highest bidder. Netting even a Day 2 pick in exchange for shedding his $27 million cap hit in 2025 would have opened a significant amount of cap room through 2026. Miami has only about $10 million in cap space projected in 2025 and $13 million in 2026 before restructures and cuts.
This was a short-term gaffe from a front office that has habitually struggled to plan for the future. The Dolphins wouldn't win the AFC East without Tagovailoa for a month, and moving Hill became more difficult after the Bills, Chiefs, Ravens, and Jets made trades for veteran pass-catchers.
Keeping Hill is nice because he's still a great player, but he'll toil away on this roster as he gets older.
