2021 NFL Trade Deadline
Many professional sports have interesting and active trade deadlines, where deals come in at the last minute, players are moved where you didn't expect them to go, and contenders pay high prices to lesser teams to acquire more assets to help their team immediately. Unfortunately, the NFL trade deadline is perhaps the most boring of them all. Very rarely does anything bug happen on deadline day and most deals are made in the days prior. This year was no exception.
Here are the deals that went down this time (most did not happen at the deadline) :
The Jets traded TE Daniel Brown to the Chiefs for OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
The Broncos traded CB Kary Vincent to the Eagles for a 2022 6th-round draft pick
The Houston Texans traded DE Charles Omenihu to the 49ers for a late-round draft pick
The Pittsburgh Steelers traded DE/OLB Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs for a 6th-round pick
The Broncos traded OLB Von Miller to the Rams for 2nd & 3rd-round picks in the 2022 draft
The Texans traded RB Mark Ingram to the Saints for a 7th-round pick in 2024.
The Rams traded LB Kenny Young and a late-round 2024 pick to the Broncos for a late-round 2024 pick
The Eagles traded TE Zach Ertz to the Cardinals for CB Tay Gowan and a 5th-round 2022 pick
The Patriots traded CB Stephon Gilmore to the Panthers for a 2023 6th-round pick
Omenihu is a good pickup for San Fran, who needed to add some juice to the d-line. He was underutilized in Houston and should be a great fit in his new role.
Melvin Ingram wasn't working out in Pittsburgh and adds much-needed pass-rushing abilities to a struggling Kansas City defense.
Miller makes the Rams' defense even stronger. It was already a talented unit but not quite having the season it had expected. While dealing Young away was a surprising move, Miller is a perfect impact player to acquire.
Lastly, Mark Ingram's return to New Orleans should take pressure off of Alvin Kamara and add a weapon to the defense. It's interesting that New Orleans did not trade for a quarterback or receiver, but their brass has definitely earned the benefit of the doubt.