NFL Trade Deadline and Post Trade Waiver Wire: Did Your Team Make the Right Move?

The NFL Trade Deadline does not draw as much attention as some of the other leagues for a number of reasons. It’s hard to make in-season trades in the NFL, and there weren’t many made this year as well.

The Cincinnati Bengals entered the Trade Deadline with a record of 5-3, and they have been one of the biggest surprises this season. Cleveland was 4-4 at the deadline, and they were being viewed as a major disappointment.

Both teams could have used some help at the deadline, but there was only one major move made in the state of Ohio. It’s time to look back at the previous week and see if each team made the right move.

Browns Say “Bye” to OBJ

Perhaps the biggest news throughout the NFL was the Browns announcing that they would be waiving Odell Beckham Jr. The wide receiver appeared to dig his own grave earlier in this week when his father took to social media to blast quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Losing OBJ clearly hurts the Browns in terms of talent, but it was 100% the right move based on everything that has gone on. Things just weren’t working out for Beckham Jr. in Cleveland, and it was time to move on and get a restart on the season.

Trading Beckham Jr. would have been a much better move for the Browns, but there weren’t teams lining up to take him. Cleveland could have used a wide receiver or offensive lineman in return, but no deals materialized.

While it’s pretty easy to say that the Browns got worse after the Trade Deadline, it’s hard to really critique the team too much. This is still the same roster that nearly upset the Chiefs a season ago, and they can go on another big run in the second half of the season.

Bengals Stand Pat

Despite getting off to a surprising 5-3 start this season, the Bengals chose to stand pat at the deadline and not make any moves at all. Help on the offensive line was one of the biggest areas of need for Cincinnati, but that’s also a position that teams aren’t willing to part with.

The Bengals have not been in a position to contend in recent years, and you can understand why fans were upset that the team did nothing. Even with a 5-3 start, it’s hard to really know if the Bengals are good enough to make the playoffs this season.

Cincinnati is going to need some help in the future, and they can’t afford to trade any future draft picks away. It would have cost them something in order to land an offensive linemen, and it just wasn’t worth it in the grand scheme of things.

If the Bengals are able to make the playoffs this year, then it will be because Joe Burrow just continues to shine. It’s understandable to be disappointed in the lack of a trade for Bengals fans, but it was the right move.