NFL Analysis
12/15/23
6 min read
Top 5 2023 NFL In-Season Acquisitions That Moved The Needle
As the NFL playoffs inch closer, there have been some big-time performances from players wearing new uniforms.
These include a handful of newly acquired quarterbacks helping their teams move toward the playoffs and some big-name defenders turning things around for their new teams. Here are the best five in-season acquisitions from the 2023 season.
Top 5 In-Season Acquisitions
5. Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns 
If someone had told you before the start of the season that Joe Flacco would be one of the best roster moves in the NFL in 2023, you would think that person was crazy.
The Cleveland Browns have had a disaster of a year at quarterback.
Deshaun Watson started poorly, then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury when things started looking up.
Since then, the Browns have started rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker before handing the season over to Flacco. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said last week that Flacco would be the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. While many scoffed at the idea of Flacco being the best option, he’s proven that to be true so far.
In his two starts, Flacco has thrown for 565 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He’s posted an 83.8 passer rating and a 41.5 quarterback rating. Those numbers are not great, but they are significantly better than Thompson-Robinson and Walker.
They’re also eerily similar to what Watson posted before suffering his injury.
The Browns have a good enough defense and likely enough firepower on offense to cause some potential damage in the playoffs. At 8-5, the Browns are set up well to play on Wild Card weekend. If Flacco continues to make strides in the Cleveland offense and the Browns avoid turnovers, they will be a team to watch in the playoffs.
4. Chase Young, DE, San Francisco 49ers
Including Chase Young in this list is more of a projection than anything. Young has yet to make a dynamic impact for the San Francisco 49ers, but they will need him in the playoffs if they want to make the run they are capable of.
Since being traded to the 49ers, Young has registered 1.5 sacks, four pressures and a tackle for loss. Young was a much better player earlier in the season with Washington than he’s shown in San Francisco. The payoff has been a bit slow, but Young has only been in town for five weeks.
Also, note that Young has been a rotational player, playing only 55 percent of the snaps for the 49ers since they acquired him. As the season progresses, that percentage and his impact on opposing quarterbacks will rise.
Even if Young continues on the same track he’s been on so far, the trade was worth it for San Francisco. Expect the former second-overall pick to get it going down the stretch and into the playoffs for the NFC’s top seed.
3. Ezra Cleveland, OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s been a tough few weeks for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have lost two in a row. Still, at 8-5, they’re the most likely candidate to win the AFC South. If the Jaguars get back on track as they finish their season, offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland will play a big part in the turnaround.
Cleveland, who Jacksonville acquired from the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline, has bounced in and out of the lineup for the Jaguars. As injuries have mounted, he will likely be relied on more down the stretch and potentially into the playoffs.
His first order of business is getting healthy because he exited Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals due to a knee injury.
Cleveland can play outside and inside on the line, and if the Jaguars want to make a postseason run, keeping QB Trevor Lawrence upright will be priority one for Doug Pederson’s offense.
2. Rasul Douglas, CB, Buffalo Bills
One of the blinking lights for the Buffalo Bills has been their inability to stop teams through the air. Through the first 10 weeks of the season, the Bills ranked 17th in EPA/play, 20th in dropback EPA, and 27th in dropback success rate.
Tre'Davious White is on injured reserve due to a torn Achilles, so adding talent and depth at cornerback was a must for the Bills at the trade deadline.
The Bills were rumored to be involved in the Jaylon Johnson sweepstakes but ended up trading for Rasul Douglas. After a slow start, the trade is starting to pay off very nicely.
Douglas, a six-year veteran, has two interceptions, has given up just one touchdown and has allowed a passer rating of 46.4 percent since joining the Bills. Since his addition, the Bills’ defense has improved somewhat from an advanced metric standpoint and much of that is thanks to the improved play from the secondary.
Since the trade, the defense improved to 11th in EPA/play, 11th in success rate, ninth in dropback EPA and 15th in dropback success rate.
The Bills did not give up a lot of draft capital to acquire Douglas, trading a 2024 third-round pick for the cornerback and a 2024 fifth-round pick. Obtaining a quality veteran who still has another year left on his contract makes this acquisition a big winner for the Bills, who are chasing an AFC Wild Card spot.
1. Montez Sweat, DE, Chicago Bears
While Young received most of the attention of the two Washington Commanders defensive ends traded at the deadline, Montez Sweat has been the most effective player, and it hasn’t been close so far.
Since Week 10, the Chicago Bears defense ranks fifth in EPA/play (ahead of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers), sixth in success rate, third in dropback EPA and third in dropback success rate. In Weeks 1-9, they ranked 30th in EPA/play, 20th in success rate, 31st in dropback EPA, and 31st in dropback success rate.
Sweat shouldn’t get all the credit for the enormous turnaround, but he deserves a decent amount for what he’s brought to the Chicago defense front.
After landing in Chicago, Sweat signed a four-year, $98 million contract extension, and the early returns could not have been better. Since joining the Bears, Sweat has 3.5 sacks, 15 pressures, two tackles for loss, and 10 QB hits.
Sweat has been a force player for Matt Eberlus’ defense and one of the key factors in Chicago’s recent defensive turnaround.
The Bears face an uphill battle to make the playoffs this season, but their recent defensive performance gives them a fighter’s chance in a loaded NFC playoff race. Montz Sweat is a big reason why.
