Ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday, some teams in postseason contention didn't let complacency hinder the urge to improve their rosters. The top three squads in the AFC North made moves ahead of a highly competitive division race. One NFC team ahead of schedule in its rebuild addressed its biggest roster need, while another club in the same division should be embarrassed for failing to identify a potential solution to one of its most glaring issues.
Among the other losers at the trade deadline, a few teams missed a chance to acquire significant draft capital in a season headed off the rails. With that in mind, let's dive into the biggest winners and losers at the trade deadline. The Pittsburgh Steelers bolstered their roster on both sides of the ball by acquiring edge-rusher Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers and wide receiver Mike Williams from the New York Jets.
Both players should pay immediate dividends. This past offseason, the Steelers were involved in trade talks with the San Francisco 49ers for Brandon Aiyuk, but he signed an extension with the Niners instead. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the Steelers also made an "aggressive" offer to the Las Vegas Raiders for wide receiver Davante Adams before they traded him to the Jets.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler , Pittsburgh also "took a hard look" at New York Giants wideout Darius Slayton. The Steelers clearly felt they needed more help at receiver. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter , they acquired Wil.