NFL trade deadline day didn't spark a ton of fireworks, but plenty of fireworks were shot off in the days and weeks leading up to Tuesday. Of the deals that were made on deadline day, though, none were bigger than the Minnesota Vikings' decision to reunite with Kirk Cousins. The Vikings gave up a third-round pick to land Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders as their quarterback struggles were clearly holding them back. Other moves, like the massive trades the Jacksonville Jaguars made on Monday or the deal the Chicago Bears swung two weeks ago, could define this season's homestretch and postseason. And on the flip side, the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles waved the white flag on the season, securing major draft capital. So, what should we make of the biggest trade deadline deals? Who won and lost the trade deadline? We asked those questions to general managers, executives and scouts around the league. Here's what we learned. Eric D. Williams: While giving Minnesota props for securing a quality quarterback at the trade deadline, an NFL contract negotiator also questioned the team’s personnel department in evaluating previous quarterback decisions and their fit in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system. "It’s crazy how expectations can spiral so quickly," the league source told me. "And I mean this more so in regard to Kyler Murray. Going into the season, the expectation was that Kyler was the high-ceiling QB who could return O’Connell’s offense to prominence. But from a pro scouting standpoint, the Minnesota front office clearly missed. And now they’re without a third-round pick. "Good for them for cutting their losses and acquiring Cousins, but it’s clear that the Murray signing [while not costing them hardly any money] was a swing and a miss." The contract negotiator sees Cousins as a clear upgrade, but questioned whether the 38-year-old can stay healthy enough to help lead the Vikings on a deep postseason run, considering his past injury history. "I’m not going to discredit what Cousins can do for Minnesota," the league source told me. "With how that defense is playing, Cousins’ acquisition could also fall in the ‘shooting our shot’ bucket. "They just need him to be competent in KOC’s offense. They don’t need him to play hero ball. If he can just run the offense, then they’ll have a chance. But yes, health is a concern." Another league source told me Daniel Jones would have been a better fit if available, but overall liked the trade. "I wish they could have picked up Daniel, but I understand their thinking," the league source said. "And if the MNF game had gone well, they would not have done anything." Ralph Vacchiano: For the most part, this is being viewed as a classic win-win trade, to varying degrees. For the Vikings, the win is obvious: They found what might be the perfect starting QB for them, and it "only" cost them a third-round pick. "I mean, they were desperate," one NFL general manager told me. "They were calling everybody. And they had to do it. [Kyler] Murray and [Carson] Wentz had been terrible. They were going to cost them a real chance at a Super Bowl. I would’ve held out for a second, at least, and I think they would’ve had to pay it. They weren’t coming out of this without a quarterback." They also got what another NFL executive told me was the "perfect guy for them" — a former Viking who knows Kevin O’Connell’s offense and No. 1 wide receiver Justin Jefferson and won’t need long to get up to speed. "If you think about it, it’s kind of a miracle," the executive told me. "The right guy at the right price, and he’s available halfway through the season. What are the odds it works out like that?" As for the Raiders, the general manager summed up their win like this: "They got a 3 for a guy they were going to bench soon anyway. Maybe they have to turn to Fernando Mendoza (their rookie No. 1 overall pick) a little earlier than they wanted. But it was coming soon anyway. Their future is the kid, not the old man. And now they got a Day 2 pick to help the rebuild, too." Williams: Both league sources I spoke with about Taylor being on the trade market were not surprised the elite running back stayed in Indianapolis. "I don’t know why the Colts would have traded Taylor at all unless they received a crazy offer," an NFL agent told me. "A new GM and coach would want him. He is 27 and under contract for two years. He just did an extension, so trading him borders on asinine. The Colts could get going the rest of the way. The schedule is reasonable to do so." Another league source I talked with believes the Colts are holding Taylor hostage by keeping him on a losing roster that’s tanking the rest of the season. "People lose sight that the players in the locker room are humans," the league source told me. "With everything over the last two weeks pointing to Taylor moving on and him effectively saying his goodbyes after their last game, it was the absolute wrong thing for them to do by not moving him. "I’m hoping he comes up with a mysterious injury that puts him on IR for the rest of the season, and then they move him in the offseason. That would be the right thing to do." Vacchiano: I thought the Colts made the right decision, but I didn’t find many people who agreed with me. Most of my sources saw the decision as a "surprise," and they believed the Colts were going to take the best offer they had, which was believed to be a second-round pick plus a fourth- or fifth-round pick too. "That’s a good deal for a running back," one NFL source told me. "They are in a total rebuild. They sold a bunch of their best players. They have huge questions about their offensive line and quarterback. They’re going to have a new GM soon, and maybe a coach. And they’re holding on to a 27-year-old running back as the centerpiece of their rebuilding? Who does that?" "Taylor is a great player if he’s on a good team," an AFC scout told me. "The Colts won’t be good again for a while, which makes him dead weight. They should’ve taken the 2-plus, fixed their line, and just replaced him with someone younger." "I was shocked," the general manager told me. "Really thought he was gone. I love [Taylor], but I don’t know what they’re thinking. And I wouldn’t be shocked if the new GM tries to trade him in the offseason before free agency starts." Williams: The Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars are the biggest winners from the moves they made at this year’s trade deadline, according to league sources I spoke with. "I think Chicago and Jacksonville benefited the most," a league source told me. "They are clearly shooting their shot for a Super Bowl appearance this year." The Bears, of course, supercharged their defense with the addition of Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jeffery Simmons. Meanwhile, the Jaguars also addressed their deficiencies on defense by adding safety Jesse Bates, along with defensive tackles Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux. Chicago and Jacksonville have two of the best offenses in the league, led by Caleb Williams and Trevor Lawrence, respectively. We’ll see if the defensive upgrades push them over the edge to becoming legitimate Super Bowl contenders at the end of the year. One national scout said the Jaguars could be the biggest winners or biggest losers with their "F’ them picks" approach to trading premium picks for premium players, like the Los Angeles Rams. And that makes sense, with general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen both having spent time in Los Angeles. "The Jaguars might be the biggest winner and loser," the scout told me. "They went all in and if they win it all, then it’s a win. Or they could lose! But I like the aggressive approach because I think the race is wide open." Williams: Three teams kept coming up in my discussions with league sources: The Vikings, Jaguars and the Eagles, though a few did praise the Colts and Bears, too. The Vikings praise was all about the Kirk Cousins deal. "Finding a QB who can be the difference between making the Super Bowl or not is a huge win no matter how you look at it," one NFL executive told me. "And at that price? Wow. I guarantee they would’ve given up more." The Jaguars earned praise for "going for it all," in the words of one GM. "I don’t love all their deals or what they paid," he told me, "but good for them not sitting still. There’s a reason they say ‘Fortune favors the bold’. And they were bold." The Jaguars were already loaded on offense, but added Bates, Davis and Godchaux at the deadline. "They were already a good defense," an AFC scout told me. "They made it stronger." The only question was about the price they paid for Davis, which included sending a first-round pick to the Eagles. Two sources told me that was "Way too steep." And that’s a big reason why Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was one of the winners. They had already dealt center Cam Jurgens to Baltimore for a second-round pick, and for Davis they got a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick, giving them 10 picks in the first two rounds over the next three drafts. "I’m a little surprised they didn’t do more," one general manager told me. "But they did great. They always do." The Bears, meanwhile, earned praise for acquiring Jeffrey Simmons, whom one scout told me was "the only true difference-making defensive player available." The price was high — two first-round picks. "But again," the general manager told me, "Good teams go for it. They don’t sit still." As for the Colts, despite all the questions about not trading Taylor, they did ship off guard Quenton Nelson, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and wide receivers Keenan Allen and Josh Downs, trading four players on expiring contracts for a third, two fourths, two fifths and a sixth. "Those may not seem like huge deals," one league executive told me. "But they add up. Better than letting them walk away for nothing." Williams: League sources pointed to the Indianapolis Colts as the clear losers here, giving up Quenton Nelson, Josh Downs, DeForest Buckner and Keenan Allen in a fire sale before the trade deadline. The Colts had moved on from general manager Chris Ballard, so interim general manager Ed Dodds orchestrated the moves, with the blessing of owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon. We’ll see if head coach Shane Steichen remains around at season’s end to clean up the mess. One source told me the Colts should have emptied the tank and moved on from running back Jonathan Taylor. "Indianapolis is the biggest loser by not moving Taylor and taking the reported second and fifth offered for him," the league source told me. Vacchiano: No team has taken more of a deserved beating from NFL sources around the trade deadline than the Los Angeles Chargers, who had even let teams know they were standing pat despite being 0-8 and generally a mess. They did make one deal — sending linebacker Daiyan Henley to the Broncos for a fourth- and fifth-round pick. But that was it. And then, late Wednesday night, that trade fell apart anyway. "Don’t get me started," an NFL executive told me. "Complete malpractice. They weren’t even willing to listen." "Dumbest thing I’ve seen in years," another executive told me. "I don’t know what they’re thinking. They like their players? Great. They’re doing a bang-up job for them." They almost certainly could have gotten something for players like edge rusher Khalil Mack, wide receiver Quentin Johnston and cornerback Donte Jackson, and maybe more. "But they’re sleeping," one of the NFL executives told me. "I really think nobody is home." Another loser: The Washington Commanders. But it wasn’t their fault. They had a lot of interest in defensive tackle Daron Payne, according to sources, including from the New York Giants. But Payne got hurt, ending that. "I wonder if they would’ve dealt WR Terry McLaurin before he got hurt, too," the source said. "A lot of people were looking for receivers." One other loser: The Cincinnati Bengals, "mostly for incompetence," the general manager told me. They had a deal in place with Philadelphia for depth edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie. Then a reporter on social media revealed the move would’ve meant they’d also lose a compensatory third-round pick in the next draft, and the Bengals quickly backed out of the deal. "Embarrassing," the GM told me. "How did they not know that? There are people in every organization whose job, literally, is to figure that stuff out." "I guess it’s good they found out before they lost the comp pick," an NFL executive told me. "But that’s a terrible look." It also didn’t help the Bengals’ cause that the Ebiketie deal was the only one they were apparently considering, despite a struggling defense that is holding them back. "Nobody ever accused the Bengals of being smart," one source told me.
