The NFL trade deadline didn’t reshape the AFC so much as it reinforced what we already knew.
There’s a top tier of four or five teams, and there is a handful on the fringe hoping to make the leap from “OK” to “All Right!”
These five deals, ranked in order of value and importance for the team receiving the player involved, might not have moved the needle, but they certainly helped potential AFC contenders advance down the path to their desired destination: New Orleans for Super Bowl 59.
It’s important to note that this NFL trade deadline wasn’t so much about learning new information as it was reinforcing priors with more data.
And our priors are as follows: The Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills are (in some order) the three best-run franchises in the conference.
And the New York Jets, who gave up a third-round pick for a declining Davante Adams and his big contract, are an organization that continues to make the ill-advised big splashes that keep them relevant but also mediocre.
Adams wasn’t one of the five best acquisitions this cycle, but these were.
WR Amari Cooper
Bills From Browns
There’s literally nothing to criticize from Buffalo’s perspective.
The Bills addressed a need that’s existed since they traded Stefon Diggs in April and Cooper gets a chance to ring chase after two and a half strong but mostly wasted seasons in Cleveland.
Buffalo got Cooper, 30, on a three-month rental (and perhaps longer, should the organization extend him) at a bargain-basement price ($800,000, with more possible should he meet incentives).
After Week 9, here’s how the PFN Playoff Predictor sees the playoff race rounding out ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Dtzyriszsm
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 5, 2024
The trade terms were Cooper and the Cleveland Browns’ 2026 sixth for a 2025 third and a 2026 seventh. Considering how low in the third round the Bills expect to draft in April, the deal likely comes out to a mid-round fourth — which is no steep price for a WR1.
Cooper is dealing with a minor wrist injury but should be back healthy for the Bills’ stretch run.
WR Diontae Johnson
Ravens From Panthers
From a pure value standpoint, the Ravens hit a home run.
They get Johnson for the rest of this year for roughly $600,000, and all it cost them was a pick swap that cost them just 10-20 spots midway through Day 3 of April’s draft.
So why, exactly, were the Carolina Panthers willing to make this move?
They were more than ready to move on from Johnson, who reinforced his diva reputation in seven ill-fitting games with the terrible Panthers. But Johnson is still just 28, and if you squint hard, you can see the player who put up 2,966 yards and 15 touchdowns over a three-year span with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Ravens believe they have the culture to rehabilitate him.
WR DeAndre Hopkins
Chiefs From Titans
Honestly, DeAndre Hopkins would have been lower on this list if we had written it Monday afternoon. But his eight-catch, two-touchdown performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night silenced those who doubted he still had it at the age of 32.
Hopkins has to love catching passes from Patrick Mahomes. And he’ll have a chance to solidify his Hall of Fame candidacy with a Super Bowl championship in three months.
Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to an OT win vs. TB, receiving a B+ QB+ grade tonight. 🔥
The Chiefs improve to 8-0 and now have a 99.91% chance to make playoffs. 📈 pic.twitter.com/izd06G6tTT
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 5, 2024
The price tag for Hopkins? A conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and less than three-quarters of a million dollars in salary.
EDGE Preston Smith
Steelers From Packers
A fifth-round pick for receiver Mike Williams was too steep for the Steelers. However, give Omar Khan credit for getting help at pass rusher for a seventh-round pick.
How much does Smith have left at 32? We’ll see.
But he’ll certainly benefit from playing alongside T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward for the rest of the season.
RB Khalil Herbert
Bengals From Bears
The Cincinnati Bengals are seriously banged up at running back.
RB1 Zack Moss is out indefinitely with a neck injury and backup Chase Brown is dealing with tender ribs.
Enter Herbert, who had dropped to third-team on the depth chart behind D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
Herbert, acquired for a seventh-round pick, has eight carries on the season. He could have at least that many in Week 10 against the Ravens.