49ers among winners at NFL trade deadline while Raiders flop
The NFL trade deadline was relatively quiet. That's good for some contenders and portends a rough winter for others.
The NFL trade deadline came and went Tuesday. There were no seismic moves to be made, no big names changing uniforms.
The New England Patriots acquired Isaiah Ford from the Miami Dolphins, and that was it. On Monday, the 49ers traded linebacker Kwon Alexander to the New Orleans Saints, and the Baltimore Ravens acquired Yannick Ngakoue a few weeks ago.
Green Bay had a chance to get Aaron Rodgers a weapon, but once again couldn't do all that is necessary to help their iconic quarterback.
There were other minor moves made last week, but nothing that shakes up the Super Bowl pecking order.
Let's take a brief look at the winners and losers.
They didn't need to add anything, but their fiercest competition in the NFC didn't do anything that should have them worried.
The Seahawks added edge rusher Carlos Dunlap, but he won't fix all of Seattle's defensive issues. The Packers, for some reason, stood pat and the Saints acquired Alexander, but that shouldn't worry Tompa.
Tampa also signed Antonio Brown, who, while completely insane, is one of the best receivers in the NFL when he's on the field. If they can keep his head on straight, they will have added a top weapon to an already electric arsenal.
They reportedly were interested in Will Fuller but couldn't agree on compensation with the Houston Texans.
Meanwhile, they spent their first two picks last year on a quarterback and running back who don't play while Aaron Rodgers is left with Davante Adams and not much else in the passing game.
This was a complete whiff for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
It might not have been an eyebrow-raising move, but landing Yannick Ngakoue was a good move for the Ravens.
With Lamar Jackson taking a step back this season, the Ravens need their defense to shoulder more of the load in order to win the AFC.
Pairing Ngakoue with Calais Campbell and Matthew Judon should give the Ravens one of the best front sevens in the AFC.
Bill O'Brien left an empty cupboard as it pertains to draft capital.
They needed to sell off some of their veteran parts like Will Fuller, Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills and Whitney Mercilus in order to re-stock.
They were unable to move any of them and now will face an even longer rebuild around Deshaun Watson.
With an eye toward the future, the 49ers were able to get out from under Kwon Alexander's contract and pick up a draft pick in the process along with linebacker Kiko Alonso.
The move signals the 49ers are looking toward 2021 and have faith in their current linebacking corps led by Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
Alexander was injured too often and was too expensive. The 49ers were up against the salary cap and did well to alleviate some of the weight as they enter an important offseason. Getting a draft pick on top of it makes the move even sweeter.
The Raiders survived their early-season schedule at 4-3 and now face the NFL's easiest remaining schedule.
Unfortunately, they still have one of the league's worst secondaries, especially when they aren't playing in a wind storm.
There were players out there to bolster their defense. Could they have traded a sixth-round pick for Everson Griffen? A conditional pick for Carlos Dunlap? He came with a high price tag, so perhaps the Raiders didn't want to eat the money.
Was there a deal to be made for help in the secondary?
The Raiders have their eyes on the postseason, but didn't do anything to address their biggest issue.
