Cowboys acquire CB Stephon Gilmore from Colts for 5th-round pick
The Cowboys had to find better cornerback play across from Trevon Diggs. They may have been able to do so via the 2023 NFL Draft, but as you can see in my 2023 NFL Mock Draft, all the top cornerbacks are off the board by the time Dallas is on the clock.
Trading for Stephon Gilmore is a short-term solution, but it’s one that could really pay off in the near future. Gilmore obviously isn’t the elite shutdown cornerback he once was now that he’s in his 30s – he’ll turn 33 in September – but he was still able to perform on a high level last year. He’s a great bargain for a fifth-round pick, which will actually be Dallas’ compensatory selection, so it’s almost a sixth-round choice.
The Cowboys definitely won this trade, but I understand why Indianapolis would make this move. The Colts are rebuilding, as they’ve definitely fallen behind the Jaguars. By the time they’re good again, Gilmore will probably be entering retirement, so it makes sense to get something for him.
Grade for Cowboys – A
Grade for Colts – B
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Giants acquire TE Darren Waller from Raiders for 3rd-round pick
This pick used to acquire Darren Waller was the one the Giants obtained for Kadarius Toney. The thought of transforming Toney into Waller seems great until you realize that Waller will turn 31 early during the 2023 season.
Still, I think this is a fine trade for the Giants because they are in win-now mode with Daniel Jones receiving a large contract. Jones desperately needed receiving help, and Waller certainly fits the bill. The only concern here is Waller’s durability. He has missed 14 total games in the past two seasons, so it remains to be seen if he can stay on the field.
With that in mind, I think the Raiders won this trade. Getting a third-round pick for a soon-to-be 31-year-old tight end with a dubious injury history makes sense, especially after acquiring a capable possession receiver earlier in the day.
Grade for Giants – B
Grade for Raiders – B+
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Texans acquire G Shaq Mason, 7th-round pick from Buccaneers for 6th-round pick
Shaq Mason is certainly not once the elite guard who blocked for Tom Brady in New England. He was an above-average guard who blocked for Brady in Tampa Bay last year, and given the Buccaneers’ salary cap woes, he needed to be shipped to another team.
The Texans made a ton of sense as a trade target. Last year’s first-round pick, Kenyon Green, was a huge bust, so Mason will be a big upgrade if Green doesn’t improve in his second season. This better line play will be crucial, given that the Texans will be starting a rookie quarterback. Given that this rookie quarterback will probably be lightweight Bryce Young, Houston’s offensive line will need to be optimized to shield the new signal-caller.
I think the Texans definitely won this trade. They took on a highly priced player, but barely surrendered any draft capital to do so. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, will continue to see their offensive line worsen, and they didn’t get much in return.
Grade for Texans – B+
Grade for Buccaneers – C
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Falcons acquire TE Jonnu Smith from Patriots for 2023 7th-round pick
I still can’t believe the Patriots signed Jonnu Smith to a 4-year, $50 million contract with $31 million guaranteed a couple of seasons ago. The Falcons could apparently believe that because they were willing to take on Smith’s horrendous contract in the wake of this trade.
The fit makes sense for the Falcons in general because Arthur Smith coached Jonnu Smith in Tennessee. However, the Falcons already have Kyle Pitts, so I don’t quite understand why they would take on a tight end contract like this. The draft compensation, a seventh-round pick, is fair, but it seems like Atlanta could have obtained a cheaper alternative.
As for the Patriots, it’s a positive that they were able to get rid of Smith by realizing that he was a sunk cost. Getting something, even a seventh-rounder, is better than nothing.
Grade for Falcons – C-
Grade for Patriots – B
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Dolphins acquire CB Jalen Ramsey from Rams for 2023 3rd-round pick, TE Hunter Long
Charlie Campbell reported a couple of weeks ago that the Rams wanted to get rid of Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey was still a great player for them, but they were fed up with his toxic attitude. This perhaps is not the sort of compensation Rams supporters thought they would receive for a great cornerback, but the trade still makes sense, especially given Los Angeles’ lack of leverage. The Rams’ Super Bowl window is closed, yet the team lacks draft capital. Obtaining a third-round pick will certainly help the rebuilding process.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, had a huge hole at cornerback in the wake of Byron Jones’ injuries. Jones was supposed to join Xavien Howard to form a great cornerback tandem, but Jones’ health woes prevented that from happening last year. Ramsey now gives the Dolphins their desired great cornerback duo. As long as Ramsey and Howard remain on the field, it’s going to be very difficult to throw on Miami, which is crucial for the Dolphins because of the high-powered passing offenses in their division. If Aaron Rodgers joins the Jets, Ramsey will be very important in those matchups, as well as those against the Bills.
The one downside for Miami is Ramsey’s attitude. He could potentially poison the locker room. However, as long as the Dolphins are winning, things should be fine. A third-round pick isn’t a huge price to pay for someone of Ramsey’s caliber, so I like this deal for Miami.
Grade for Dolphins – A
Grade for Rams – B
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Panthers acquire No. 1 overall pick from Bears for WR D.J. Moore, No. 9 overall pick, 2023 2nd-round pick, 2024 1st-round pick, 2025 2nd-round pick
When the Texans foolishly won during the final week of the season, the Bears secured the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which allowed them to trade the selection for a king’s ransom. This particular king was worth an extra first-round pick, two second-round selections, and a No. 1 receiver.
I imagine this is the most the Bears could have gotten from any of the teams seeking to move up for one of the top quarterbacks in this class. This haul will give them a great foundation to build around Justin Fields. They’ve given Fields a top wideout in D.J. Moore, and they’ll be able to either protect him with an offensive lineman or pair him with a dynamic backfield threat in Bijan Robinson with the No. 9 overall pick. The Panthers probably won’t be great in 2023, so the 2024 first-round pick they obtained from Carolina could be in the top 10.
The Panthers, meanwhile, had to do whatever it took to trade up to No. 1. The best-case scenario with staying at No. 9 overall would have been settling for Will Levis. In the wake of this trade, the Panthers can choose whichever quarterback they prefer between Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Sure, they had to surrender lots of resources in the process, but either Young or Stroud will allow them to begin the rebuilding process under their new coaching regime.
Grade for Panthers – B+
Grade for Bears – A+
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Jets acquire S Chuck Clark from Ravens for 2024 7th-round pick
When Adam Schefter announced that the Jets agreed to a trade, everyone was excited that the Aaron Rodgers news would finally break. Unfortunately, the deal had nothing to do with Rodgers, as New York acquired a veteran defensive back.
The Jets had a weakness at safety, so filling that void for a seventh-round pick seems like a great move. Chuck Clark isn’t a great player by any means, but he’s a solid, reliable player who hasn’t missed a single snap in the past three years. Getting him for almost nothing is a win for the Jets, while the Ravens had to do this to clear up salary cap space.
Grade for Jets – A
Grade for Ravens – C-
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Falcons acquire CB Rashad Fenton from Chiefs for conditional 7th-round pick
Thanks to some lucky wins earlier in the year, as well as the incompetence of the Buccaneers, the Falcons find themselves in first place of the NFC South. They have a good chance of making the playoffs, so they had to acquire some help to fix their greatest issue, which is their cornerback depth. Casey Hayward and A.J. Terrell are both injured, so the Falcons needed to find some viable corners to play while the duo recovers.
Rashad Fenton performed well for the Chiefs in 2021. He struggled to start the 2022 season and was ultimately benched. However, he would still be an upgrade over what the Falcons have in reserve, so I like this trade. Atlanta has given up nothing for him, so why not make the move?
The Chiefs, meanwhile, weren’t even playing Fenton, so it made sense for them to do this trade as well. A conditional seventh-round pick is almost certain to be irrelevant, but so was Fenton is a deep cornerback group.
Grade for Falcons – A
Grade for Chiefs – B+
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Bills acquire RB Nyheim Hines from Colts for RB Zack Moss, 2023 6th-round pick
There was speculation that the Bills would acquire Christian McCaffrey. They didn’t get McCaffrey, so they had to settle for Nyheim Hines as a consolation prize.
Hines will be a nice addition to Buffalo’s offense. He’ll serve as what James Cook was projected to be – a dynamic safety valve for Josh Allen. The Bills aren’t surrendering anything for Hines, so this is a great trade for them.
As for the Colts, it made sense to trade Hines in the wake of Deon Jackson’s emergence, but why didn’t they just settle for a better draft pick? I don’t understand the purpose of acquiring Zack Moss, an ineffective plodder.
Grade for Bills – A+
Grade for Colts – C-
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Jaguars acquire WR Calvin Ridley from Falcons for two conditional draft picks
It’s difficult to grade this trade because we don’t know what this exact compensation is, then again, we also don’t know when Calvin Ridley will be able to play again after betting on NFL games.
The Jaguars will reportedly surrender a fifth- or sixth-round pick this year and a 2024 second-, third- or fourth-round choice, depending on when Ridley is reinstated and other factors. I don’t see why Ridley can’t play as early as the opening week in 2023, so I love this trade for the Jaguars, who needed to give Trevor Lawrence a viable No. 1 receiver. Jacksonville overpaid Christian Kirk, but has gotten a nice bargain with Ridley.
As for the Falcons, I don’t get why they’re moving Ridley when he’ll likely be back next year. Desmond Ridder, or whichever quarterback the Falcons draft in 2023, will need all the weapons he can get. Drake London is very promising, but he and Ridley would have formed a great duo to pair with Kyle Pitts.
Grade for Jaguars – A-
Grade for Falcons – C
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