10 Best NFL Trade Deadline Deals Ever: Where do Marshawn Lynch and Jalen Ramsey Rank?

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is looming. Teams have until 4PM Eastern on Tuesday, November 5th to get their final transactions of the year in, though some have already jumped ahead. Teams like the Chiefs, Bills, and Jets have all made big-name splashes already as we approach the final transaction days, as there have already been 9 in-season deals completed so far this year.

Can we expect more? What does history tell us about the trade deadline?

Here are the 10 most impactful NFL Trade Deadline deals in the history of the league:

The 10 Most Impactful NFL Trade Deadline Deals In League History

10. Oct 31st, 2022 – Roquon Smith to Baltimore Ravens

Grades:

Ravens B+

Bears C-

The Ravens had long been searching for an upgrade to their linebacker position, and they went out at the 2022 trade deadline and picked up the player who led the league in tackles at the time. Smith continued his dominance once he arrived in Baltimore, being named a First Team All-Pro in 2023 while finishing 6th in the league in total tackles.

In exchange for Smith, the Bears acquired 2nd and 5th round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. With those picks, Chicago selected defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and linebacker Noah Sewell.

9. Oct 18th, 2011 – Carson Palmer to Oakland Raiders

Grades:

Raiders: C-

Bengals: A

Palmer had threatened to retire during the 2011 season. His team, the Bengals, had selected a quarterback in the second round of the 2011 Draft by the name of Andy Dalton, who became the immediate starter. This made Palmer expendable, as he never followed through with his retirement threat, and Cincinnati trade him to the then-Oakland Raiders mid-season.

The Raiders were desperate, with starter Jason Campbell suffering a shoulder injury. But Palmer didn’t exactly provide relief, as he threw a total of 35 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in 25 games played over two seasons with Oakland.

It can be argued that the Bengals won the trade. They ended up getting great value for a player that didn’t want to be on the roster, picking up 1st and 2ns round picks in the deal. With those selections, Cincinnati was able to add contributors Dre Kirkpatrick and Giovani Bernard.

8. Oct 22nd, 2018 – Amari Cooper to Dallas Cowboys

Grades:

Cowboys: B

Raiders: B-

Cooper was a Pro Bowl receiver who went over 1,000 yards in each of his first two season in the NFL, but the Raiders decided to ship him off at the trade deadline in 2018. The Cowboys got some productive years out of the wide receiver, amassing just shy of 4,000 yards in 56 games over 3.5 seasons.

It was the first of three times for Cooper getting traded. In 2022, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns, and most recently in 2024 when he was dealt to the Buffalo Bills.

In exchange for Cooper, the Raiders received a 2019 first round pick, which they used to select safety Jonathan Abram.

7. Oct 15th, 2019 – Jalen Ramsey to LA Rams

Grades:

Rams: B+

Jaguars: B

The Rams shipped off Marcus Peters on October 15th, 2019, but dealt for another cornerback on the same day. Jalen Ramsey was a Pro Bowler and First Team All Pro during his early years with the Jaguars, but Jacksonville shipped him off to Los Angeles in 2019. He would spend 3.5 years with the Rams, maintaining his status as an All-Pro, and helped the team win the Super Bowl in February 2022.

The Jaguars received two first round picks in exchange. In 2020, they drafted defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, and in 2021 took running back Travis Etienne.

6. Nov. 1983 – Mike Haynes to Oakland Raiders

Grades:

Patriots: C+

Raiders: A

Mike Haynes was one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL in the early 80s, but had a contract dispute with his New England Patriots during the 1983 season. The team decided to cut ties, sending the 6-time Pro Bowler out West to play for the Raiders. He made three more Pro Bowls to finish off his career in Oakland, and retired in the silver and black.

The Patriots received 1st and 3rd round picks in exchange.

5. Oct 20th, 2022 – Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco 49ers

Grades:

49ers: A

Panthers: C-

McCaffrey spent his time with the Carolina Panthers becoming one of the top running backs in the NFL. But he had a rash of injuries during the 2020 and 2021 seasons that allowed him to play in just 10 total games during that span, and the Panthers made him expendable at the deadline in 2022.

The San Francisco 49ers were the ones who took a chance on the oft-injured tail back, and returns have been positive. In his first full season in a 49ers uniform, McCaffrey led the league in both rushing and scrimmage yards, and scored a league-high 21 touchdowns. He was named a First Team All-Pro, and finished 3rd in MVP voting.

In exchange for McCaffrey’s services, the Panthers received four draft picks. They used one of them to help trade up and select quarterback Bryce Young, and packaged two others two trade up for edge rusher DJ Johnson.

4, Nov 1st, 2021 – Von Miller to LA Rams

Grades:

Rams: A-

Broncos: B

Miller spent just eight regular season games of his career in a Rams uniform, but they may have been some of the most rewarding. The edge rusher was in his 11th year in the NFL, all with the Broncos, when he was dealt during the final year of his contract with Denver.

A Pro Bowler in each healthy season of his career up to that point, Miller was considered one of the league’s premier pass rushers at the time, and would join a Rams team that has high expectations. He had 5 sacks and 31 combined tackles in the 8 regular season games, but was a true difference maker in the playoffs. He had a sack in two of the three games leading up to the Super Bowl, and had two sacks and a pass defended against the Bengals in the championship.

During the 2022 NFL Draft, the Broncos used the one of the two picks that the Rams sent over to draft linebacker Nik Bonitto. They traded the other for future draft assets.

3. Oct 5th, 2010 – Marshawn Lynch to Seattle Seahawks

Grades:

Seahawks: A

Bills: B-

Lynch had a nice start to his career in Buffalo, eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark and putting up 7+ touchdowns in each of his first two seasons. But he began losing touches to fellow running back Fred Jackson after his rookie season, and his usage lowered even further when CJ Spiller was brought into the mix.

The Seahawks pounced. They traded for the star running back before the NFL trade deadline in 2010, and Lynch became a franchise legend in Seattle. He enjoyed four-straight seasons of 1,200+ rushing yards, and helped the team win a Super Bowl over the Broncos in February 2014. He quickly turned into a fan favorite, and had the affectionate nickname “Beast Mode” attached to his name.

The Bills received a 2011 4th round pick along with a conditional 5th rounder in the deal.

2. Oct 31st, 1987 – Eric Dickerson to Indianapolis Colts

Grades:

Colts: B

Rams: A-

The mid-1980s Indianapolis Colts were in desperate need of a kick-start, and they gave up plenty to acquire the best running back in the NFL at the time. Eric Dickerson led the league in rushing in 3 of his first 4 seasons with the Rams, all three times finishing 2nd in the MVP voting. But the relationship between him and Los Angeles soured when a contract dispute arose, and the Rams made him expendable.

Dickerson had some excellent years with the Colts, but he began to break down during his third full season with the team, and ended up playing for the Raiders and Falcons to close out his career.

The compensation involved weaved a tangled web. A third team was actually involved in the Buffalo Bills, who provided the Colts with the draft assets that they needed in order to make the deal. The final haul wound up being 3 first round picks, 3 second round picks, and running backs Greg Bell and Owen Gill.

1. Oct 12th, 1989 – Herschel Walker to Minnesota Vikings 

Grades:

Vikings: C-

Cowboys: A+

The trade that helped build a dynasty. Many thought that the Cowboys were crazy for trading away star running back Herschel Walker.

Walker was coming off of a 1,500+ yard season and had finished 5th in the MVP voting, but was the only bright spot for a Cowboys team that hadn’t had a winning record in four years. Jimmy Johnson and company decided to turn their star player into future assets, and dealt Walker to the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline in 1989. He never regained his prowess, and changed teams four different times after starting his career with Dallas.

It was the compensation that helped turn the Cowboys into a dynasty during the 1990s. Four players were handed over to Dallas in the deal, but it was the draft picks that truly made the difference. Of the 8 selections that were sent to the Cowboys, 3 were first round picks, and 3 others were second rounders. Some of the players that the assets helped them select included Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, and Darren Woodson.

It still ranks as the largest NFL trade, as 18 players and picks were involved in the process.