Bills acquire WR Amari Cooper from Browns for 3rd-round pick, late-round pick swap
The Bills have Josh Allen, a surprisingly solid running game, and a strong defense. They had a complete team – except when it comes to the receiving corps. With Stefon Diggs gone, Buffalo’s sole viable receiving threat was Khalil Shakir, which wasn’t good enough to win a Super Bowl. Thus, no one should be surprised that the Bills pulled the trigger on this sort of trade.
Amari Cooper will be great for Allen. He’s in his 30s, but he’s one of the top route runners in the NFL, so he’ll be able to get open despite his age. He’ll be a huge upgrade at the position of greatest weakness, so he’s definitely worth a third-round pick and a swap of late-round selections.
This is a great trade for the Bills. It also makes sense for the Browns, who had to begin the rebuilding process with Deshaun Watson being such a huge failure. This will allow the Browns to lose more games, which could allow them to obtain the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Check out my 2025 NFL Mock Draft here.
Grade for Bills – A
Grade for Browns – B+
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Jets acquire WR Davante Adams from Raiders for conditional 3rd-round pick
The Davante Adams drama has finally come to an end. It wasn’t clear which former quarterback Adams would join, but we now know that it’ll be Aaron Rodgers, as the Jets acquired the talented receiver for a third-round pick that could become a second-rounder if Adams is an All-Pro or if the Jets reach the AFC Championship.
Teams that are 2-4 often aren’t buyers, but the Jets are missed field goals away from being 4-2, so perhaps they also should have acquired Daniel Carlson in the trade. Adams won’t help the Jets kick any field goals, but he’ll give Rodgers a great weapon across from Garrett Wilson. It’s going to be extremely difficult to defend the Jets with Wilson and Adams on the outside and Breece Hall coming out of the backfield. If the defense steps up and stops committing a million pass interferences, and Greg Zuerlein quits choking, the Jets will be one of the best teams in the NFL.
I love this trade for the Jets because they’re all in to win now, so it makes sense to pull the trigger on this sort of move. This deal also is a logical one for the Raiders. Adams was disgruntled and the team isn’t nearly in position to win anything now anyway, so they had to acquire a major resource. The Raiders didn’t quite get the second-rounder they coveted, but this was probably the best they could have done for a receiver in his 30s.
Grade for Jets – A
Grade for Raiders – B+
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Chargers acquire QB Taylor Heinicke from Falcons for conditional 6th-round pick
The Chargers received some bad news several weeks ago when they learned that Justin Herbert suffered a plantar fascia injury. Herbert could play in Week 1, but medical experts have cited that Herbert is likely to be hindered by this issue throughout the season. Given that, finding a better backup quarterback than Easton Stick was essential.
Taylor Heinicke flopped as a starter in the NFL, but he has proven to be a quality reserve. He’s certainly an upgrade over Stick, and the Chargers aren’t surrendering much for him.
As for the Falcons, it’s nice that they’re getting something for Heinicke because they had no more use for him. Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. are atop the depth chart, so Heinicke would have just rotted away as the third quarterback.
Grade for Chargers – B
Grade for Falcons – B+
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Chiefs acquire TE Peyton Hendershot from Cowboys for conditional 2026 7th-round pick
Travis Kelce looked decrepit at times last year, but came alive in the playoffs. Still, there has to be concern about his near-term future, given that he’s 34 and potentially distracted by Taylor Swift. The Chiefs need to find a successor for him. Peyton Hendershot probably won’t be the answer, but at least Kansas City is taking a chance on a young player for a cheap price.
As for the Cowboys, they have a crowded tight end room, so they planned on waiving Hendershot. It’s nice that they’re getting at least something for him, even if it’s a conditional seventh-round pick.
Grade for Chiefs – B
Grade for Cowboys – B
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Titans acquire LB Ernest Jones from Rams for swap of 2026 5th-, 6th-round picks
If Ernest Jones weren’t seeking a new deal, the Rams likely would have gotten so much more for him. Jones is a talented and young (24) linebacker who is exceptional in run support. He’s not as good in coverage, but he’s not much of a liability in that regard either.
This is an outstanding acquisition for the Titans. Tennessee made some terrific moves to upgrade its defense this offseason, but didn’t address its weakness at linebacker. That has changed, as Jones will be a big upgrade in that area. The Titans are giving up next to nothing for Jones. Sure, they have to pay him, but their quarterback is in a rookie deal. They have the money.
Meanwhile, this is a big disappointment for the Rams. Sure, they had no leverage, but they sold a good player for pennies on the dollar.
Grade for Titans – A+
Grade for Rams – D
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Chiefs acquire DE Cameron Thomas from Cardinals for 7th-round pick
There are usually trades involving seventh-round picks that happen at this time in lieu of players being released. This is one such deal, as the Chiefs wanted to land Cameron Thomas before he signed elsewhere.
Thomas played about a third of the snaps for Arizona last year, but wasn’t effective. He failed to register a single sack and was sub par versus the run. However, Thomas was a third-round pick a couple of years ago, so it could be argued that he still has some potential. I like the Chiefs taking a flier on Thomas for the lowest price possible, and I don’t think it was smart for the Cardinals to just give up on Thomas.
Grade for Chiefs – B
Grade for Cardinals – C
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Packers acquire QB Malik Willis from Titans for 7th-round pick
Like Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis was considered a first-round prospect by some a few years ago. Both ended up being failures, as they’ve now each been shipped off for pennies on the dollar. The Titans, who were going to cut Willis because he was behind Will Levis and Mason Rudolph on the depth chart, did well to get something for him, even if it was a mere seventh-round pick.
The Packers, meanwhile, needed a better second quarterback as insurance for Jordan Love. Willis isn’t an ideal backup, but he wasn’t coached well in Tennessee. Matt LaFleur might be able to get the most out of Willis and either install him as a long-term QB2 or flip him for a better pick in the future.
Grade for Packers – B+
Grade for Titans – B
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Bears acquire DE/OLB Darrell Taylor from Seahawks for 6th-round pick
The Bears were criticized for not obtaining an edge rusher to complement Montez Sweat this offseason, but perhaps this trade should quell any worries about the team’s ability to generate pressure on the quarterback. Chicago finally obtained someone to pair with Sweat, snatching Darrell Taylor from Seattle for a mere sixth-round pick.
This is an excellent deal for the Bears. Taylor is a big liability against the run, but he can rush the passer very well. He has 21.5 sacks in his previous three seasons despite not being a full-time player.
As for the Seahawks, I’m not quite sure why they’d move Taylor outside of wanting to begin the rebuilding process. It seems like they could have gotten more for Taylor than just a sixth-round pick, however.
Grade for Bears – A
Grade for Seahawks – C-
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Eagles acquire WR Jahan Dotson, 5th-round pick from Redskins for 3rd-round pick, two 7th-round picks
This is not quite the receiver trade we were expecting. Yet, it’s not exactly a shock to see Jahan Dotson dealt. Dotson was reportedly in danger of potentially being released because he was in Dan Quinn’s dog house. Washington was able to ship him off for a pick swap instead.
I like this trade for the Eagles. Dotson had a solid rookie campaign, but struggled mightily last year. Then again, Terry McLaurin also disappointed, as Washington’s entire receiving corps was hurt by Sam Howell and a poor offensive line. Dotson will have a chance to rebound in Philadelphia, where he’ll provide needed depth as a third option at wide receiver. The Eagles’ receiving corps was very lackluster beyond A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, so the Eagles now have a solid replacement if one of them were to suffer an injury. Downgrading their third-round pick to a fifth-round choice won’t seem like a steep price to pay if Dotson’s availability is crucial at some point during the 2024 season.
As for the Redskins, it’s nice that they were able to upgrade a mid-round pick for a player they did not want anymore. I question them helping a divisional rival, but it’s not like they were going to finish ahead of the Eagles in the standings anytime soon anyway.
Grade for Eagles – A-
Grade for Redskins – B+
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Seahawks acquire LB Michael Barrett from Panthers for CB Michael Jackson
I’ll spare you the Michael Jackson jokes and discuss this trade. Michael Jackson performed well at times for the Seahawks last year. However, he’s been very inconsistent throughout his career, so he could easily regress this upcoming season. At the very least, he’ll provide adequate depth for a Carolina team that will have a chance to win the horrific NFC South if Kirk Cousins isn’t fully recovered from his Achilles tear.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, are reuniting Michael Barrett with his former coach. Barrett is a rookie, so he has more long-term potential than the 27-year-old Jackson, but he was just a seventh-round pick who was viewed as a career special-teamer.
This seems to be an even trade for both teams, as the Panthers are getting immediate help, while the Seahawks have obtained someone with more upside.
Grade for Seahawks – B
Grade for Panthers – B
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