Poll: NFC East teams in contention each traded for a Pro Bowl player, but who got the best deal?

Tuesday’s trade deadline was not short on excitement as several teams made moves to help improve their ball club. Some of these moves involved acquiring draft picks to help build for the future and some of these moves were made to make an immediate impact. Over in the AFC, the division-leading Houston Texans added former first-round pick Demaryius Thomas to an already strong receiving group that consisted of two other first-round picks, DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. There were also several key trades over in the NFC, in particular, involving teams in the NFC East. The three teams in the hunt for the division - Washington, Philadelphia, and Dallas all made moves to acquire a former Pro Bowler, whereas the New York Giants are going nowhere and traded one away.

Each team was able to snag a good player, but they all came with their own cost. Which team made out the best with their respective trade?

Dallas Cowboys

Player: Amari Cooper (first round, 2015)

Cost: 2019 first-round pick

The Cowboys went big by trading for the fourth-overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft, Amari Cooper. Dallas has been searching for answers to their abysmal offensive performance this season as the team ranks 26th in the league in points scored.

Bringing in Cooper should help spread out the defense. It will open things up for other receivers as well as take some of the pressure off of Ezekiel Elliott. And while the moves the Eagles and Redskins made help their teams this season, the addition of Cooper is a long-term investment.

The Cowboys paid a hefty price, but good things come with a cost. Let’s just hope we see early returns on this big investment.

Philadelphia Eagles

Player: Golden Tate (second-round, 2010)

Cost: 2019 third-round draft pick

The Eagles were also making a push for Amari Cooper, but didn’t pony up enough draft capital to close the deal. Instead, they went after nine-year veteran Golden Tate to help spark their offense. After leading the league in scoring last season, the Eagles find themselves ranked 21st in points scored this year. The addition of Tate is going to give Carson Wentz a great weapon to help get them grooving again.

It’s painful to say, but Tate is quietly one of the most productive receivers in the league. He’s had 90+ catches in all four of his seasons in Detroit and is on his way to another one this year. He’s eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in three of the last four seasons. He might be on the north side of 30 now, but he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

The downside to this deal for the Eagles is that Tate looks like a one-year rental. He’s bringing in an average salary of $6.2 million and will likely demand something near that again when he hits free agency after the season. The Eagles are projected to be $11 million over the cap and will have to sell off some overpriced contracts again this upcoming offseason, but they’ll cross that bridge when they come to it. Right now, it’s about trying to keep their hopes of a repeat alive.

It would be surprising if Tate was in Philadelphia in 2019, but the Eagles did give up a third-round pick for him, which isn’t cheap so it’s too early to presume how they’ll proceed with him in the future. This looks like an all-in move that would sting a little if Philadelphia is not able to make a good run this year or retain him down the road.

Washington Redskins

Player: Ha Ha Clinton Dix (first round, 2014)

Cost: 2019 fourth-round pick

This move may not seem as flashy as the teams getting a good receiver, but the Redskins added a quality defensive back to an already good defense. The Redskins defense is ranked top five in points allowed and now they get 2016 Pro Bowler Clinton Dix.

With Josh Norman and Quinton Dunbar holding things down at corner, the addition of Clinton Dix gives them two of the best safeties in the league.

While the cost is only a fourth-round pick, Clinton Dix is only under contract through this season. Washington is projected to have $17 million in cap space so they can make room to extend him if that’s the direction they want to go, but for the remainder of the season they can feel good about shoring up a strong safety position group. And for a team that has to face Odell Beckham Jr. and now Amari Cooper and Golden Tate, the added depth in the secondary will come in handy.

New York Giants

The Giants didn’t add any Pro Bowlers. In fact, they gave up one. They traded away defensive tackle Damon Harrison (2016 Pro Bowl) to the Detroit Lions for a 2019 fifth-round pick. That seems like a bargain for the type of player Harrison is, but Detroit will now take on his contract through the 2020 season. The Giants also traded former first-round pick Eli Apple for a couple day three picks (4th in 2019 and 7th in 2020) from the New Orleans Saints.

So, to recap....

It’s been an eventful week.