The NFL trade deadline came and went and, once again, was largely marked by inactivity despite the slew of rumors.
All you need to know about the NFL trade deadline
The Buccaneers were the most active team at the deadline, making trades with the Patriots and Rams.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were as busy as expected but decided to keep wide receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Doug Martin. Instead, the team traded safety Mark Barron to the St. Louis Rams and linebacker Jonathan Casillas to the New England Patriots.
The Patriots traded for Casillas to help bolster their linebacking corps after losing pass rusher Chandler Jones and team leader Jerod Mayo in recent weeks. Casillas won't start for the Pats, unless the team suffers further injuries, but is a five-year NFL veteran with solid special teams performance and postseason experience during his three seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
The Rams also add a young player with interesting potential at a position of need given injuries at the safety position. Mark Barron remains an intriguing but disappointing player in his third season in the NFL after being selected No. 7 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Rams lost safeties Rodney McLeod and Cody Davis during Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, so Barron provides some experience and depth in addition to the potential upside play for the Rams.
As for the Bucs, they walk away with more draft assets than they had before in a season that’s already lost. The Patriots traded their fifth-round selection in next year’s draft for Casillas and a sixth. The Rams traded fourth- and sixth-round selections for Barron, which means Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht will have much more flexibility to move around in next year’s draft.
Despite the lack of news at the wire, the NFL had already seen a couple trades in recent weeks leading up to the deadline. The Seahawks dealt Percy Harvin to the Jets and the Patriots snagged linebacker Akeem Ayers from the Titans.
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As for the players who ended up staying, the Buccaneers decided to keep both Martin and Jackson. The two players had reportedly drawn interest from several NFL teams in recent days and “tons of calls” were reportedly coming in for Jackson. Fake trade rumors were even surfacing of a Doug Martin deal on Tuesday.
The Tennessee Titans also held fast to players despite their 2-6 record and rumors that several players were available for trade. In particular, wide receiver Nate Washington and linebacker Wesley Woodyard were players mentioned in potential trades.
The Seattle Seahawks failed to add a new piece for the stretch run despite rumors they might strike a deal for Jackson or even reacquire defensive lineman Chris Clemons from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Clemons played for the Seahawks from 2010 to 2013.
The biggest trade trade in recent years was Randy Moss being dealt by the New England Patriots to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick in 2010. The Patriots used that pick to select Ryan Mallett, who is now a backup quarterback with the Houston Texans. Minnesota only got three games out of Moss before he was put on waivers and claimed by the Tennessee Titans, where he finished out the season.
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