NFL fans were treated to one of the most exhilarating trade deadlines in a long time on the Goodell Circuit on Tuesday.
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Several teams took the opportunity to improve, while others clearly assumed that their 2022 season was already a failure. Here are the winners and losers of this special day in professional sports.
– Minnesota Vikings, winners
The Vikings offense just got a whole lot better with the acquisition of tight end TJ Hockenson. The 25-year-old athlete is a real threat, whether on short courses or long balls. Plus, he’ll pair beautifully with head coach Kevin O’Connell’s playbook that involves his tight ends a lot.
– Chicago Bears, winners
It’s been a far from fantastic season for the Bears, who have gone 3-5 so far. The Illinois team made two big trades. On Monday, she first sent linebacker Roquan Smith, who could have become a free agent at the end of the season, to the Baltimore Ravens. In return, the Bears got their hands on 2023 second- and fifth-round picks, in addition to linebacker AJ Klein.
The next day, Chicago got Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool. Let’s say that with the few weapons that quarterback Justin Fields has, the arrival of the Canadian is more than welcome.
– Aaron Rodgers, loser
Again, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst did nothing to help quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ offense. It must be pretty frustrating for the holder of the last two NFL MVP titles. In addition, Rodgers has seen two sectional opponents, the Vikings and the Bears, get athletes who will definitely help their offense…
“I was kind of hoping there would be some news we could break on this show,” Rodgers said during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” podcast Tuesday.
– Jacksonville Jaguars, winners
The Jaguars have been rebuilding for several years now and made a trade to that effect on Tuesday. They got wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who won’t be able to help them until the 2023 season. Indeed, he is suspended for the entire current campaign for betting on an NFL game last year, when he was injured.
The future arrival of Ridley means that the “Jags” will count on many talented weapons on offense next year, they who already have in their ranks receiver Christian Kirk, running back Travis Etienne and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
– Kareem Hunt, loser
Stuck behind the excellent Nick Chubb in the backfield of the Cleveland Browns, Kareem Hunt would surely have liked to change his address on Tuesday. Whoever could become a free agent at the end of the campaign could have benefited from a more important role with another team, being more assertive and thus breaking the bank during the offseason. The Browns will also be losers, as they’ll likely drop Hunt for absolutely nothing in the next few months.