2023 NFL trade deadline winners and losers: 49ers strike gold with Chase Young, Davante Adams stays put

The 2023 NFL trade deadline has passed, and while fans failed to see any earth-shattering moves, some of Tuesday’s swaps could prove to have serious implications this season. 

Compared to last year’s NFL record of 10 trades on deadline day, just six trades took place on Tuesday with the Washington Commanders creating most of the noise in their decision to trade top pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat. 

The 2020 No. 2 overall pick and former Defensive Rookie of the Year was dealt to the San Francisco 49ers while the Chicago Bears picked up Sweat.

49ERS LAND CHASE YOUNG IN BLOCKBUSTER TRADE WITH COMMANDERS: REPORT

Read below for some of this year’s winners and losers and look at the deals placed on deadline day. 

WINNERS

49ers strike gold?

Fresh off a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals marking their third straight loss, the 49ers addressed their defensive struggles with the most significant trade of the day that saw San Francisco acquire Young from the Commanders in exchange for 2024 third-round draft pick. 

Young, an Ohio State standout, will reunite with former Buckeyes teammate Nick Bosa as he continues to trend up following two seasons where he was sidelined with injury. 

Young had a breakout season as a rookie, totaling 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. An ACL injury the following year would sideline him for half of 2021 season and most of the 2022 season. The Commanders declined to pick up his fifth-year option this past offseason. 

Young heads out west with 15 tackles and 5 sacks. Veteran Fred Warner currently leads the Niners with just two sacks.

Joshua Dobbs gets another chance

The Minnesota Vikings were not in the market for quarterback, that was until veteran signal-caller Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles tendon ending his season on Sunday. 

With Kyler Murray set to make his return soon, the Vikings were able to move on Jousha Dobbs, who will join his seventh NFL team in seven seasons. 

“This immediate solution that we found provides us with a really quality player at a time when we were able to go out and get that player without potentially leaving the world of the future,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday. 

Dobbs, 28, has led the Arizona Cardinals to a 1-7 record since taking over as starter to begin the season in place of Murray, who has been sidelined with knee injury. 

The Vikings picked up Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for 2024 sixth-round draft pick. 

LOSERS

Davante Adams stays put 

Three-time All-Pro wideout Davante Adams is not going out of his way to shield his frustrations from the public, but the Las Vegas Raiders did not budge on Tuesday

During Monday night’s 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions, Adams hauled in just one catch for 11 yards. In the fourth quarter, Adams walked over to the bench and slammed his helmet. 

“I don’t know what to say at this moment, I truly don’t,” Adams told reporters in the locker room. “I wish I had the words to say something that’s not going to get blown up in the media and taken out of context.” 

The Raiders were reportedly not interested in any trades involving Adams more than a week out from the deadline. By Tuesday, they kept their word. 

Titans lend a hand to Philly 

The Tennessee Titans fall into this category simply because they let Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman get the best of them. 

The Eagles acquired two-time All-Pro safety Kevin Byard last week in exchange for safety Terrell Edmunds and a 2024 fifth and sixth-round draft pick. The move fills the void left by safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who signed with the Lions during free agency. 

Byard has 27 interceptions since becoming a starter in 2017, the most among all NFL safeties through 2022.

More deadline day trades

– Buffalo Bills acquire cornerback Rasul Douglas and 2024 fifth-round draft pick from Green Bay Packers in exchange 2024 third-round draft pick

– Lions acquire wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from Cleveland Browns in exchange for 2025 sixth-round draft pick

– Jacksonville Jaguars acquire offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland from Minnesota Vikings in exchange for 2024 sixth-round draft pick

The Associated Press contributed to this report.