This is a legitimate complaint about Holmes. It is the downside of his smartest-guy-in-the-room tendency to identify the guys he thinks will be difference makers and to find a way to get them. Maybe he will learn from this, or maybe this will be his Achilles heel, like Dan being overly aggressive on 4th down
The trade deadline stuff is a sideshow. There are relatively few players available at any given trade deadline. Often the marginal difference between players available by trade versus players in practice squads who already know your coaches, system, and personnel, is not significant.