May 9, 2014
I’ve posted 2014 NFL Draft Grades for every pick. Why not grade all of the trades?
Redskins trade No. 34 to Bills for No. 47 (2nd), 78 (3rd)
NOTE: If I don’t include grades for any second-round trades, it’s because the deal was even for both sides. If you’re scoring at home, just give both teams Bs.
I honestly think Jerry Jones has lost his mind. Last year, he took a third-round center in the first round. He made a solid choice at No. 16, but he followed that up with this ridiculous trade. He moved up 13 spots with so many pass-rushers still on the board, and he gave up a third-rounder to do so, getting robbed in the process. He lost on the trade value chart by a whopping 70 points, which is worth a fourth-rounder. And on top of all this, he did this with a divisional rival!
Washington’s grade is easy. It completely destroyed a divisional opponent, so it’s an easy A+.
Grade for Redskins – A+
Grade for Cowboys – F
Eagles trade No. 42 to Titans for No. 54 (2nd), 122 (4th)
Chip Kelly and the Eagles are 2-for-2 in pilfering from teams in draft-day swaps. They stole a third-rounder from Cleveland on Thursday, and they managed to give up just a fourth-rounder to move up 12 spots in the second round. They won this deal by 70 points, which is worth a fourth-round choice. I don’t agree with what the Eagles did – they selected Jordan Matthews when there were so many talented receivers still available – but they at least took advantage of their partner while doing so.
The Titans lost this trade, but they had their heart set on a running back. With that position being ignored, they could afford to move down. I just wish they acquired more in the process.
Grade for Eagles – B+
Grade for Titans – C
Eagles trade No. 83 to Texans for No. 101 (4th), 141 (5th)
Make that 2-for-3. The Eagles moved down 18 spots in the third round (to the top of the fourth) for just the 141st pick. The difference between 83 and 101 is 79 points, yet 141 is worth just 35. That means Philadelphia should have received more than double what it did in this swap. But I guess that’s fine because Chip Kelly doesn’t like any of the remaining players in this class. What was he thinking with that Josh Huff pick? That was embarrassing.
The Texans robbed Philadelphia. They moved up for Louis Nix, who was under consideration at No. 33. That’s sick.
Grade for Eagles – D
Grade for Texans – A+
Browns trade No. 4 to Bills for No. 9, 2015 1st-, 4th-rounders
It’s a sad state of affairs when the Browns outfox you, but that’s what happened to Buffalo last night. What the hell are the Bills thinking? How can they give up a first-round pick (which is sure to be in the top 12) in a loaded 2015 class? Teams should only make that type of move if they’re one or two players away from competing for the Super Bowl, and that is certainly not the case for Buffalo. Sammy Watkins will be a great player for them, but he won’t lead them into the playoffs until they get stability at the quarterback position. We’ve seen nothing from E.J. Manuel to suggest that will happen anytime soon.
As for the Browns, wow. They moved down, acquired the top cornerback in the class, and managed to snatch a top-12 selection in an awesome class (go here for my 2015 NFL Mock Draft). Things are actually looking up in Cleveland for the first time in more than a decade.
Grade for Browns – A
Grade for Bills – D
Vikings trade No. 8 to Browns for Nos. 9, 145 (5th)
I don’t quite get this as much for the Browns. Were they that concerned the Vikings were going to take Justin Gilbert that they had to move up one spot? Because it wasn’t going to happen. Minnesota had two realistic targets at No. 8: Aaron Donald and Anthony Barr. Gilbert was a distant third, at best. So, giving up a fifth-rounder was kind of stupid. It’s not the end of the world, but just a bit dumb.
The Vikings will obviously receive a good grade for this because they were able to secure a fifth-round pick and still obtain the player they were targeting. This was a nice little move by Rick Spielman.
Grade for Vikings – B+
Grade for Browns – C-
Cardinals trade No. 20 to Saints for Nos. 27, 91 (3rd)
Unlike the previous two trades, this swap worked out well for both teams. With Anthony Barr and Ryan Shazier off the board, the Cardinals didn’t like their options at No. 20, so they were able to move down and acquire a third-round selection in the process. Not bad.
Of course, the Saints made the big splash by landing Brandin Cooks. There was no way in seven hells that Cooks was going to last until No. 27, so New Orleans had to move up to get him. Surrendering a third-round choice is a small price to pay for a dynamic wideout who will serve as a potent weapon for Drew Brees.
Grade for Cardinals – B+
Grade for Saints – A-
Eagles trade No. 22 to Browns for Nos. 26, 83 (3rd)
So, the Eagles obtained a better selection than Arizona (91 instead of 83), while moving from 22 to 26, whereas the Cardinals shifted down from 20 to 27? How is that possible? According to the trade value chart, Philadelphia won this deal by nearly 100 points, which is worth a high fourth-round selection.
This was a great move for Philadelphia’s front office. If my intel is correct, Chip Kelly coveted Odell Beckham and Brandin Cooks, so the fact that he was able to obtain a valuable third-round selection while being desperate to move down is pretty impressive.
As for the Browns, I can’t complain about this trade. Yes, they lost according to the trade value chart, but they acquired a potential franchise quarterback in the process by moving up for Johnny Manziel. There’s no guarantee that another team wouldn’t have moved up for Manziel, so the Browns had to secure their man.
Grade for Eagles – A
Grade for Browns – B
Seahawks trade No. 32 to Vikings for Nos. 40 (2nd), 108 (4th)
This is the second year in a row the Seahawks and Vikings have swapped picks in the draft. Last year, Seattle acquired Percy Harvin from Minnesota for a first-rounder. The Seahawks once again gave the Vikings their top choice, which Minnesota turned into a potential franchise quarterback.
This happened to be an even deal – there’s just a 12-point difference on the trade value chart – but it was a very good move for the Vikings. Not only did they obtain a potential franchise signal-caller; moving into the first round to secure him allows them to have Teddy Bridgewater for a fifth-year option.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, wanted to shift down because they were missing a third-round choice from the aforementioned Harvin swap. Moving down only eight slots and picking up a fourth-round selection is a solid move.
Grade for Seahawks – B+
Grade for Vikings – A-
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