April 26, 2013
I’ve posted 2013 NFL Draft Grades for every pick. Why not grade all of the trades?
Raiders trade No. 3 to Dolphins for Nos. 12 and 42 (2nd)
The Dolphins shocked everyone when they drafted Dion Jordan over Lane Johnson after moving up to the No. 3 spot. A deal like this wasn’t nearly as surprising, however. They had tons of picks, so they almost had to make a move.
The Raiders were ripped off by 500 points according to the trade value chart, but moving down made sense for them because they had so many needs and so few selections.
Grade for Raiders – C+
Grade for Dolphins – A-
Bills trade No. 8 to Rams for Nos. 16, 46 (2nd), 78 (3rd), 222 (7th)
The Bills won this by 210 points on the trade value chart, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The fact remains that Buffalo could have drafted Tavon Austin, the alleged top player on their board, at No. 8 and then still probably could have scored the quarterback of their choice in the second round. That would have been the smarter plan, but moves like this are why Buffalo hasn’t made the playoffs since 1999.
St. Louis, meanwhile, lost according to the trade value chart, but was still able to obtain both of its targets (Austin, Alec Ogletree). You can’t really argue with that.
Grade for Bills – C
Grade for Rams – B
Buccaneers acquire CB Darrelle Revis from Jets for 2013 1st-rounder, conditional 2014 mid-rounder
This write-up was posted earlier in the 2013 NFL Free Agent Grades page.
So much for the Jets obtaining first-, third- and fifth-round picks this year. All they were able to net for Darrelle Revis was the No. 13 overall selection next week and a fourth-rounder in 2014 that could turn into a third-rounder.
I would have given the Buccaneers a “C” grade for surrendering all of those selections, but now it has to be considered a very good deal. Even when considering that he’s coming off a torn ACL, Revis is much better than anyone Tampa Bay could have chosen with the 13th pick – even if Dee Milliner happened to slide down to them.
The price tag for Revis is the concern for many; Revis is paid way too much for a non-quarterback, but the Buccaneers have the cap space to make a move like this. They had $33 million available prior to this trade, so they can afford to pay Revis the reported six years, $96 million. I’ll grade that soon.
Meanwhile, Jets’ fans have to feel incredibly disappointed. Hauling in three selections this year and some next April would have been acceptable for losing one of the league’s top corners, but getting just the No. 13 overall pick and a mid-rounder next spring is not nearly enough. If I were the Jets, I would have pushed for a bunch of picks in 2014 because of the superior draft class.
Grade for Buccaneers – A-
Grade for Jets – D
Cowboys trade No. 18 to 49ers for Nos. 31, 74 (3rd)
It’s never been more obvious that the Cowboys need to hire a real general manager because Jerry Jones is as inept as it gets when it comes to personnel decisions. Sharrif Floyd fell right into his lap, but he deemed the Florida product to be a poor fit for his defense. The Vikings then took Floyd five picks later despite running a similar scheme.
OK, so maybe Dallas just didn’t want Floyd. Why not trade down? Well, that’s fine, except the Cowboys lost on the trade value chart by close to 100 points. They should have received San Francisco’s second-rounder.
I’m not a fan of the player the 49ers went up to get at No. 18, but they deserve a great grade based on the trade alone.
Grade for Cowboys – D
Grade for 49ers – A
Rams trade No. 22 and 2015 7th-rounder to Falcons for Nos. 30, 92 (3rd), 198 (6th)
Unlike the other deals, this worked out evenly on the trade value chart. The Rams really liked Alec Ogletree and were confident he’d be available at No. 30. They took a chance and still landed their guy. That’s savvy decision-making.
As for the Falcons, there was a good chance Desmond Trufant wouldn’t be available with the 30th pick, so they did the right thing and leapt several squads who could have easily taken the Washington corner.
Grade for Rams – A
Grade for Falcons – B+
Seahawks acquire WR Percy Harvn from Vikings for 2013 1st-, 7th-round picks; 2014 mid-rounder
This write-up was posted earlier in the 2013 NFL Free Agent Grades page.
I’m not a fan of calling a trade a win-win for both teams, but that appears to be the case in this situation.
Percy Harvin is obviously one of the most talented players in the NFL. He can go the distance any time he touches the ball. The Seahawks didn’t have anyone like that on their offense. Harvin gives them that element, which makes them even more dangerous. He also has experience in the read-option offense that Seattle utilizes.
There is a downside to Harvin. Given that he’s a small player, he tends to get banged up often. He can also be a headache for the coaching staff. But that’s exactly why he was available. The Seahawks had a huge hole at receiver, and Harvin is better than anyone they could have obtained at No. 25 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. He’s just 24 years old, so it’s not like Seattle is blowing its first-rounder on an old veteran. I love this move.
As for the Vikings, they’ve been frustrated with Harvin’s attitude for a while now. Harvin also wanted a big contract that Minnesota’s front office wanted no part of, so it’s no surprise that he was dealt. The Vikings did well to obtain a first-rounder (plus a 2014 mid-rounder) for their former dynamic wideout.
You have to think though that Christian Ponder is pretty pissed off at this. He no longer has any receivers to throw to. His top options are Greg Childs, Jarius Wright and Stephen Burton. Who? Exactly. The Vikings absolutely have to find at least two upgrades at the position this offseason so they don’t stunt Ponder’s growth.
Grade for Seahawks – A-
Grade for Vikings – B+
Patriots trade No. 29 to Vikings for Nos. 52 (2nd), 83 (3rd), 102 (4th), 229 (7th)
This is another deal that was exactly even on the trade chart. I like the move for both teams. The Vikings still have five more selections in the 2013 NFL Draft, so why not move up for a play-maker like Cordarrelle Patterson? It’s not like someone of his talent level was going to be available at No. 52.
Meanwhile, the Patriots had to move down because they had just three picks in the first six rounds going into this weekend. Bill Belichick loves drafting second-day players, so now he has a bunch of Friday picks to work with.
Grade for Patriots – A-
Grade for Vikings – A-
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