NFL Panic Meter: While other NFC contenders loaded up at deadline, Rams and Lions were quiet
The theme of the trade deadline seemed to be contenders being more aggressive than ever before in their pursuit of a Super Bowl, particularly in the NFC.
That's what made the inactivity of the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams a bit startling.
The Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers all made trades to help themselves now. The Green Bay Packers did not, but they're getting Micah Parsons back soon and they're relying on that being a big midseason addition. The 49ers did the least of that group, but they're also having the best season in the conference and starting to get a little healthier. And we don't need to count anyone in the NFC East or NFC South as a contender.
The only move the Rams or Lions made was Detroit trading a sixth-round pick to the Jets for safety Andre Cisco, who was a part-time starter for a bad New York team.
Let's start with the Rams, because they had the biggest need and their inactivity goes against their normal mode. The Rams have lost Puka Nacua and Davante Adams to injuries, and don't know if they'll be back before it's too late. They're dreadfully thin at receiver for the next few weeks, at least. The Rams have gone from preseason Super Bowl favorite to probably a slight underdog to even make the playoffs. Yet, they did not make a trade before the deadline. The Rams could argue, like the Packers, that adding Myles Garrett back is their in-season addition. But that doesn't help at receiver, and it's hard to believe the Rams have championship upside building a passing game around three or four tight ends and nothing else. It seems like the Rams put three-quarters of their chips in the middle, then folded.
The Lions probably could have used a cornerback or linebacker nearly as much as the Rams needed a receiver, but they did nothing other than a low-cost move to add Cisco. Detroit's defense probably isn't good enough to win a championship, and their fans will be frustrated after seeing other teams, particularly in the NFC North, make moves. They were clamoring for a cornerback for weeks and Jack Campbell's injury left them with a weakness at linebacker. Those areas of need still exist.
The Rams have a "forget them picks" attitude but it still has a limit. They gave up a lot to get Garrett and Trent McDuffie in the offseason. They might have also privately seen a team that is slipping further from being a Super Bowl contender and didn't want to chase their losses. The Lions didn't want to pay the escalating prices to make a huge move on the back end of their defense, and while that might be prudent for the long haul, Detroit fans don't want to be patient anymore. Maybe the Lions or Rams still make a deep playoff run, but they'll have to do it against teams that got much better over the past couple weeks.
Panic meter: The Rams and Lions are still good, but everyone around them got better.
Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams did not make a trade before the deadline on Tuesday.Is now the right time for Fernando Mendoza?
The biggest secondary domino from the trade deadline moves happened with the Las Vegas Raiders. Trading Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings kicked off the Mendoza era. The No. 1 overall pick will be the team's starter going forward.
The timing isn't perfect. The next two games for the Raiders are against the Seahawks and Broncos, two of the toughest defenses in the NFL. The Broncos game is at Denver, which is a tough place to play.
It could be rough for Mendoza early on. The Raiders had to make the move when the Vikings offered a third-round pick for a 38-year-old quarterback who was probably starting only two more games for them anyway. Two games won't ruin the rookie but he's in for a welcome to the NFL moment or two.
Panic meter: Mendoza will be fine but expect some early struggles.
Patriots are thin at RB
Rhamondre Stevenson has an injured tendon in his knee, TreVeyon Henderson has been out with a murky injury and that led people to believe the Patriots could trade for a running back. That didn't happen.
No running backs moved at the trade deadline. The Colts were reportedly asking way too much in return for Jonathan Taylor (more on Indianapolis in a moment) and perhaps the prices of others like Tony Pollard were egregious too. But now the Patriots move forward for a while with Corey Kiner as the lead back. That will put more pressure on Drake Maye, who is coming off a poor game against the Packers. The dream of contending in the AFC East is slipping away. Will the Patriots be a playoff team?
Panic meter: The Patriots should still sneak in the playoffs, but a running back trade would have been nice.
What were the Colts doing?
The Colts traded an eight-time Pro Bowl guard, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. a six-time Pro Bowl receiver and a 25-year-old receiver who has shown promise, and somehow they didn't get a first- or second-round pick back for any of them.
The Colts got a lot of mid-round picks back for Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Keenan Allen and Josh Downs, but they didn't seem to maximize the value of any of them other than perhaps Allen. Buckner's return of a fourth-round pick seemed quite light given what some other defensive tackles went for. And the Jonathan Taylor situation was just odd.
The Colts reportedly received offers of a second-round pick and more for Taylor and passed. Taylor is a great player but he's a running back on a team with a long rebuild ahead of it. It made little sense to hold on to him. But the Colts, who don't have next year's first-round pick due to the Sauce Gardner trade, don't have much of a plan.
Panic meter: The Colts have a long rebuild ahead and this isn't a good sign it'll go well.
Did the Bengals do enough?
The Bengals can argue that trading the 10th overall pick of the draft for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II in the offseason was their big move. But some more might have been nice.
The Bengals are getting an MVP-level season from quarterback Joe Burrow, their offensive line is better than it has been in years and the defense has been competent. That defense could be better, though. Couldn't they have outbid the Broncos for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, who went for fourth- and fifth-round picks?
The Bengals' ownership has always been ripped for being cheap and maybe that was part of the team making no moves before the deadline. Either way, it's a team that should have Super Bowl hopes and might regret not doing anything to improve itself with another trade.
Panic meter: The Bengals are good but might ultimately find they're a piece or two away.
Source: Sports
