The 2022 NFL trade deadline was quite a hectic day, and it ended up going down as the most hectic trade deadline in the history of the league. 10 deals were made on deadline day, and a handful of other big deals were made in the buildup to the deadline. As a result, that has left us with a lot to analyze in the aftermath of the action.
The big deals will always draw the most attention, and reasonably so. We saw some big names, such as Bradley Chubb, Roquan Smith, and Christian McCaffrey get dealt as part of the deadline proceedings, and for the most part, those moves are what fans are going to pay the most attention to when it comes to the trade deadline.
The teams that make the big moves are likely going to be considered the winners. But for every winner, there has to be a loser, and that was certainly the case with the 2022 deadline. Let's take a look at the three biggest losers and see why they are walking away from the trade deadline in a worse spot than they were heading into it.
3. Chicago Bears
Let's start with a team that actually ends up on this list for the moves they made on deadline day. The Chicago Bears didn't sit idle like the other two teams on this list, but that actually ended up being the reason they earned a spot here. The Bears made some big moves ahead of the deadline as well as on the actual day, but their overall strategy was quite confusing
The first deal involved the Bears sending Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick, which was actually their least confusing move of their deadline dealings. They then proceeded to deal star linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for 2023 second and fifth-round picks, and linebacker A.J. Klein. Trading Smith is one thing, but this return wasn't very good either.
Just when you thought the Bears were sellers, they proceeded to turn around and trade for Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and ended up making a huge overpay by giving up their own 2023 second-round pick for Claypool. Claypool isn't worth a second-round pick, and when all was said and done, many were left confused as to what the Bears were attempting to accomplish with their trade work here.
2. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers were expected to be active at the trade deadline, especially in the wide receiver market, where they need to get quarterback Aaron Rodgers some more help. Instead, they ended up standing pat, and didn't make a single move on the day despite their various needs at the deadline.
The Packers desperately needed a wide receiver, and while they were widely expected to land Claypool from the Steelers, you can't totally blame them for failing to outbid the Bears for his services. There were other options available, but Green Bay opted to stay where they were and not help out their ailing squad.
In some ways, their decision to do so makes sense, but it's clear the Packers have emerged as one of the biggest losers of the trade deadline as a result. They needed to make upgrades to their team, but they failed to do so, and as a result, they have earned themselves a spot on this list, which isn't a good thing.
1. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams were very aggressive in trying to get deals done throughout the deadline. But they ended up striking out on every single person they targeted, and as a result, they earned themselves the top spot on our trade deadline losers list.
The Rams were reportedly willing to do just about anything to improve their team at the deadline. Players like Cam Akers and even Allen Robinson were on the table to be moved, and Los Angeles had tons of interest in big names such as McCaffrey, Brandin Cooks, and Brian Burns. But at the end of the day, they made zero additions to their team, and given how aggressive they were on the day, that makes them the big loser here.
The Rams have become way too reliant on their stars on both sides of the ball, and their depth is sorely lacking. They didn't necessarily need to add a big star, which is what they tried to do throughout the deadline, and their inability to recognize this cost them an opportunity to reinforce their roster. Now, Los Angeles will be forced to try to pick up the pieces on their own, and given how bad they have looked so far, that may not be possible to do.
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