Since the beginning of November, 11 trades were made between teams before the NFL Trade Deadline passed yesterday at 4:00 p.m. EDT. On November 4th alone, we saw eight trades, tying a record for the second most transactions made on the day of a Trade Deadline over the last 35 years. With so much to unpack, let's review the list of the biggest deals made and provide analysis for each move.
November 1st
Ravens send cornerback Jaire Alexander to Philly
Eagles receive: cornerback Jaire Alexander and a 2027 seventh-round draft pick
Ravens receive: a 2026 sixth-round draft pick
Jaire Alexander's tenure in Baltimore was rocky to say the least. In fact, there were multiple times when the former Second-Team All-Pro was held out of games with the Ravens as a healthy scratch! Considering he was barely making an impact on the field for the Purple and Black, it only makes sense that they would move on from him and save a little bit of cap space by offloading his contract onto the Eagles.
On the other side, this is a low-risk, high-reward move for Philly. They have had clear issues defending the pass with 225.4 receiving yards allowed per game, a major increase from last year (192.1 receiving yards allowed per game during the regular season). With cornerback Quinyon Mitchell going in and out of the lineup due to injuries and the wear-and-tear that comes during an NFL season, Alexander can be an extra layer of protection for the Eagles if Mitchell has to miss any meaningful time in games. If he doesn't work out, the Eagles simply lose a sixth-round pick. But if Jaire Alexander plays well, he can be an immediate difference maker for Philly's defense.
November 3rd
Eagles trade for former first-round pick Jaelan Phillips
Eagles receive: linebacker Jaelan Phillips
Dolphins receive: a 2026 third-round draft pick
Phillips' contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and the Dolphins are almost certainly not making the playoffs, so they saw this as an opportunity to acquire high-value draft capital for a player that was probably going to test free agency anyway. Instead of letting Phillips walk for nothing, they got a third-round draft pick, which can go a long way in helping rebuild a team like the 'Phins, who are likely focused on the future.
Beyond the secondary, Philly needed some more pass-rusher help. The addition of Jaelan Phillips will fill the void left behind by the free agent departures of Milton Williams and Josh Sweat. As of this writing, the Eagles have only recorded 16 sacks this season, the seventh-lowest mark in the NFL. With Phillips now in the mix and Brandon Graham back in the fold as a pass-rush specialist, the Eagles should expect to see their sack totals increase over the next few weeks.
Ravens add pass rush help by landing Dre'Mont Jones
Ravens receive: linebacker Dre'Mont Jones
Titans receive: a 2026 condition fifth-round draft pick
In the off-season, the Titans probably imagined they would be somewhat competitive during the 2025-26 campaign. Unfortunately for the Tennessee faithful, that has not been the case, as proven by the fact that the Titans are tied with the New Orleans Saints for the lowest winning percentage in the NFL. This move kills two birds with one stone for Tennessee. First, it lands them additional draft capital for this coming off-season. Second, it makes their pass rush less effective, which will allow them to continue to tank and improve their draft stock.
The Ravens are getting a valuable player who can come in and be a hired gun on the defensive side of the ball. The 4.5 sacks Jones has this season were tied for a team-high in Tennessee. It would also make him the best pass-rusher in Baltimore by a wide margin, statistically speaking (2.5 more sacks than the next closest Ravens defender). Not only does this mark a defensive improvement for Baltimore, but it also shows that the Ravens believe they can still compete this season and maybe even make a playoff push.
November 4th
Cincy sends linebacker Logan Wilson to Dallas
Cowboys receive: linebacker Logan Wilson
Bengals receive: 2026 seventh-round draft pick
The injury to Joe Burrow ended the Bengals' season before it even really started. There was some hope that the addition of Joe Flacco might've turned things around, but Cincy is 1-3 since he joined the team and 3-6 on the campaign. Their defense is ranked last in the NFL anyway, so it doesn't really matter if Logan Wilson is on the field or not. By making this trade, the Bengals free up over $13.5 million in cap space over the next two seasons. That money will probably go towards improving the defense in other ways.
The Cowboys' defense has been an obvious issue all year long. They're 29th in run defense and 30th in pass defense, so they have a clear need for playmakers on that side of the ball. Wilson has recorded at least 100 total tackles in each of the last four seasons and is on pace to have 98 total tackles this year. That type of reliability will be valuable for a Dallas squad that has the sixth-most missed tackles in the NFL this season.
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers' trade request honored in deal with Jacksonville
Jaguars receive: wide receiver Jakobi Meyers
Raiders receive: a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick
After finishing last year with 1,000+ receiving yards, Jakobi Meyers is projected to fall well short of that number this season. When he and the Raiders failed to agree on a contract extension this past off-season, Meyers officially requested a trade. Despite a strong start to the campaign, he has only averaged 31 receiving yards per game in his last four starts. Expecting Meyers to leave in free agency this coming Spring, Vegas decided to move on from him now and land a pair of draft picks instead of letting him walk in the off-season for nothing.
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has failed to live up to expectations this year, while number-two overall draft pick Travis Hunter will miss significant time due to a knee injury. The Jaguars have overperformed this year and now view reaching the 2026 NFL Playoffs as a real possibility. If they want to keep pace in the AFC South and stay in the hunt for a Wild Card spot, they need another pass catcher who can make up for the lost production of Travis Hunter. Jakobi Meyers will be able to fill that role. If he exceeds expectations, there's a good chance he can land a contract extension this coming off-season.
Colts make blockbuster move for cornerback Sauce Gardner
Colts receive: cornerback Sauce Gardner
Jets receive: a 2026 first-round draft pick, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell
Sauce Gardner burst onto the scene when he first entered the NFL, earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2022 and 2023. Since then, though, it seems as if his effectiveness has taken a dip. If the Jets actually had a top-flight defense, they wouldn't have parted ways with Sauce. However, Gang Green ranks 28th in passer rating allowed this season, so it makes sense to unload that contract and get a bunch of picks in return for him. If you watch the Jets weekly, you know that Sauce has not been the player he once was. New York was able to capitalize on his name recognition and land two first-round picks over the next two years. This was a smart move by the new Jets general manager.
The Colts are clearly going all-in this season. A move like this tells the world that they think they can compete for a Super Bowl right now. Coming into this week, they ranked 26th in passing yards allowed per game and have been looking for a new number-one cornerback ever since Charvarius Ward got hurt and Xavien Howard abruptly retired on October 1st. Sauxce Gardner will step in and immediately make Indy's secondary better. When Charvarius Ward returns from the injured reserve, the Colts will have one of the NFL's best cornerback pairings.
Seahawks acquire wideout Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans
Seahawks receive: wide receiver Rashid Shaheed
Saints receive: a 2026 fourth-round draft pick and a 2026 fifth-round draft pick
The Saints are one of the worst teams in the NFL from a record standpoint, so it makes no sense for them to hold onto a valuable trade asset when they show no signs of being competitive this season. Shaheed was likely going to test out free agency in the off-season anyway, so by trading him to Seattle, the Saints get some draft capital that they can use to build a stronger team for next season. This also frees up some expected cap space if New Orleans wants to sign fellow wideout Chris Olave to an extension this off-season or next.
Talk about the rich getting richer. The Seahawks already had one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL when you realize they rank sixth in receiving (262.4 yards per game). Now, Shaeed can come in and be a field-stretching pass-catcher who can take some attention away from breakout star Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Teams will have to pick their poison when facing Seattle. Either opponents will double-team Smith-Njigba, and Shaeed will run wild, or Shaeed will occupy one side of the field, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be able to get open more easily. This was an excellent move by the Seahawks that bolsters an already lethal passing attack.
Jets send three-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to Dallas
Cowboys receive: defensive tackle Quinnen Williams
Jets receive: a 2026 second-round draft pick, a 2027 first-round draft pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith
This was a move I did not expect, but as I spent more and more time thinking about it, I like it. Quinnen Williams is a very good player, but he is not a game-breaking defensive tackle like Aaron Donald or even Chris Jones. The new leaders in New York are purging all of the players from the old regime. Those guys probably became comfortable with the idea of losing, and that is always bad when trying to change a team's culture, regardless of how talented the player might be. Between this deal and the Sauce Gardner trade, the Jets now have eight picks in the first two rounds of the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts, which will be crucial in terms of turning this team into a contender.
This is a fantastic acquisition by the Dallas Cowboys. Quinnen Williams is an elite run defender who can help Dallas in that regard. More importantly, this makes the Micah Parsons trade more palatable. Essentially, Dallas parted ways with Micah Parsons and a 2026 second-round draft pick and got back Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and a 2026 first-round draft pick. I would still prefer to have Micah Parsons on my team, but Williams, Clark, and a first-rounder are nice consolation prizes. If this deal helps Dallas' defense turn things around, then it will end up looking like a great decision. Jerry Jones clearly thinks that the window for the Cowboys to win a Super Bowl is open right now; otherwise, he wouldn't have swung for the fences with a move like this.
Chargers land a new offensive tackle in deal with the Saints
Chargers receive: offensive tackle Trevor Penning
Saints receive: a 2027 sixth-round draft pick
Penning was scheduled to become a free agent this coming off-season, so this allows the Saints to get away with not extending an offensive tackle whom they clearly think has underperformed based on where he was drafted. The Saints used their last two first-round draft picks on offensive tackles, so they were probably going to move on from Penning regardless. By making this move, they can receive a little compensation instead of letting him go for nothing this Spring. New Orleans obviously believes Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. will be long-term starters at the tackle spots.
This is basically a one-season rental for the Chargers. LA was able to navigate the loss of Rashawn Slater, but with Joe Alt epxetced to miss the remainder of the year due to ankle surgery, the Bolts needed to scramble to find a new tackle to protect quarterback Justin Herbert. Penning doesn't have to play like an All-Pro. He just can't be a detriment to the offense's success. If he can be a somewhat reliable and decent offensive tackle, that should be good enough to help the Bolts make the playoffs and maybe even win a game or two.
