The NFL trade deadline brought a flurry of deals that upgraded some contenders and helped some pretenders add valuable draft capital for their rebuilding efforts. After taking some time to process the moves and how they impact each squad, here are some thoughts on the headliners from the biggest trades of the week and how their arrivals and departures affect the involved teams:
Sauce Gardner , CB, Indianapolis Colts
The New York Jets traded away the 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Pro cornerback for a pair of first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Gardner is in his fourth pro season and recently signed a four-year, $120.4 million deal, with $80 million in guarantees.
How does the trade impact the Colts?
Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard is operating in "win now" mode with Gardner coming over to join a team that is vying for the AFC’s No. 1 seed. The former All-Pro cornerback and defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, have the option to utilize some "travel" tactics to neutralize the most explosive pass catchers around the league. Though Gardner has struggled with penalties since the beginning of the 2024 season, the 6-foot-3, 190-pounder will team with Charvarius Ward and Kenny Moore II to give the Colts a dynamic nickel package with a collection of high-IQ defenders with versatile games.
Given the impressive collection of quarterbacks who could enter the AFC playoffs (SEE: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Drake Maye and Bo Nix), the Colts needed an elite CB1 to fortify a defensive lineup that wants to create chaos with a mix of blitzes and simulated pressures that keeps quarterbacks and pass catchers from establishing a rhythm in the
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