You could almost call it chaos. Several NFL teams began trimming their rosters through trades as they raced to get down from 90 players to 53 before the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Sunday. As expected, Saturday turned into a day filled with major roster moves. And it delivered.

On Saturday, The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported that the Steelers were trading offensive tackle Broderick Jones and a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Cowboys in exchange for 2027 third- and sixth-round picks. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later confirmed the deal. So, was the move really a surprise?

Not exactly. Jones had gone through a lengthy recovery from spinal fusion surgery. Although he was cleared to resume football activities at the start of training camp, he struggled to get back to his previous form. At the start of Steelers training camp, head coach Mike McCarthy cautioned that Jones would need time to regain his rhythm after receiving medical clearance.

“I think it speaks volumes for Broderick and what he’s been doing here the last couple of months,” he said just at the beginning of the training camp. “So I just think, like anything, when a player comes off of a medical clearance, you can’t just go to a hundred miles an hour.”

Pittsburgh had already signaled uncertainty about Jones’ long-term future during the offseason. In May 2026, the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, which would have guaranteed him a $19.07 million salary for the 2027 season. The decision left Jones set to enter free agency after the 2026 campaign unless Dallas or Pittsburgh reached a new agreement with him

The timing was particularly telling as Jones was still recovering from neck surgery, and Pittsburgh had used the 21st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on tackle Max Iheanachor. With Troy Fautanu also moving from right tackle to left tackle, the Steelers had reshaped their offensive-line plans well before Saturday’s deal with Dallas.

By training camp, the depth chart had begun to reflect that investment and Fautanu had moved from right tackle to the left side, while undrafted lineman Dylan Cook handled most of the first-team work at right tackle. Jones, who started 38 games across three seasons in Pittsburgh, was projected to open the 2026 season as a reserve.

Iheanachor’s arrival did not make the Jones trade inevitable on its own, but it reduced Pittsburgh’s urgency to keep him. The Steelers had already committed major draft capital to reshaping the position, and Dallas’ offer allowed them to turn a former first-round selection into additional 2027 picks.

In that light, trading Jones was less of a sudden change of direction than the final step in a process that had been developing throughout the offseason. But if you think Broderick Jones’ trade was the only major news from Saturday, you would be quite wrong.

QB Quinn Ewers and CJ Okoye change teams 

So, five days ago, Miami Dolphins beat reporter David Furones posted a video in which QB Quinn Ewers revealed that he had yet to fully recover from his recent groin injury. However, he also made it clear that he didn’t want to use the injury as an excuse.

Now, the Dolphins are sending Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick. The move leaves Miami needing to reshape its quarterback depth behind Malik Willis, whether through an internal option, the waiver wire or another trade.

Ewers’ move carries more weight because he was not simply a young quarterback buried at the end of Miami’s depth chart. The Dolphins selected the former Texas quarterback with the 231st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he eventually received a legitimate chance to lead the offense as a rookie.

After Tua Tagovailoa was benched late in the 2025 season, Ewers started Miami’s final three games. He appeared in four games overall and completed 55 of 83 passes for 622 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Ewers went 1-2 as a starter, but those opportunities gave Jacksonville a clearer evaluation point than it would have had with a quarterback whose NFL work was limited to preseason snaps.

The Jaguars are therefore taking a low-cost look at a 23-year-old quarterback with starting experience and time remaining on his rookie contract. For Miami, meanwhile, the deal represents another late-offseason adjustment as the team works to settle its quarterback room before the regular season.

On Saturday, Ian Rapoport, the national insider for ESPN and NFL Network, posted on X that the Baltimore Ravens are trading defensive lineman C.J. Okoye to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2028 seventh-round pick. Interestingly, the deal reunites Okoye with head coach John Harbaugh and defensive line coach Dennis Johnson in New York.

Okoye’s path to this moment has been an unconventional one. The Nigerian-born lineman entered the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program in 2023 and spent his first two seasons developing with the Los Angeles Chargers. He had little organized-football experience when he arrived, but his size and athletic upside quickly made him an intriguing developmental prospect.

Baltimore signed Okoye to a reserve/future contract in January 2025. He began the season on the practice squad before earning a promotion to the active roster in October, when injuries created an opening.

He went on to appear in 13 games for the Ravens, logging 214 defensive snaps and recording 15 tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit and one pass defended.

That development gives the Giants more than just a familiar face for Harbaugh and Johnson. At 6-foot-6 and roughly 365 pounds, Okoye gives New York a large interior presence who can help against the run while continuing to grow as a rotational defensive lineman. The Giants are not acquiring a finished product, but they are betting that his first meaningful NFL action in Baltimore was only the beginning.

Those were two of Saturday’s notable moves, but they weren’t the only names worth watching.

Notable late preseason and roster-cut deadline trades 

WR Tutu Atwell & RB Jarquez Hunter: The Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins completed a position-swap deal, with Miami acquiring RB Jarquez Hunter to add depth to its backfield while the Rams brought in speed receiver Tutu Atwell. On Thursday, while discussing Atwell’s return, LA Rams HC Sean McVay offered a witty assessment.

“Always love me some Tutu Atwell. The fact is, the kid can flat-out fly,” he said.

And what about Hunter?

Hunter has rushed for 68 yards on 12 carries during the preseason. He also led the SEC in yards per carry in 2024, averaging 6.4 yards per attempt, and posted a 4.44-second 40-yard dash. With Hunter now in the mix, the potential Miami backfield could feature Achane, Gordon, Wright, and Hunter. Meanwhile, Miami is reportedly enthused about Bell, Douglas, and Coleman.

WR Kayshon Boutte: Five days ago, NFL insider Tom Pelissero posted that the New England Patriots were sending WR Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans in exchange for safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh-round pick. Two days later, Boutte shared a lengthy note on Instagram.

“From requesting a trade in March 2026, not knowing what the future holds. I thank the Patriots for doing right by me and sending me to an Organization I truly wanted to be a part of. I’m incredibly excited for what’s ahead with the Houston Texans 🤘,” he wrote.

With the deadline approaching, more moves have continued to emerge. Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported 12 cuts from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while Adam Schefter confirmed that the Chicago Bears received CB Clark Phillips and a fifth-round pick from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for DT Grevon Dexter.

With the roster deadline approaching, there could still be plenty of movement in the coming hours. For now, though, the trade carousel shows no signs of slowing down.