NFL Trade Rumors
On the eve of the New Year and the eve of the end of the 2025 season, it’s a great time to look back at the past year. With the theme of “year in review,” here’s a look back at the 10 best roster moves of the season:
Dallas was connected to receivers all offseason and there was strong intelligence that they were targeting WR Tetairoa McMillan before the Panthers plucked him a few spots ahead of them in the first round. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a plan B, though, swooping in with a trade for Pickens once the Steelers became ready to pull the plug in early May. Dallas exchanged a 2026 third and a 2027 fifth for Pickens and a 2027 seventh, which at the time was viewed as strong value for the Steelers given Pickens was in the final year of his rookie contract.
Since then, the deal has been a clear win for Dallas and Pickens. The mercurial wideout has been on his best behavior overall, perhaps with less history hanging over him on a new team. On the field, the Cowboys have gotten the best version of Pickens, with 92 catches for 1,420 yards and nine touchdowns. Pickens has actually outproduced fellow WR CeeDee Lamb, and in the games Lamb has missed, Pickens has looked perfectly capable of being a true No. 1 wideout.
That has given the Cowboys two No. 1-caliber wideouts when both Lamb and Pickens are healthy, and offensive fireworks ensued. Had Dallas not literally had its worst defense in franchise history, it probably would have resulted in a playoff berth. As it is, the impact of acquiring Pickens was somewhat blunted, but he’s still had too much success to ignore.
The good news is the Cowboys have the inside track to keeping Pickens in the fold this offseason, even if it means navigating a minefield of contract negotiations and ensuring Pickens remains motivated after getting his second contract. That gives this deal a chance to pay off majorly in the coming seasons for the Cowboys.
There wasn’t a ton of fanfare when San Francisco inked Jones to a modest two-year deal to back up QB Brock Purdy. Jones had already had one change of scenery when he went from New England to Jacksonville, starting the last seven games of the 2024 season. He didn’t do a whole lot to change the narrative on him coming off his burnout with the Patriots.
But 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan is starting to establish a real reputation for rehabilitating damaged quarterbacks, with Jones as the latest exhibition. Jones started eight games for the 49ers this year as Purdy battled a lingering turf toe injury. He didn’t just keep San Francisco’s head above water with Purdy out and a host of other players injured — he led the 49ers to a 5-3 record and had strong production. He completed just shy of...
