Breaking down the moves for Golden Tate, Dante Fowler and others at the trade deadline

Jay Asser 01:25 31/10/2018
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  • It was a busy trade deadline in the NFL on Tuesday, with several notable names moved across the league.

    The overarching theme of the trades that went down was contenders looking to bolster their roster for a playoff push with potential short-term acquisitions.

    Here’s a breakdown of the biggest transactions.

    EAGLES ADD GOLDEN TATE

    The defending champions got better and they did it by finding value on the trade market.

    Golden Tate isn’t going to solve Philadelphia’s secondary issues or banged-up backfield, but he does give Carson Wentz another weapon to work with. Alshon Jeffery and Zach Ertz are firmly established as the top two targets in the passing game, but Tate is known for having a safe pair of hands and an ability to fight for extra yards after the catch.

    A third-round pick may seem like a steep price to pay for a player in the final year of his contract, but the Eagles will actually get a compensation pick somewhere in that ballpark if he leaves in the offseason.

    Detroit, meanwhile, break up arguably the best receiver trio in the league, but it will allow Kenny Golladay to be more of a focal point in their attack.

    TEXANS ADD DEMARYIUS THOMAS

    After losing number two wide receiver Will Fuller to a season-ending torn ACL this past week, Houston were aggressive in filling his shoes by sending the Denver Broncos a 2019 fourth-round draft pick for Demaryius Thomas.

    Two years ago, this would have been a bigger deal, but Thomas hasn’t topped 1,000 receiving yards since 2016 and at 30, doesn’t look like the playmaking receiver he once was. He’s also prone to drops – an area he will have no problem replacing Fuller. But otherwise, Thomas will struggle to be anywhere near the deep threat Fuller is.

    He also brings a $14 million cap hit for next season, so it’s conceivable the Texans move on from him after half a season.

    For the Broncos, shedding Thomas opens up even more opportunity the young Cortland Sutton, who has shown he’s ready for an increased role.

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    RAMS ADD DANTE FOWLER

    The rich get richer as the league’s only undefeated team continues to stockpile talent.

    It’s clear the Rams’ window of contention is at its most open right now, so it makes sense for them to go after a player who may not be there next season, which could be the case with Fowler who is due for free agency.

    In the meantime, the former number three overall draft pick will bring situational pass rushing on the edge to compliment Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh.

    Jacksonville’s defence will take a slight hit, but they have more than enough on that side of the ball to maintain their strength. And it allows them to hedge a bit if they don’t reach the playoffs at the end of this season.

    WASHINGTON ADD HAHA CLINTON-DIX

    It’s understandable why Green Bay shipped off HaHa Clinton-Dix, the safety who has kept their secondary from falling apart in recent years, but it’s a move that certainly hurts their contention hopes this season.

    Clinton-Dix is in the final year of his rookie contract and it’s obvious the Packers weren’t planning on bringing him back, so they recouped what they could. Now, they’ll put their faith in their young defensive backs to help fill the void.

    In Washington, Clinton-Dix will be another reliable presence in a secondary that includes Josh Norman and D.J. Swearinger. As the team currently leading the NFC East, Washington have every reason to believe they’ll need Clinton-Dix for the playoffs.

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    RAVENS ADD TY MONTGOMERY

    Man, that’s a cold move by the Green Bay Packers to basically send Ty Montgomery away for his disastrous fourth-quarter fumble this past weekend.

    Is a seventh-round pick really better than Montgomery, who can be useful as a runner and receiver? Probably not. But Green Bay also have Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams in their backfield, so the work just isn’t there for Montgomery – unless it’s on special teams, and everyone knows how that went.

    For the Ravens, Montgomery can add another element to their running back group, which features Alex Collins and Javorius Allen. For a seventh-round pick, it’s worth a flier.

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