Now that the trade deadline has passed, every roster in the NFL is pretty much set. Of course, teams will still tinker with their rosters and swap out players for street free agents or practice squad members, but any big moves will now have to wait for the offseason.
The Las Vegas Raiders were fortunate to find a trade partner for Kirk Cousins, and receiving a third-round pick was just gravy. Although some bumps may be encountered in the interim, the franchise should be better in the long run with Fernando Mendoza at the helm. The Raiders, overall, got better.
But they weren't the only team in the AFC West to make moves at the deadline. This division, which has everything this year, was quite active on Tuesday, and there was even an intra-division deal. Let's recap all of the movement and where things stand now.
Recapping AFC West trade deadline chaos as Raiders deal Kirk Cousins
We start, of course, with the Raiders dealing Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings. Unless you were under a rock on Tuesday, you probably heard that Las Vegas sent their starting quarterback to the NFC North foe for a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. And that was a complete heist.
It is now Mendoza time for the Silver and Black, which is more exciting than anything else. And John Spytek made it clear that the Raiders are not throwing in the towel on this season, so it is clear that their belief in the young quarterback is quite high.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who have now fallen behind the Denver Broncos, simply had to make a move at wide receiver. And that they did, as they traded a fourth- and a fifth-round pick in 2027 for Indianapolis Colts wideout Josh Downs and a 2027 7th-rounder. This is a good move for them.
With so much inconsistency and underperformance at wide receiver in Kansas City, the Chiefs needed someone who could reliably separate and produce. For a passing attack that has been surprisingly limited this year, Downs should be a godsend for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
Kansas City got better.
To put a bow on the AFC West deals that occurred on Tuesday, the Broncos struck a trade... with the Los Angeles Chargers.
That's right, the lowly Chargers sent linebacker Daiyan Henley to their division rival for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. For the Broncos, this makes sense because if there is one weak spot in their defense, it is at linebacker. And Henley can fill quite a void for Vance Joseph's unit.
Henley isn't a superstar by any means, but he is a solid veteran player, and probably better all-around than either Alex Singleton or Justin Strnad. He is on an expiring contract, though, and the Broncos gave up enough for him that conventional wisdom would say they'll extend him this offseason.
Depending on the kind of contract that he is given, or if he gets one at all, this deal will look different.
Denver probably should have made a move or two to bolster its running back or tight end rooms, as they are clearly in a contending window, and Bo Nix's megadeal lurks. If I were George Paton, I would have been a bit more aggressive.
Now, for the Chargers, shipping off a veteran like Henley in an 0-8 season is good business. Admit defeat when the playoffs are out of reach, and you have valuable players in contract years. But why on earth was Henley the only player that they shipped off?
Los Angeles could have fetched a pick for any number of veterans like Khalil Mack, Donte Jackson, Quentin Johnston, heck, even Tuli Tuipulotu or Derwin James. This Chargers team is in the gutter and needs draft picks to rebuild. But all they did was ship off Henley - to a division rival.
To me, the Raiders stay about the same for now, but will be better in the long term, and they acquired a third-round pick. That is an awesome deadline. The Chiefs and Broncos both made moves to improve right now, even if Denver wasn't as aggressive as it should have been.
And the Chargers at least got a few picks... but really missed an opportunity to tear this thing down to the studs, which is wholly needed. But again, you won't find Silver and Black fans complaining about that.
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