NFL Trade Grades: Dolphins Acquire Jaylen Waddle; Chiefs Trade for Justin Fields

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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Falcons acquire S Sydney Brown from Eagles for 4th- and 6th-round pick swaps
There have been four trades in the NFL this week. The major move was made Tuesday when the Broncos acquired Jaylen Waddle, and we’ve had two minor moves for backup since then.

Sydney Brown has been a backup in his 3-year pro career. He started three games last year, but was a reserve otherwise. He’s never shown the capability of being a starter, so it’s unclear what the Falcons see in him. Of course, the Falcons are set at safety at the moment, so why trade down in two rounds to acquire a backup? This isn’t a bad trade by any means, as moving down eight spots in Round 4 is not a deal-breaker. Still, it’s confusing as to why they’d do so for Brown.

The Eagles won this trade. Brown didn’t play very much, so to move up in two rounds, including eight spots in Round 4, is a nice move when all Philadelphia had to do was surrender a backup safety.

Grade for Falcons – B-
Grade for Eagles – A-

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Eagles acquire QB Andy Dalton from Panthers for 7th-round pick
This may seem like a boring trade on the surface, but I think it’s quite interesting. It doesn’t have all that much to do with Andy Dalton, which may seem odd to say because he’s the only player who was dealt between the Eagles and Panthers.

As soon as I saw this trade, I wondered if the Eagles envisioned themselves trading Tanner McKee. The young quarterback, known as the “Irish Assassin,” has tons of potential and has looked good in most of his brief action in the NFL. There was some speculation that the Eagles would trade him to a team like the Jets, and now that seems more likely because Dalton can serve as Jalen Hurts’ new backup if a deal occurs. Dalton is a clear downgrade from McKee at this juncture, so there doesn’t seem to be another reason as to why Philadelphia would acquire him.

As for the Panthers, they won this trade. That wouldn’t have been the case two years ago, but Dalton is completely washed up now. He’s not worth any sort of draft capital, so Carolina did well to get anything for him.

Grade for Eagles – B-
Grade for Panthers – B+

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Broncos acquire WR Jaylen Waddle from Dolphins for 1st-, 3rd-round picks; swap of 4th-round picks
Are the Dolphins tanking? This trade says they are, and so did the Tyreek Hill release and the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade. Why, then, did the Dolphins give a free agent quarterback so much money if they’re going to lose intentionally? Why not just go all in for Arch Manning in the 2027 NFL Draft? The Dolphins are sending out more mixed signals than the girls I pursued while in high school.

Despite the mixed signals, I think the Dolphins are getting a great deal. Jaylen Waddle had a great start to his career, but has never really lived up to the hype. One could argue that Hill’s presence removed targets from him, but Waddle didn’t step up when Hill was injured last year. Butters, one of our WalterFootball After Dark co-hosts, has called Waddle a “pyramid scheme,” which is a very appropriate nickname for the former first-round pick. Snatching first- and third-round picks for him is a terrific haul.

The Broncos, meanwhile, are desperate to get the most out of Bo Nix, and I’m not sure how much this will help. Waddle is an overrated commodity. Trading first- and third-round selections for a glorified No. 2 receiver is an overpay. The Bills just got D.J. Moore for a second-round pick, and I don’t see much of a difference between the two receivers.

Grade for Broncos – D
Grade for Dolphins – B+

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Chiefs acquire QB Justin Fields from Jets for 2027 6th-round pick
One of the India-based NFL spam accounts “reported” that the Jets were seeking a first-round pick for Justin Fields. Apparently, that was way off the mark. The report missed by five rounds, with New York securing just a sixth-round selection for Fields.

Something else to note is that the Jets are also paying a chunk of Fields’ salary for this upcoming season to help facilitate this trade. It makes sense for the Jets to move on from Fields after owner Woody Johnson’s remarks during the previous season. It appeared as though the Jets had no leverage, so getting a sixth-rounder is fine. And Johnson has plenty of money, so there should be no issue paying Fields’ salary.

This trade makes sense for the Chiefs as well. Patrick Mahomes is no sure thing to perform well off a torn ACL. He may not be ready for the opener, so Fields could start the first couple of weeks. Fields has shown that he’s not a starting-caliber quarterback for the long haul, but he can be successful in some spot starts. It’ll also be interesting to see what Andy Reid, a quarterback whisperer, can get out of Fields. There’s a chance we could see Fields play the best football of his career, though knowing Mahomes, Fields also may never even play.

Grade for Chiefs – A-
Grade for Jets – B+

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Titans acquire DE Solomon Thomas from Cowboys for late-round pick swap
The Cowboys dealt two defensive linemen on Wednesday evening. The 49ers scooped up the better of the two, while the Titans ended up taking the ugly sister to the dance instead.

Solomon Thomas probably plays like an ugly sister at this stage of his career. He no longer has any pass-rushing juice, and he’s never been good in run support. Thomas will turn 31 during the 2026 season, so it’s not a surprise that he has regressed into a mere rotational body.

This is a swap of picks 218 and 225. Honestly, given how poor Thomas has gotten, I’d rather have 218 than 225 and Thomas.

Grade for Titans – B-
Grade for Cowboys – B+

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49ers acquire DT Osa Odighizuwa from Cowboys for 3rd-round pick
Despite reaching the second round of the playoffs last year, the 49ers really struggled to generate quarterback pressure. Nick Bosa’s injury had a lot to do with that, but the 49ers already had issues with their pass rush heading into the season. Thus, it makes sense that the 49ers would make a trade like this.

Osa Odighizuwa can certainly get to the quarterback; he’s a very dangerous interior pass rusher. He’s not an every-down player because he’s small and gets steamrolled versus the run, but he’ll be a huge upgrade to San Francisco’s pass rush. The value for the 49ers makes sense.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, added some defensive line talent this offseason, so it also makes sense for them to trade Odighizuwa. They’re also getting good value for him, making this an even trade that was a logical move for both teams.

Grade for 49ers – B+
Grade for Cowboys – B+

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Jets acquire QB Geno Smith from Raiders for late-round pick swap
Wow. To quote Butters, who sent this via text, “The fact that the Jets had to trade for Geno Smith shows how pathetic they are.”

I can’t believe the Jets traded for Smith, even if it’s a late-round pick swap. Now, I’m sure an ESPN DEI employee out there is thinking that this is a steal because they consider Smith to be a top-10 quarterback, but the truth is that Smith was never even close to being a top-10 quarterback. He at least was a mediocre starter once upon a time, but that’s not the case anymore. Smith is a horrendous, turnover-prone quarterback who makes idiotic decisions on the football field. He’s way past his prime, and he’s not worth any sort of pick swap.

The Raiders obviously won this trade. They would have won this trade had they received a sticky popcorn kernel off a movie theater floor in exchange for Smith, so the fact that they obtained a pick swap for him is almost miraculous.

Grade for Jets – TOP 10 MILLEN KIELBASA
Grade for Raiders – A+

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Steelers acquire WR Michael Pittman Jr. from Colts for late-round pick swap
The NFL is crazy. A year ago, if you polled a thousand NFL fans, all thousand would have said that Michael Pittman Jr. is a better receiver than Alec Pierce. Yet, the Colts just gave Pierce $116 million and sent Pittman packing for a late-round pick swap. What!?

Pittman isn’t a great receiver by any means, but he’s the perfect No. 2 possession receiver, which is exactly what the Steelers needed. Pittman will be a great Robin to Pittsburgh’s Batman (DK Metcalf), and yet the Steelers barely had to give up anything for him. What an incredible trade for the Steelers.

Grade for Steelers – A+
Grade for Colts – MILLEN

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Cowboys acquire DE Rashan Gary from Packers for 2027 late-round pick
Another Cowboys-Packers trade involving a defensive lineman!? This is proof that sequels are hardly ever as good as the original, with the Packers sending Rashan Gary to the Cowboys for some sort of late-round pick in 2027.

Just as sequels forget the plot or character development, the Packers forgot to ask for appropriate compensation. Rashan Gary is coming off a bit of a down year, but he still logged 7.5 sacks. He’s also just 28, so he could easily rebound with a dominant 2026 campaign. Green Bay is a team with no true owner, so the salary cap actually applies to them, so that would explain this trade. However, I thought the Packers could’ve gotten something substantial for Gary.

This is a mega steal for the Cowboys. They embarrassed themselves in the original trade, destroying their own defense because Jerry Jones couldn’t agree to terms with Micah Parsons. Jones can at least save face by obtaining a worse version of Parsons, but one who will improve his awful edge rush.

Update: This is a 2027 fourth-round pick, so this is better for the Packers than originally suspected. The grades have been upgraded accordingly.

Grade for Cowboys – A
Grade for Packers – B

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Jets acquire S Minkah Fitzpatrick from Dolphins for 2026 7th-round pick
If you think the Jets are getting Minkah Fitzpatrick for nothing, that is not the case. The Jets had to sign Fitzpatrick to a 3-year, $40 million contract as a result of this trade, so that’s the real compensation for the Pro Bowl safety.

Fitzpatrick is a turnover machine, so it’s likely that the Jets will secure at least one interception this season. Fitzpatrick is a major upgrade at safety; there’s no question about that. It may seem odd that the Jets, a team that is beginning its rebuilding process yet again, is signing what is perceived to be an older safety to a $40 million contract, but Fitzptrick is still just 29, so he’ll likely continue to be a very good player in a couple of years when New York could make a playoff run for the first time in eons.

As for the Dolphins, they weren’t getting much for Fitzpatrick, and they’re in full tank mode, so it made sense for them to trade their best defensive player. It’s disappointing that they only got a seventh-round pick, however.

Grade for Jets – B+
Grade for Dolphins – B-

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Raiders acquire CB Taron Johnson from Raiders for late-round pick swap
This trade reminds me of when a Dunkin Donuts employee is set to throw out stale doughnuts, but when one customer wants them for free, the employee demands that the customer pay half price for them. The Bills announced that they were cutting Taron Johnson, but the Raiders, our Dunkin Donuts customer in this example, came in right before closing and gave the Bills a late-round pick swap (sixth for a seventh) in exchange for Johnson.

This would have been a great trade for the Raiders a few years ago. Johnson was once known as a solid slot cornerback, but things changed in 2024. Johnson has struggled over the past couple of years, and he’s now 30, so he may never be the same. The Bills were done with him, so it’s odd that the Raiders were so eager to acquire him via a trade. Signing Johnson without relinquishing any draft capital would have made sense because there’s a chance Johnson could rebound with a decent year. However, it’s hard not to call this an overpay because the Bills were willing to receive nothing in return.

I’m not going to grade the Raiders poorly because it is just a late-round pick swap, but it’s obvious that the Bills won this trade. They didn’t think they’d get anything for this stale doughnut, yet they came away with a free upgrade late on Day 3.

Grade for Raiders – B
Grade for Bills – A-

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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.

UPDATE: The Ravens have backed out of the trade as a result of Crosby failing the physical. They get to keep their two first-round draft choices. It all makes sense as to why the Raiders were willing to accept a small package – a coin flip for a Pro Bowler – for their talented edge rusher. The Raiders can now only hope that Crosby will be able to recover from his knee injury, or they’ll have a major dilemma on their hands.

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