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The NFL’s trade deadline brought plenty of action for the New York Jets, who traded former No. 3 overall pick Quinnen Williams and former No. 4 overall pick Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner ahead of the Tuesday afternoon deadline. The latter was shipped to the Indianapolis Colts in a deal that brought New York two first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell, whom the colts drafted in the second round in 2024. Meanwhile, Williams was sent to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for first- and second-round picks and former first-round pick Mazi Smith. ESPN NFL writer Seth Walder examined those two deals and every other deadline deal in a new column and handed out only one “F” for the entire trade deadline period. Sports Media: ESPN Makes Final Plea to YouTube TV Customers Amid ‘Monday Night Football’ (L-R) Woody Johnson, Suzanne Johnson, Charlotte Jones and Jerry Jones are seen at the NFL game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Jets at Met Life Stadium on October 05, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. NFL News: NFL Forced Al Michaels to Make Correction During Chargers-Vikings Game That honor belonged to the Cowboys. “There’s no other way to put it: This is a horrific trade for the Cowboys,” Walder said. “It is completely unfathomable for a team like Dallas to be trading away major draft resources for a soon-to-be-28-year-old defensive tackle on a salary-heavy contract in a season when it has a 7% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. And yet here we are.” Walder admitted Williams is a “great player” but pointed to his pass-rush win rate dropping off before adding he remains an elite run-stuffer that will help Dallas’ defensive line. But the compliments stopped there. “The Cowboys had to be the highest bidder to get Williams, who would have been really valuable for some teams in 2025. But that’s not the case for Dallas, which is 3-5-1,” Walder said. “So the value of some of the draft capital and paying half of the $16.75 million Williams was owed in salary and per game roster bonuses this year is lost by Dallas’ position in the standings. I wrote earlier that I didn’t mind the Cowboys trading a seventh-round pick for Logan Wilson in that situation, but a first- and a second-round pick is so, so far beyond that.” Dallas enters its bye week as the No. 11 seed in the NFC and well outside of a playoff spot with eight games left to play. More NFL: NFL Legend Tom Brady Facing Criticism for Controversial Decision
