I’ve listed all of the NFL Free Agent Signing Grades here, which included the trades. Because I’ve begun posting polls for the trades, I thought it would make sense to list just the NFL trades here, so archiving the voting would be easier.
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Cowboys acquire QB Joe Milton from Patriots for swap of 5th-, 7th-rounders
I thought I was going to grade the Cowboys negatively for this trade when I initially heard about it. Dallas infamously acquired Trey Lance for a fourth-round pick, yet refused to give him playing time down the stretch last year when it was apparent that they wouldn’t be making the playoffs. Giving up another fourth for a similar player would have been foolish.
This trade, however, is much better for Dallas. The Cowboys will be giving up a fifth-round pick instead of a fourth, and they’ll be getting back a seventh from New England. That’s a much better deal for a young quarterback with plenty of potential.
With that in mind, the Cowboys won this trade. I don’t understand why the Patriots would settle for anything less than a fourth-round selection for Milton. The 2024 sixth-round pick has looked terrific in all of his appearances, albeit those made in the preseason and in meaningless late-season games. Milton is raw, but has loads of potential. Giving him up for a late-round pick swap is a very poor move. I just imagine what Howie Roseman would have done instead. He would have waited for a quarterback injury and then dangled Milton to that team for a fourth-round selection, or maybe even a third. The Patriots should aim to be much more cunning with their transactions.
Grade for Cowboys – A-
Grade for Patriots – D
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Vikings acquire RB Jordan Mason from 49ers for 2026 6th-round pick, swap of 6th-rounders
The 49ers have lost a lot of talent this offseason, and we can add another name to the list. That would be Jordan Mason, who was traded to the Vikings for a 2026 sixth-round pick and a swap of Nos. 160 and 187 this year.
This trade makes so much sense for Minnesota. Aaron Jones is a talented back, but he’s an older player with an extensive injury history. Mason is a big upgrade over Cam Akers and Ty Chandler, and he comes at a very reasonable price.
As for the 49ers, they’ve proven that they can plug and play anyone at running back to make it work. There’s no guarantee that Mason would have beaten out Isaac Guerendo for the No. 2 running back job anyway. This trade makes sense for San Francisco, but Minnesota won the deal.
Grade for Vikings – A
Grade for 49ers – B+
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Texans acquire G Ed Ingram from Vikings for 2026 6th-round pick
C.J. Stroud has not been a happy camper this offseason, as the Texans have gotten rid of three of his starting offensive linemen, including Laremy Tunsil. Perhaps he had broken out of his sad state when he heard that his team acquired a guard, but he’ll revert to being upset once he realizes who it is.
The good news for the Texans is that Ed Ingram is a recent second-round pick, so he has some upside. The bad news is that Ingram has not played well in the NFL. In fact, he was benched last year. I get trading a 2026 sixth-round pick for him, but this deal is unlikely to benefit Houston.
The Vikings win this trade by default. They signed Will Fries, so Ingram was unlikely to make the final roster. It’s nice that they were able to get something for him, even if they have to wait 13 months for the new selection.
Grade for Texans – C+
Grade for Vikings – B+
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Cowboys acquire LB Kenneth Murray from Titans for late-round pick swap
The Cowboys are snatching up all the former first-round busts today. Hours after acquiring Kaiir Elam, Dallas obtained Kenneth Murray for another late-round pick swap.
Elam at least makes some sense because he was drafted recently. Murray was drafted two years prior and has been awful. He’s bad in coverage and even worse in run support. There’s no reason to think things will change at this point. The Titans, meanwhile, did well to get something for a player they were going to cut.
Grade for Cowboys – D
Grade for Titans – B+
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Cowboys acquire CB Kaiir Elam from Bills for late-round pick swap
Kaiir Elam was highly regarded coming out of Florida ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he’s been a colossal bust. He struggled as a rookie and then barely played the past two years. He saw action late in the year due to injury, and he was torched constantly. He was then forced onto the field once Christian Benford got hurt in the AFC Championship, and Patrick Mahomes attacked him successfully.
The Bills did well to trade Elam. He was barely playing for them, and he wasn’t likely to make the final roster this year. The Bills are getting a fifth-round pick in exchange for a sixth. They also picked up a seventh-rounder in 2026, but that’s mostly irrelevant.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, probably should have used their resources elsewhere. They believe they can revive a former first-round pick’s career, and if they do, they’ll hit the jackpot with this trade. That seems unlikely to happen, however.
Grade for Cowboys – C
Grade for Bills – B+
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Texans acquire S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, 2026 6th-round pick from Eagles for G Kenyon Green, 2026 5th-round pick
It isn’t often that the Eagles lose a trade, but that’s what appears to be happening with this deal. Philadelphia and Houston have swapped Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Kenyon Green, as well as 2026 fifth- and sixth-round picks.
I don’t understand why the Eagles have made this trade. Gardner-Johnson is a talented safety and is still young (27). Perhaps the Eagles were tired of his locker room antics, but that didn’t bother them when they won the Super Bowl. Philadelphia will miss Gardner-Johnson, though perhaps it believes that Sydney Brown, twin brother of Chase Brown, can step in and do well after showcasing himself well in brief action.
Still though, why Green? He’s a former first-round pick, but he’s been the worst starting guard in the NFL over the past three years. Perhaps the Eagles see something in him because the talent was thought to be there when he was drafted 15th overall, but there’s no question that Gardner-Johnson is the better player.
The Texans seem to have prevailed in this trade. They’re adding a key piece to their secondary for a player they were likely going to cut anyway, which is a great deal for them.
Grade for Texans – A
Grade for Eagles – D
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Browns acquire QB Kenny Pickett from Eagles for QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, 2025 5th-round pick
Kenny Pickett was not one of the names discussed in the quarterback carousel, but he is on the move. He was traded to the Browns for Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick.
This trade makes sense for both teams, but the Eagles won the trade. They already have a viable No. 2 quarterback in Tanner McKee, so they didn’t need Pickett. Acquiring a fifth-round selection is a nice move. Thompson-Robinson is not a real player, so he’s completely irrelevant.
Meanwhile, the Browns are able to obtain a young quarterback they can develop. I still think they’ll draft a signal-caller No. 2 overall, which is what I have happening in my updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
Grade for Browns – B
Grade for Eagles – A-
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Redskins acquire OT Laremy Tunsil, 2025 4th-round pick from Texans for 2026 2nd-round pick, 2025 3rd-round pick, 2026 4th-round pick, 2025 7th-round pick
The Redskins were a great value bet at 22/1 to win the Super Bowl. That number is undoubtedly long gone, as the team acquired Laremy Tunsil shortly after obtaining Deebo Samuel.
To simplify, the fourth-round picks are effectively a wash, while the seventh-round choice is mostly irrelevant. Thus, all the Redskins gave up for Tunsil were a third this year and a second next year. This seems to be an amazing deal to add an elite left tackle for Jayden Daniels.
The Texans are the clear loser in this trade. They won’t get their second-round pick until 13 months from now, and C.J. Stroud will lose his exceptional blind-side protector. Surely, the Texans could’ve figured out a way to keep Tunsil on the roster.
Grade for Redskins – A+
Grade for Texans – D
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Saints acquire DT Davon Godchaux from Patriots for 7th-round pick
Giving up a seventh-round pick is not a huge deal, but I don’t understand why the Saints spent any resources acquiring Davon Godchaux in this trade. Godchaux is a 30-year-old defensive tackle who doesn’t provide any pass rush and struggles against the run. Players like him are a dime a dozen in free agency, so the Saints could have signed someone comparable without surrendering any draft compensation.
The Patriots are the “big” winners of this trade. Big being in quotations because the Patriots scored a seventh-round pick, so this isn’t going to move the needle very much.
Grade for Saints – D
Grade for Patriots – B
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Steelers acquire WR D.K. Metcalf from Seahawks for 2nd-round pick
Seattle’s fire sale continues. The team did well to pick up a third-round pick for the mediocre Geno Smith two days ago. Tonight, the front office dealt a much better player in D.K. Metcalf for a second-round choice.
Metcalf is one of the most physically gifted receivers in the NFL, but he’s been limited by Smith in Seattle. Sadly for Metcalf, he’ll also be limited by Pittsburgh’s poor quarterbacking situation. It’s unclear what the Steelers will do at quarterback, but it’s not very promising. Still, the Steelers make the playoffs every year because they’re extremely well coached and have a top-tier defense. Now, they’ll have two very talented receivers in Metcalf and George Pickens. I like this trade for them, as it makes their location more appealing for free agent quarterbacks.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, did just fine to get a second-round pick and a swap of sixth- and seventh-round choices for their disgruntled player. Metcalf didn’t want to be in Seattle anymore, so the Seahawks didn’t exactly have great leverage. They didn’t obtain the first-round pick they coveted, but a second is an OK haul for the 27-year-old receiver.
Grade for Steelers – A-
Grade for Seahawks – B
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