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All 32 NFL rosters were officially cut down to 53 players on Sunday afternoon, and with it came plenty of movement around the league.
Aside from the 1,000-plus players who were released, waived or shelved with an injury designation, several more were traded as teams look to address specific roster needs ahead of the 2026 season.
On Sunday alone, 15 trades were completed, with each carrying its own set of implications for the teams involved.
Here’s a look at who came out on top in each trade.
OL Broderick Jones to Cowboys
Cowboys get: OL Broderick Jones, 2027 fourth-round pick
Steelers get: 2027 third-round pick, 2027 sixth-round pick
Pittsburgh had a logjam at the tackle position after drafting Jones, Troy Fautanu and Max Iheanachor with three of its last four first-round picks. The 25-year-old gets a fresh start in Dallas as a swing tackle behind starters Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele.
Who won? Cowboys. They only had to swap late-round 2027 draft picks to bring in a player in Jones who still has plenty of potential.
OL Diego Pounds to Chiefs
Chiefs get: OL Diego Pounds
Ravens get: 2028 sixth-round pick (conditional)
Pounds signed with the Ravens out of Ole Miss as an undrafted free agent this past spring, but couldn’t crack their tackle rotation throughout training camp despite being one of Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded rookies this preseason. Instead of cutting him, Baltimore flipped him to the Chiefs for a 2028 sixth-round pick.
Who won? Chiefs. Kansas City was in need of tackle depth outside of Josh Simmons, and landed Pounds without sacrificing much draft capital.
QB Quinn Ewers to Jaguars
Jaguars get: QB Quinn Ewers
Dolphins get: 2028 sixth-round pick
Nobody stood out enough behind Dolphins starting quarterback Malik Willis this summer, forcing the team to waive both Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski and luckily get something in return for Ewers in a trade. Jacksonville, meanwhile, added the second-year pro out of Texas to backup Trevor Lawerence.
Who won? Dolphins. You’ll see why in a minute.
C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger to Colts
Colts get: C Sedrick Van-Pranger, 2027 seventh-round pick
Bills get: 2027 sixth-round pick
Van Pran-Granger’s path to a roster spot significantly shrunk this offseason when the Bills signed Lloyd Cushenberry III to back up starting center Connor McGovern. The Colts, meanwhile, were looking for more depth behind Tanor Bortolini after a less-than-ideal preseason from Dalton Tucker.
Who won? Bills. Buffalo was likely going to cut Van Pran-Granger anyway, so getting something in return from Indianapolis was simply good business.
DL Gervon Dexter Sr. to Falcons
Falcons get: Gervon Dexter Sr.
Bears get: DB Clark Phillips III, 2027 fifth-round pick
The Bears had been having trade discussions involving Dexter since early last week, looking to potentially move the 24-year-old as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. They pulled the trigger on Sunday and landed a defensive back in Phillips, as well as a 2027 fifth-round pick, in return.
Who won? Bears. Chicago seemingly wasn’t willing to give Dexter a big-money extension, and flipped him for a pick and another reinforcement behind starting cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson.
<section data-block="SingleChoice"><h2>Who won the Gervon Dexter trade?</h2><p><p><span style="font-size: 12px;">Make your pick and continue to the final results page to see how your answer compares</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> ➡️</span></p></p><ul><li>Bears</li><li>Falcons</li></ul></section>
QB Kyle McCord to Dolphins
Dolphins get: QB Kyle McCord
Packers get: 2028 sixth-round pick
Tyrod Taylor winning the Packers’ backup quarterback job behind Jordan Love made McCord an expendable asset, and Miami pounced.
Who won? Dolphins. Instead of going into the season with only Willis on their roster, they essentially flipped Ewers for McCord, who Miami coach Jeff Hafley is familiar with from his time in Green Bay.
TE Hunter Long to Cardinals
Cardinals get: TE Hunter Long, 2028 seventh-round pick
Jaguars get: 2028 sixth-round pick
The Cardinals have arguably the best tight end in football in Trey McBride, but that didn’t stop them from adding depth at the position prior to roster cuts. With Tip Reiman beginning the season on the PUP list, Arizona traded for a veteran in Long.
Who won? Jaguars. Jacksonville’s tight end room is crowded with veteran Brenton Strange and rookies Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol. While a pick swap in 2028 isn’t much of a return, the Jags at least got something for Long, who very well could have been released.
CB Avery Smith to Seahawks
Seahawks get: CB Avery Smith
Chargers get: 2027 sixth-round pick
The Seahawks’ cornerback room has been a moving target over the past several weeks. After agreeing to a massive contract extension with Devon Witherspoon in mid-August, Seattle also signed both Trevon Diggs and Terrion Arnold. Diggs has since been released, while Arnold was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list—hence the trade with Los Angeles for Smith.
Who won? Chargers. Smith was a UDFA dart throw last season that they were able to turn into a sixth-round pick from a team desperate for depth.
RB Kaleb Johnson to Packers
Packers get: RB Kaleb Johnson
Steelers get: 2028 seventh-round pick
The Packers received news on Sunday that running back Josh Jacobs was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list after he was charged with two misdemeanors stemming from an alleged incident with a woman earlier this spring. Green Bay quickly pivoted, and traded for Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers.
Who won? Packers. They landed themselves a 23-year-old, former third-round pick as running back insurance in a room otherwise manned by the oft-injured MarShawn Lloyd and special teamer Chris Brooks.
TE Mark Redman to Packers
Packers get: TE Mark Redman
Rams get: 2028 seventh-round pick
A UDFA out of Louisville, Redman couldn’t crack the Rams’ roster despite them keeping five (!) tight ends. He now heads to a crowded room in Green Bay alongside Tucker Kraft, Jonnu Smith and Josh Wylie.
Who won? Rams. While Sean McVay loves his tight ends, Los Angeles was able to flip one that would have otherwise been released for draft capital.
OL Jordan Meredith to Jets
Jets get: OL Jordan Meredith, 2029 seventh-round pick
Raiders get: 2027 sixth-round pick (conditional)
The Jets acquired Meredith, who started 19 games for the Raiders over the past two seasons, for a late-round pick swap—giving themselves a backup option behind center Josh Myers and guards Dylan Parham and Joe Tippmann.
Who won? Raiders. Las Vegas have enough depth along their interior, Tyler Linderbaum is an iron man at center and they were able to turn a seventh-round pick in 2029 into a sixth in ’27. No brainer.
OT Nathan Thomas to Texans
Texans get: OT Nathan Thomas
Cowboys get: 2027 seventh-round pick
Thomas, a seventh-rounder himself back in 2024, is staying in the state of Texas after being sent from Dallas to Houston on Sunday. The move gives the Texans additional help at tackle after Braden Smith suffered a plantar fascia injury this week.
Who won? Cowboys. After trading for Jones, Dallas was able to offload another depth tackle for a late-round chip.
OL Jarrett Patterson to 49ers
49ers get: OL Jarrett Patterson
Texans get: 2027 seventh-round pick
The 49ers made a deal with the Texans for Patterson following news that guard Rob Jones, who had been taking reps with the No. 1 offense, was being released after suffering a calf strain in practice last week.
Who won? 49ers. San Francisco made a quick pivot after losing Jones and landed a player in Patterson, who has started 20 games across the interior offensive line over his three-year NFL career.
DT TeRah Edwards to Panthers
Panthers get: DT TeRah Edwards
Chargers get: 2028 sixth-round pick
The Panthers kept six defensive lineman on their initial 53-man roster, including Edwards, whom they acquired from the Chargers for a 2028 sixth-round pick on Sunday.
Who won? Panthers. While Edwards may not last long in a crowded defensive line room, he provides Carolina a quality run-stopper to help fill the void until Tershawn Wharton is activated from the PUP list.
OL Walter Rouse to Patriots
Patriots get: OL Walter Rouse, 2027 seventh-round pick
Vikings get: 2027 sixth-round pick
The Patriots and Vikings just barely snuck this one in prior to Sunday’s deadline, with Minnesota sending Rouse to New England in a late-round pick swap.
Who won? Patriots. After dealing with depth concerns along the offensive line this summer, they bring in a stopgap swing tackle until Marcus Bryant returns from short-term IR.
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MIKE KADLICK
Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.
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