Falcons Responsible For Eleventh-Hour Chaos at NFL Trade Deadline

The NFL is recovering from its busiest trade deadline in league history, with a record-setting 10 trades taking place in the final hours. The Atlanta Falcons were part of three of those deals ... and none of them were official until an hour before the deadline.

In the first deal, the Falcons traded long-time wide receiver Calvin Ridley to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2023 fifth-round pick, along with a conditional 2024 draft pick. The conditional pick in 2024 has one of the more creative conditions ever seen in a trade.

If Ridley is simply on the roster, the 2024 pick will convey to the fourth-round. If he reaches some undisclosed incentives, it becomes a third-round pick. Then, if the Jaguars sign him to a contract extension after the 2023 season, the pick becomes a second-rounder.

But the Falcons weren't done.

The team was eyeing a cornerback after injuries to A.J. Terrell, Casey Hayward and Isaiah Oliver among others. The trade to acquire Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Rashad Fenton gives the team depth in a position of need ... and it only cost a seventh-round pick.

In a corresponding move, the Falcons made one more trade, sending Dean Marlowe to the Buffalo Bills to replenish the seventh-round pick they sent to the Chiefs.

Fenton, 25, was a sixth-round pick by the Chiefs in the 2019 NFL Draft and was part of the team's Super Bowl champion squad three years ago as a rookie. Since then, he's been a depth piece for the Chiefs but he became a full-time starter this season.

Fenton has not played since Week 5 after being ruled out with a hamstring injury. However, a trade might allude to Fenton returning to the field very soon.

By making a move to acquire a player in a position of need, the Falcons are signaling that the team is looking to fight for a playoff spot this season. While the cost was incredibly low for Fenton (and the fact that it's just a rental), the move is a sign that Atlanta wants to win this season.

Fenton could make his Falcons debut Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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