A trio of teams made significant upgrades at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
The latest: Some of the biggest deals — such as Davante Adams to New York or DeAndre Hopkins to Kansas City — occurred weeks ago. But the deadline didn’t disappoint as the Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and Pittsburgh Steelers all made significant splashes with a Super Bowl in mind.
Check out the three biggest NFL trades from deadline day bettors need to know. For all of Tuesday’s moves, plus the latest injury news from the NFL, bookmark our NFL Player News and Injury Report, powered by RotoWire.
NFL trade deadline moves
1. Lions acquire Za’Darius Smith from Cleveland Browns
Return: 2025 fifth and 2026 sixth-round pick (Lions also received a 2026 seventh-round pick)
My Take: The Lions needed help off the edge and they got it. Detroit currently holds the shortest odds to win the NFC thanks to the No. 1 scoring offence in football. And now it has filled one of its greatest needs on a stacked roster.
2. Commanders acquire Marshon Lattimore from New Orleans Saints
Return: 2025 third, fourth and sixth-round picks (Commanders also received a 2025 fifth-round pick)
My Take: The Commanders have something special brewing with standout rookie QB Jayden Daniels at the helm and the team’s brass is wasting no time bolstering the roster.
Washington’s secondary already allowed the fifth-fewest passing yards per game but did rank 22nd in RBSDM.com’s defensive EPA per dropback. So there was room for improvement in acquiring Lattimore.
3. Steelers acquire Mike Williams from New York Jets
Return: 2025 fifth-round pick
My Take: Russell Wilson has the Steelers cooking and Williams should be a welcome addition to a receiving room consisting of George Pickens and not much else.
Pittsburgh has received infrequent contributions from guys like Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson. But the hope is Williams can become the definitive No. 2 option.
More NFL trade deadline moves of note…
- The Dallas Cowboys acquired second-year WR Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers for a 2025 fourth-round pick. My Take: It’s hard to see how this will help Dallas much with Dak Prescott placed on the IR due to a hamstring injury.
- Pittsburgh also acquired starting defensive end Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round pick. My Take: He’ll slot in behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
- The Cincinnati Bengals acquired Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick. My Take: That move makes sense after RB Zack Moss was placed on the IR Tuesday.
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Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.