Redskins acquire K Cade York from Browns for 7th-round pick
The Redskins have been busy today. In addition to trading Jahan Dotson, they also acquired a kicker to potentially solve a problematic position for them.
The issue is that Cade York may not be the proper solution. York is a former fourth-round pick, but he’s just 24-of-32 in his career. He lost the kicking competition in Cleveland to Dustin Hopkins. The Browns were willing to move on from him, so I don’t get why the Redskins think he’ll solve their kicking woes. Granted, they surrendered just a seventh-round pick, but it feels like they could have gotten someone comparable without giving up anything.
Grade for Redskins – C-
Grade for Browns – B+
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Cowboys acquire DT Jordan Phillips from Giants for swap of late-round picks
Two defensive linemen were traded on this day. The Falcons were the team that acquired the difference-maker, but don’t tell that to Jerry Jones, who wanted to obtain an upgrade in the interior of the defensive front.
The Cowboys were poor versus the run last year, so it would normally make sense for them to snag a nose tackle. Jordan Phillips, however, was anemic versus the run last year. He was able to generate some pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but wasn’t very impactful. He’s not going to move the needle at all for the Cowboys, but then again, switching sixth- and seventh-round picks isn’t consequential either. This seems fair for both sides.
Grade for Cowboys – B-
Grade for Giants – B
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Falcons acquire DE Matthew Judon from Patriots for 2025 3rd-round pick
The Falcons were heavily criticized for their No. 8 overall pick. They could have selected a talented pass rusher like Laiatu Latu, but instead drafted a quarterback for the future when they gave $100 million to Kirk Cousins two months earlier. They tried to make up for it with a third-round choice used on Bralen Trice, but Trice was recently ruled out for the year.
Atlanta had to do something about its poor pass rush, so it used a third-rounder this year to acquire Matthew Judon. This is a terrific trade for the Falcons, as it’ll give them a great presence on the edge to help them combat Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, and Brock Purdy. The one downside here is that Judon is 31, but given that the Falcons are in win-now mode, obtaining him makes a lot of sense.
This is a logical trade for the Patriots as well. They’re not ready to win now, so it makes sense for them to deal Judon in order to acquire more pieces for the future. Given that they didn’t have much leverage, a third-round pick for Judon is fair value.
Grade for Falcons – A-
Grade for Patriots – B+
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Browns acquire C Nick Harris from Seahawks for swap of 2026 late-round picks
We thought there might be a Browns trade this weekend involving Brandon Aiyuk, but that’s not the player Cleveland acquired. Nick Harris, who played for the Browns from 2020 to 2023, signed with the Seahawks this offseason, but will be returning to Cleveland via this deal.
This trade makes sense for both teams. The Browns had some depth injuries at center, so obtaining a blocker who knows the scheme and playbook makes sense at this stage of the offseason. The Seahawks, meanwhile, signed Connor Williams, so they had no use for Harris anymore.
Grade for Browns – B
Grade for Seahawks – B
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Texans acquire WR Ben Skowronek from Rams for swap of 2026 late-round picks
The Rams reportedly waived Ben Skowronek, but the Texans called at the 11th hour and proposed a deal for him. They could have just signed him, but wanted him so much that they were willing to swap sixth- and seventh-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
I don’t understand why the Texans wanted Skowronek so much. Granted, swapping sixth- and seventh-round picks two years from now will almost certainly be irrelevant, but the same word could be used to describe Skowronek’s impact on the team. The Texans have a loaded receiving corps, so why trade anything for Skowronek, who has just 58 career receptions and absolutely no skill set?
Grade for Texans – C-
Grade for Rams – B+
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Broncos acquire QB Zach Wilson from Jets for swap of sixth- and seventh-round picks
It’s only been three years since the 2021 NFL draft, but every quarterback chosen in the first round excluding Trevor Lawrence has been traded. Trey Lance, Mac Jones and Justin Fields were all dealt previously, and now Zach Wilson joins the mostly lackluster group.
It has to be disappointing for the Jets that they couldn’t get anything better than a late-round pick swap for Wilson. Sure, Wilson looked dreadful for the most part, but he’s still young and has potential. He was put in bad situations with horrible blocking, so if he gets a chance with a superior offensive coaching staff and a talented front, it wouldn’t be shocking if he makes something of his career as a late bloomer, a la Geno Smith.
The Broncos definitely won this trade. They’re getting a young and talented, albeit very raw quarterback at a severe discount, and they’re not even footing the entire bill. The Jets will be paying half of Wilson’s salary, so the Broncos are barely risking anything with this trade.
Grade for Broncos – A
Grade for Jets – D
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Texans acquire WR Stefon Diggs, 2024 6th-round pick, 2025 5th-round pick from Bills for 2025 second-round pick
Teams with talented quarterbacks under rookie contracts have a huge financial advantage, and this is a primary example. The Texans are paying C.J. Stroud very little compared to the value he provides, which allows them to make a blockbuster move like this.
Trading for Stefon Diggs was unexpected. The Texans already had a strong duo in Nico Collins and Tank Dell. However, they now possess the league’s best trio of receivers with Stefon Diggs joining the group. Diggs will be a great target for Stroud, and his presence will make Collins and Dell even more potent. The compensation is fair as well; the Texans had two second-round picks in 2025, so they had the luxury of surrendering one of them. They’re also getting two third-day picks in return, which didn’t even seem necessary.
As for the Bills, this is a big disappointment for them. They’re a Super Bowl contender, but losing their primary receiver will have big consequences. Granted, this receiver draft class is phenomenal, but it’s highly unlikely that whichever wideout the Bills obtain at No. 28 will be able to match Diggs’ production this season. I can understand the Bills needing to shed Diggs’ contract with Allen being so expensive, but this trade will undoubtedly make Buffalo worse in the short term.
Grade for Texans – A+
Grade for Bills – C-
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Jets acquire DE/OLB Haason Reddick from Eagles for 2026 second- or third-round pick
The writing was on the wall regarding Haason Reddick’s departure from Philadelphia. The Eagles acquired Bryce Huff this offseason, so they were destined to move Reddick at some point. It became official today, with Reddick being sent to the Jets for a third-round pick in 2026 that could become a second-rounder if Reddick plays more than 67.5 percent of the snaps and accumulates 10 or more sacks in 2024.
I like this trade for both teams. The Jets are all in to win the Super Bowl this and perhaps next year, so adding a supreme talent like Reddick makes a ton of sense. The compensation is fair for Reddick, who has logged 11 or more sacks in each of the past four seasons. He’ll boost the Jets’ already-great pass defense, giving the team a good chance to contend with all the teams that have elite quarterbacks in the AFC. There is some downside because Reddick turns 30 soon, but Reddick should continue to perform on a very high level over the next couple of seasons.
As for the Eagles, they signed Huff, so they were able to let Reddick go for fair compensation. This is the sort of move Philadelphia has made quite often over the years, shipping out highly paid players as they cross the age of 30. Huff isn’t as good as Reddick now, but he’ll eclipse him by 2026, so the Eagles are both gearing up for another Super Bowl run and ensuring their success in the future.
Grade for Jets – A-
Grade for Eagles – A-
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Titans acquire CB L’Jarius Sneed from Chiefs for 2025 third-round pick and seventh-round pick swap
No one should be surprised that L’Jarius Sneed was traded despite the fact that he was a shutdown cornerback for the Chiefs last year. With Patrick Mahomes commanding a colossal contract and Chris Jones being re-signed, there simply wasn’t enough room for Sneed. As a result, he was shipped off to Tennessee for a third-round pick.
I’d normally love this compensation for the Titans because they’re getting such an incredible player for just a third-round pick. However, I’m not sure I like the fit. In fact, when I saw this trade for the first time, I said aloud, “What are the Titans going to do with Sneed?” Sneed is 27. By the time the Titans are ready to compete for a playoff spot again in an improving AFC South, Sneed will be 29 at the very least, and he could be on the edge of regression. Tennessee is a team that should be acquiring draft capital; not surrendering it for talented veterans.
As for the Chiefs, it feels like they should have gotten a bit more for Sneed. I understand that they didn’t have much leverage, but a shutdown cornerback in his prime like Sneed should have fetched more than a third-round pick. Still, Kansas City won’t be in rough shape or anything because it has so much cornerback talent on the roster.
Grade for Titans – B-
Grade for Chiefs – C+
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Steelers acquire QB Justin Fields from Bears for 2025 conditional third-day draft pick
Rumors floated around that Mike Tomlin was a huge fan of Justin Fields, but Pittsburgh no longer seemed like a viable option for Fields in the wake of the Russell Wilson signing. How could the Steelers justify spending significant resources on Fields after signing Wilson?
Well, we have our answer. And that would be that the Steelers didn’t. Pittsburgh is relinquishing just a 2025 sixth-round pick that could turn into a fourth-rounder based on playing time. Of course, the real cost is spending money on Fields’ impending contract, but it’s not like the Steelers are ever in a position to land a franchise quarterback, given that their great defense and coaching staff will prevent them from having one of the worst records in the NFL.
Still, this is a slam dunk for the Steelers, who may have their quarterback of the future. Fields has injury concerns, but if he can remain healthy, he’s talented enough to lead Pittsburgh to a deep playoff run.
The Bears, meanwhile, lost this trade by a mile. I don’t know what they’re thinking. They should have taken a page from the Eagles’ playbook when Philadelphia had Sam Bradford and drafted Carson Wentz second overall. Instead of trading Bradford for pennies on the dollar, they held on to him until they found a team that was desperate. That turned out to be the Vikings, who panicked when Teddy Bridgewater suffered a devastating injury. The Eagles consequently secured a first-round pick for Bradford. The Bears couldn’t even get a third-, or even a guaranteed fourth- or fifth-rounder! What a horrible mismanagement of resources.
Grade for Steelers – A+
Grade for Bears – MILLEN
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