The NFL's trade deadline was a dud, in part because the last few months weren't.
Teams don't wait to tear down their own mediocrity now. Young, creative general managers ship Pro Bowl players without hesitation. Deals have become so common -- 66 in 2019, up from the low-20s earlier this decade -- that the Cincinnati Bengals were chastised this week for not trading all of their good players. It's the new normal: Bad teams stockpile picks and prey on decent-to-good teams who believe they are one piece away. According to one league executive, virtually every general manager is comparing notes, and more players are being shopped than what's reported.
Everyone has a price. Giving up two first-round picks for a player was downright irresponsible a few years ago. Now? Go get your guy, at any cost. The Miami Dolphins -- who essentially paid for a fifth-round pick by absorbing Aqib Talib's bloated salary -- reminded us that the NBA model has arrived in the NFL.
Now that the physicals are passed and players are affecting wins and losses in new uniforms, let's take a look at this year's moves with help from those on the inside.
The boom or bust deal: Jalen Ramsey to the Rams
We know, we know -- generational talent, best corner since Deion Sanders, ungodly range. Ramsey is worth a serious draft haul in any scenario. But getting an island corner put the Rams on one. No other team was willing to give up what they did: two first-round picks and a future fourth-rounder, effectively shattering draft plans and forcing an all-in mentality with high-priced vets.
Even corner-starved Kansas City and Philadelphia wouldn't go that far, which is why one league source with knowledge of the trade market didn't love the deal, regardless of Ramsey's immense ability.
"Those teams were willing to give up a first and then maybe a Day 2 pick, and that was the breaking point," the source said. "The Rams blew that out of the water. I love Ramsey, but this sets your depth back."
The Rams can partly thank the Texans, who gave up two firsts for Laremy Tunsil on cut-down day without agreeing to a long-term extension. It gave infinite leverage to the Jaguars, whose owner, Shad Khan, slow-played it perfectly, publicly stating twice he wouldn't deal the player.
The Rams are left with nine veterans with a 2020 cap hit of $7-plus million (including about $95 million on Jared Goff, Todd Gurley II, Aaron Donald and Brandin Cooks alone) and just five draft picks to balance the books and replenish an uneven offensive line. They should get an additional third- or fourth-rounder as compensation, but Los Angeles is stuck in a five-year stretch without a first-rounder, which is a tough way to live.
A franchise tag for Ramsey seems inevitable, and Ramsey's response will be that pesky back issue flaring up again.
The Meh Deal: Leonard Williams to the Giants
Giants GM Dave Gettleman loves linemen like Daniel Jones loves khakis and a slightly wrinkled button-down. In each of his seven drafts with Carolina and New York, Gettleman has used one of his first three picks on an offensive or defensive lineman, including three first-rounders and four second-rounders.
At these positions, stockpiling is sound strategy. Most good teams build this way. But instead of selecting two more linemen at low costs, future third- and fifth-round picks, the Giants gave those up for a player who will command star money.
Williams, who has just 17 sacks in four-plus seasons, is a good run stopper but hasn't rushed the passer like many expected when he came out of USC. His overall performance through four years elicits a shoulder shrug.
"He's a pretty good player, not great," one AFC executive said. "If you think you can re-sign him for a reasonable amount, then it's probably a pretty good deal. The Giants don't give up a whole lot. But it's not like they are contending."
The price was modest enough for the Giants to justify this deal, but it's a better one for the Jets, who shed salary for yet another player head coach Adam Gase didn't seem to like.
The best deal: Emmanuel Sanders to the 49ers
Sanders and Jimmy Garoppolo were reenacting a buddy cop movie Thursday night in Arizona, especially those hugs and finger points from afar after big gains. Sanders also pointed out Garoppolo's Eastern Illinois backpack to the media to show the humility of a quarterback for whom he'll eagerly get open. "He makes you want to make plays for him," Sanders said after a monster 112-yard game with one touchdown.
San Francisco's championship window makes giving up a third and fourth more palatable than it was for the Giants, at 2-6, sending a similar package for Williams. The Niners, who also get a fifth-round pick in the exchange, have Sanders for 10 games plus playoffs with compensatory-pick protection if he leaves in 2020 free agency.
At 32, Sanders' game has aged well. He looks reenergized. Sanders told ESPN before the game against the Cardinals that his hope in trade talks was to play for Kyle Shanahan, whose system he knows well.
Overall, the move is a popular one.
"He's a No. 2, but how many No. 1s are there really?" said one NFC personnel man. "Maybe 10. This guy's proven. He's savvy, and he's a good route-runner. Kyle can work with that."
The head-scratchers: Laremy Tunsil to the Texans; Mohamed Sanu to the Patriots
The Tunsil deal was mocked two months ago. Not much has changed. It's considered the most shortsighted trade of the last few months.
Getting high-level protection for one of the game's most-promising quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson was of paramount importance for Houston, and though Tunsil hasn't been great this season, there's belief he will be a top-shelf lineman for the next few years.
Bill O'Brien has constructed a more balanced team than a year ago. But no general manager with any sort of clout would have given up such a substantial haul -- a trade package that included two first-rounders and a second-rounder -- for Tunsil.
"The head coach doesn't care about the future," one league personnel man said.
The receiver market never took off after the Bengals bubble-wrapped A.J. Green, so the Falcons got a second-round pick for Sanu, an aging receiver averaging 9.5 yards per catch. It was an easy deal for the Falcons -- and a curious one for the Patriots, who chose Sanu over the more talented player in Gordon, though there were questions about Gordon's injury status and dependability.
"I don't think I would have given a third or fourth for Sanu, but they're desperate for a No. 2 [receiver], and Belichick loves Rutgers players," a personnel man said.
As long as Tom Brady is happy.
The curious deal that's paying off: Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers
The Steelers have long been sold on Mason Rudolph as a potential successor to Ben Roethlisberger, whose future is unclear as he recovers from season-ending elbow surgery.
But giving up a first-round pick coming off an injury-filled year that could see Pittsburgh picking higher than usual in the 2020 draft carried legitimate risk should Rudolph struggle this year.
Even so, Pittsburgh desperately needed a stabilizer in the defensive backfield, and Fitzpatrick has paired four interceptions -- including a 96-yard pick-six in Week 9 -- with big hits in the running game. The Steelers are allowing 18 points per game in six outings with Fitzpatrick, compared to 30.5 per game in the two games without him. It's a small sample size, to be sure, and they played New England and Seattle before he arrived, but Fitzpatrick's presence marks a clear increase in confidence. That adds more value than a draft pick in the teens that the Steelers would probably use on a defensive player anyway. Mike Tomlin -- who has Lamar Jackson-like mobility in evading losing seasons, having led the Steelers to at least a .500 record in his 12 seasons at the helm -- was never going to coach a 3-13 team.
"That move was very unlike the Steelers, but he's a good player," said one AFC personnel man. "He's sort of what they need back there. He's a really smart, physical guy who can make plays. He's probably worth a first-round pick."