NFL Trade Grades: Ravens Trade for Maxx Crosby

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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Packers acquire ILB Zaire Franklin from Colts for DL Colby Wooden
I wish I could give you some exciting opinions about this trade like I did below for the Maxx Crosby deal. Some Raider fans are not too happy with me, but in my 26 1/2 years running this Web site, I’ve found that the opinions of Raider fans are generally what I write about the team 6-18 months beforehand, so I know they’ll come around but also be pissed about something else I write.

This trade, however, is not exciting at all, with both teams trading their rejects to each other. Zaire Franklin is the better known of the pair, as he’s been a solid, run-defending linebacker for the Colts for several years. Franklin, however, had a putrid 2025, and now that he’s in his 30s (as of July), the regression could be permanent.

The Colts are getting the younger player, but Colby Wooden has never been nearly as good as Franklin. Wooden is a defensive lineman who can’t defend the run well and doesn’t put any pressure on the quarterback. Cue up the Bobs in Office Space when they asked, “What do you say you do here?”

I guess the Packers won this trade because Franklin could rebound and have one or two more good seasons, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Grade for Packers – B
Grade for Colts – C

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Ravens acquire DE Maxx Crosby from Raiders for 2026, 2027 1st-round picks
It was suspected that Maxx Crosby would be on the move, and the Raiders finally pulled the trigger. Crosby has been sent to the Ravens for first-round picks in the 2026 and 2027 NFL Drafts.

I don’t need to tell you that this is a colossal trade for the Ravens. They’ve had great defensive pieces, but have lacked a great edge-rushing talent for several years. That’s no longer the case, with Crosby joining a front that will also welcome Namdi Madubuike back from injury. Crosby has been a pass-rushing terror in the NFL despite very much around him in Las Vegas, but that will change in Baltimore. Crosby will be at his best, which will give Baltimore a much better chance of finally reaching the Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson.

I have to give the Ravens an A+ for this trade. Crosby’s presence shifts the balance of power in the AFC toward Baltimore, especially with Patrick Mahomes recovering from a torn ACL. Sure, two first-round selections sounds like a lot, but it’s highly unlikely that any combination of picks would have made a bigger impact than Crosby will in regard to winning a Super Bowl in the next few years.

The Raiders, meanwhile, did well to obtain two first-round picks for a player who is nearing 30. However, I can’t give the Raiders a high grade because they botched the situation in the first place. Had they not angered Crosby while resting him against his will last year, they wouldn’t have been in a position where they’d need to trade him.

Update: After having the night to think over it, I’m downgrading the Raiders to a C-, and no, it doesn’t have anything to do with all of the dumbest NFL people on Twitter agreeing that this was a win for Las Vegas. Getting the 14th pick in an underwhelming draft class and the 26th-32nd selection next year isn’t enough for one of the top defenders in the NFL. Sure, Crosby is nearing 30, but he’s still young enough to have 3-5 more great years. The Raiders needed those great seasons to compete for a Super Bowl in 2027 and beyond. Remember, Drake Maye nearly won the Super Bowl in his second year. The goal for the Raiders should be getting to the Super Bowl in Fernando Mendoza’s second or third year, and doing so without Crosby will be far more difficult.

Perhaps the Raiders will find a great player with one of the selections they obtained for Crosby. It could happen, but it’s about a coin flip. The odds of landing a Pro Bowler – which means less these days with Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco qualifying for the Pro Bowl last year – with the 14th-overall pick, historically, are 36 percent. The odds of getting a Pro Bowler with a picks 21-32 historically are 26 percent. This means that the Raiders are 52.6 percent to obtain at least one Pro Bowler with one of their two selections. Call me crazy, but a coin flip to land a Pro Bowler is not enough for one of the top defenders in the NFL.

Grade for Ravens – A+
Grade for Raiders – C-

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Bears acquire C Garrett Bradbury from Patriots for 2027 5th-round pick
It’s pretty wild that the Bears are trading for Garrett Bradbury. They’ve had a chance to look at him twice per year when he was playing on the Vikings, so I don’t know how they determined that he’s worth a fifth-round pick, especially when the upcoming draft class has so many talented tackles.

This is a panic move by the Bears. Their center retired, so they thought they’d sign Tyler Biadasz as a replacement. With Biadasz going to the Chargers, Chicago could have just waited for a rookie center, but instead wasted a fifth-round selection on the anemic Bradbury, who was partly responsible for Drake Maye’s 22 playoff sacks.

This is an easy win for the Patriots. They were going to obtain an upgrade over Bradbury anyway, so they were able to obtain a free source by dumping their failed center.

Grade for Bears – D
Grade for Patriots – A

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Bills acquire WR DJ Moore from Bears for 2026 2nd-round pick, 2026 5th-round pick
The Bills have sorely needed help at receiver since losing Stefon Diggs. Khalil Shakir has been their top threat despite being just a tertiary type of target. Buffalo was tasked with finding receiver help the past two offseasons, and they finally made the appropriate move to address the huge hole on the roster.

D.J. Moore didn’t have a great season last year, but was in a crowded receiver room and had to deal with Caleb Williams’ inconistency. He’ll find the complete opposite in Buffalo. Moore turns 29 in April, so he should be able to put together 2-3 strong seasons in Buffalo. His presence will give the Bills a much better chance of winning the Super Bowl. Swapping second- and fifth-round picks is well worth it, as Moore is much better than what the Bills could have gotten late in Round 2.

The one negative with this trade is that the Bills are taking on so much money in the coming years, but as we very well know, the cap is fake if the owner wants it to be. Moore is not on the tier of some of the top receivers in the NFL, but he’s no less of a No. 1 wideout than Courtland Sutton or Terry McLaurin.

The Bears, meanwhile, were always going to trade the disgruntled Moore. With Rome Odunze and Luther Burden on the roster, there was no need for Moore. It’s disappointing that they had to surrender anything for this second-round pick, but it’s still a trade that makes sense for them because they moved up three rounds for a player they didn’t need.

Grade for Bills – A-
Grade for Bears – A-

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Rams acquire CB Trent McDuffie from Chiefs for No. 29, 2026 5th-, 6th-round picks, 2027 3rd-round pick
I’ve seen much speculation that the Rams could use their second opening-round selection on a quarterback of the future (i.e. Ty Simpson). Doing so would have mirrored what the Packers did by selecting “No Cookie” Jordan Love when Aaron Rodgers was still on the roster. Well, we have our answer, and that would be that unlike the 2020 Packers, the Rams are going all in right now.

The Rams had a big weakness at cornerback last year, but that has been resolved. Trent McDuffie is one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL, so he’ll be an instant upgrade in Los Angeles’ secondary. Even better, he’s only 25, so it’s not like he’s in danger of suffering any age-related regression anytime soon. McDuffie is almost certainly better than anyone the Rams could have chosen at No. 29, making this a big win for the team.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, would have been challenged to re-sign McDuffie, given their current financial situation. It makes sense that they would deal McDuffie. There are plenty of decent cornerbacks available in the No. 29 range, so the Chiefs will be able to get a cheaper alternative, all while stocking up on depth with the other three picks they acquired. I don’t think the Chiefs won this trade, but I understand why they did it. Still, it has to be disappointing for Patrick Mahomes to lose yet another valuable piece of the roster.

Grade for Rams – A
Grade for Chiefs – B-

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Browns acquire OT Tytus Howard from Texans for 5th-round pick
The Texans have been very busy today. They acquired David Montgomery, all while trading two offensive linemen. I’m not sure if dealing blockers away for a new running back is the best strategy to strengthen a ground attack, but perhaps Houston’s front office knows better.

I don’t get this trade for the Texans. Tytus Howard is a quality pass protector who can play right tackle and guard. He turns 30 in May, but he should still have several strong seasons remaining in his career. Houston’s offensive line has been a weakness, so it makes no sense to trade someone like Howard for a mere fifth-round pick.

The Browns definitely won this trade. They had a huge need at both tackle spots, and Howard will be a big upgrade on the right side. He can also play guard in the event of an injury, so he’ll be extremely useful for Cleveland. This was a great trade for the Browns.

Grade for Browns – A
Grade for Texans – D

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Texans acquire RB David Montgomery from Lions for 4th-, 7th-round picks, OL Juice Scruggs
The Texans acquired David Montgomery for a fifth-round pick. Or, so we thought. An update saw that Houston dealt fourth- and seventh-round selections, as well as Juice Scruggs, for Montgomery. Ian Rapoport called this “fifth-round value” in the ultimate insult to Scruggs.

I would’ve considered a fifth for Montgomery to be a bit too much. Montgomery is a 29-year-old on the decline. The Texans could’ve gotten a running back of equal value in free agency without trading a pick, so it would not have been a good trade. I probably would’ve given Houston a “C” or maybe a C+ for it, but now we know that the team surrendered much more. It’s absurd that the Texans relinquished a fourth-rounder and other things for Montgomery, though it needs to be noted that Scruggs is not a good blocker by any means. Regardless, the Lions won this trade by a mile. I would’ve considered a sixth-rounder for Montgomery to be fair value.

The Texans now have a decent, but not great one-two punch at running back with Montgomery and Woody Marks. Montgomery gives the running game an upgrade, but again, a similar back could’ve been acquired for far cheaper compensation (see the NFL Free Agent Running Back Rankings for more.)

Grade for Texans – D-
Grade for Lions – A+

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Jets acquire NT T’Vondre Sweat from Titans for DE Jermaine Johnson
The Jets and Titans have been two of the worst NFL franchises in terms of success on the field in recent years. It’s common to see such organizations ripped off in trades, but given that this deal occurred between two of the “lesser” teams, it makes sense that it would be a near-even swap.

I really like this trade for both teams. The Jets were in an awkward spot at No. 2 overall where they were expected to select Arvell Reese or David Bailey (check out our 2026 NFL Mock Draft for more) when they already had Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson on the edge. They also had a huge need on the defensive line, with nose tackle being a big weakness for years. By trading Johnson for T’Vondre Sweat, the Jets are finally getting the monstrous run stuffer they’ve been missing, all while clearing a spot for Reese or Bailey.

The Titans, meanwhile, couldn’t generate any pressure on the quarterback last year, outside of Jeffery Simmons. They lost Harold Landry and didn’t replace him, but they’re doing that now with Johnson. It must be noted that Johnson logged just three sacks last year after missing most of 2024, but he’s a young edge rusher who was not quite 100 percent. He can revert to form in 2026 and once again come close to notching double-digit sacks.

Grade for Jets – A
Grade for Titans – A-

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2025 NFL Trade Grades | 2019, 2020 2021 NFL Trade Grades