Sauce Gardner has moved from last to first, and teammate Quinnen Williams is also on track for individual blockbusters.
The New York Jets have agreed to trade two star defensive players for draft picks in an attempt to rebuild a franchise that has the longest active playoff drought in the NFL.
Gardner, a two-time All-Pro defensive back, will travel to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday to acquire two first-round draft picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
The Jets will receive a first-round selection from the Colts in 2026 and 2027.
Williams is heading to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 second-round draft pick, a 2027 first-round draft pick and defensive tackle Mazie Smith, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the teams have not announced the trade.
The Jets will take over Dallas' top two picks in 2027. They acquired a pair of first-rounders by sending two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay before the season. The Cowboys (3-5-1) have the second-worst defense in the NFL and made two moves to bolster that unit ahead of the NFL trade deadline at 4:00 pm EST.
Other steps on a busy deadline day
The Cowboys acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals for a seventh-round pick early Tuesday.
Otherwise, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers heads to Jacksonville from Las Vegas for a fourth- and sixth-round draft pick.
The Seattle Seahawks received Rashid Shahid from the New Orleans Saints for fourth- and fifth-round picks, a person familiar with the deal told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the teams had not announced.
Gardner, an All-Pro selection his first two seasons, signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract with the Jets in July. He was named the 2022 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. He joined the AFC South-leading Colts (7-2) after spending his first three and a half seasons with the winless Jets.
Williams is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2022 All-Pro. Williams is under contract through 2027 with an average value of $24 million per season.
Shahid moves from the 1-8 Saints to the 6-2 Seahawks, giving Sam Darnold another option along with Jackson Smith-Njigba.
Meyers, who requested the trade, rates the Jaguars (5-3). Travis Hunter will miss at least three more games and Brian Thomas Jr. will miss at least three more games. Dyami Brown and Tim Patrick are battling injuries.
Wilson requested a trade after his playing time dwindled with the Bengals, who have the worst defense in the league.
“Some guys have the ability to see a certain key and take a step forward at the same time,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show on 105.3 The Fan. “He knows how to get into gaps right now… In terms of what we need right now, he can come in immediately and help us at linebacker.”
Defending champion Eagles bolster defense
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles have been aggressive leading up to the deadline. General manager Howie Roseman continues to add talented players to the team's chances of repeating.
Since the Eagles (6-2) last played a game, they have acquired forward Jaelan Phillips and cornerbacks Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander.
Phillips, who arrived from Miami on Monday for a third-round pick, immediately bolsters the passing attack. The 2021 first-round draft pick has three sacks in his last five games for the Dolphins. All of Philadelphia's edge rushers have recorded three sacks this season.
Carter gives the defense an experienced cornerback to give defensive coordinator Vic Fangio more flexibility in using Cooper DeJean outside. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Alexander is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition.
The Baltimore Ravens also added an edge rusher to the team, acquiring Dre'Mont Jones from Tennessee for a conditional fifth-round pick. Jones has 4 1/2 sacks this season, so he is an upgrade for the Ravens (3-5) at the position they need.
Several trades have already gone down in the past month. The Bengals acquired Joe Flacco. The Rams have added cornerback Roger McCreary. Defensive end Keyon White went to the 49ers. Safety Kyle Dugger was traded to the Steelers. The Jaguars and Browns traded defensive backs Greg Newsome II and Tyson Campbell.
The Chargers added edge rusher Odafe Owe in a deal that sent cornerback Alohi Gilman to the Ravens.
