It Was ‘Win Now’ vs. ‘Win Later’ at the NFL’s Trade Deadline

At 4-4, the Niners have a 65 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to The New York Times’s playoff simulator, and there is excitement in San Francisco.

Building something:

Chicago Bears (3-5)

As one pair of trade partners demonstrated, there’s a big difference between a 3-5 record in the N.F.C. and a 2-6 record in the A.F.C. For Chicago, that single win is enough to offer a glimmer of hope for a wild-card spot and the second-year leap that ascendant quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts got from teaming up with a top receiver.

Justin Fields, who beat the Patriots, 33-14, almost single-handedly in Week 7, may have convinced team executives that a little help could go a long way. The Bears were buyers on Tuesday, giving up a second-rounder for receiver Chase Claypool from the Steelers, whose 2-6 record has Pittsburgh entrenched at the bottom of the A.F.C. North and aligning its future with a rookie quarterback. Draft picks tend to help with that.

Picking up Claypool, the Bears opportunistically blocked an offer from the Packers (3-5), their N.F.C. North rival who desperately need receiving help.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)

With a bad record and coming off a bad loss to the Broncos in London, the Jaguars were not expected to be acquiring players. But the team’s big move added a star who won’t be ready to contribute until next season, at the earliest. Jacksonville negotiated a deal with Falcons receiver Calvin Ridley, currently serving a season suspension for betting on N.F.L. games.

According to NFL Network, the terms of the trade are conditional upon the terms of Ridley’s reinstatement. Atlanta will receive two future draft picks that could include a sixth-round pick in 2023 if Ridley’s return is delayed, or as high as a second-round pick in 2024 if he returns next season and signs a long-term deal in Jacksonville.

Seems a small risk for a player who could be a difference maker if he’s eligible.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/sports/football/nfl-trade-deadline.html