Who won and lost at the NFL trade deadline? The Eagles as well as 49ers pounce in eyes in the Super Bowl.
Before the 2023 NFL season, we didn’t know that Aaron Rodgers would only play four snaps over the New York Jets, which Justin Herbert as well as the Los Angeles Chargers weapons would need time to get used to a new coach, or the reality that the Cleveland Browns’ defense was much better than their offense.
But we knew from training camp that there were a lot more teams in the AFC that looked like they could win than in the NFC.
We knew that the AFC had a lot of great players, like the Dolphins of Miami, who beat the Denver Broncos by scoring a lot of points.
So, we knew that this was seen as an opportunity for NFC candidates to strike by league offices across the board. That’s how being without Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers changes a conference.
That difference is still clear eight weeks to the NFL season. It makes sense that the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Philadelphia Eagles, who are the two fiercest teams in the NFC, made the most noise before Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Young, who was the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Player of the Year in 2020, had a hard time getting back to health and form after tears his ACL and patellar tendon within 2021.
He has played 84% of defensive plays this season, which is the most of his career. In seven games, he has recorded five sacks, 15 tackles, as well as nine QB hits.
ESPN says that Young’s 25% pass-rush win rate is the 11th best in the league. This number should only go up as teams try harder to stop a line that also includes Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, as well as Javon Hargrave.
As long as Young stays healthy, the 49ers should have an even bigger edge at the line of scrimmage. The 49ers are on a losing streak of three matches yet have made it to the last two NFC title games by winning late in the season.
The reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, who traded for All-Pro safety Kevin Byard with the Tennessee Titans in a trade on Tuesday, have the opposite attitude.
The Eagles already have the best record in the conference (6-1) and Byard was added as a result.
The 49ers ended the Cowboys’ last two playoff wins and beat them 42–10 in Week 5 this season. They have made important deals in the past, like the one they made a year ago for Pro Bowl back Christian McCaffrey, which paid off big.
Jones thinks that the Cowboys aren’t sufficiently far away from the level of the two teams that played in the conference title game last year.
“I’m not going to say that we belong on the field alongside San Fran, since we haven’t played Philly,” said Jones.
I think Philadelphia will be like what they look like, so I am reluctant to travel that far. We’re in the top tier, though.
Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch went on injured reserve with a neck injury, rookie third-round acquire DeMarvion Overshown tore his ACL before the season, and Trevon Diggs, a Pro Bowl cornerback, tore his ACL in preseason.
The Cowboys could use more depth in some areas since they still have 11 regular-season games to go and hope to play in multiple playoff games.
“I have areas in this group that we could, if something were to happen, which you might improve,” said Jones. “You know the best time to do it is when it presents itself and you seize it.”
To go ahead and push it, there aren’t many chances of getting this done that the price or trade terms you’d want.
Every day, you work with a lot of tools. If I did something that would hurt this team, it would help us in the long run. Most likely not.”
That’s where it gets tricky. Jones wants to keep living in the present and planning for the future.
This way of thinking may be a big reason why the Cowboys haven’t made it past the NFL Divisional Around since 1995.
Dallas currently owns the rights to its first, second, third, and seventh-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cowboys also have all seven of their picks in 2025.
Here are some players Jones might want to talk to about before the trade deadline if he decides to add to his team in what looks like a very competitive NFC.