The 2019 NFL trade deadline is at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Here are the best trades that have been made so far in the weeks leading up to it.
The NFL made a wise decision to move the NFL trade deadline back a few weeks. Instead of having it come after Week 6 as it had been for years, moving to after Week 8 has certainly created more transactions than we’ve previously ever seen.
By moving the trade deadline back, it forces teams to honestly assess if they are buyers or sellers at roughly the halfway point of the season. For example under the old system, teams that were 2-4 through six weeks could convince themselves that they’re still in it to win it this year and be reluctant to punt on a season. But at 2-6, the decision is obvious to be sellers at the deadline.
So far, there have been many blockbuster trades during the NFL season this October. There might be a few more as the clock is ticking ever closer to the 4:00 p.m. ET trade deadline on Tuesday, Oct. 29. With a handful of deals done, let’s take a look at the best ones that have already happened.
9. Gareon Conley to the Houston Texans from the Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders had seen enough out of cornerback Gareon Conley. Oakland used its first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to take the defensive back out of Ohio State. Conley dealt with injuries during his rookie season with the Silver and Black, but never really manifested into the shutdown corner Oakland thought it was getting back in 2017.
On Oct. 21, the Raiders sent Conley to the Houston Texans for a third-round pick. Interestingly enough, the Texans happened to be the team the Raiders were playing the following week in Week 8. Fate would have it that Conley’s new team in the Texans would dramatically win the ball game, thanks to an unreal touchdown pass from Deshaun Watson to Darren Fells.
This is a good move for both teams, as the Raiders get quality compensation for a player that wasn’t going to join them in Las Vegas when they move to Southern Nevada in 2020. The Texans get a former first-round pick with something to prove still on his rookie deal. Houston can exercise Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021 and could franchise tag him beyond that.
The reason this trade isn’t as big of a deal as the others that follow it is that Conley’s stock plummeted in Oakland after failing to live up to lofty expectations. He could be a good get for Houston now and in the future, but this one doesn’t resonate nationally as other trades higher up on this list.