Eagles acquire QB Kenny Pickett from Steelers for swaps of picks Nos. 98 and 120; 2025 7th-round pick
This trade is so confusing for both teams. I don’t understand why the Steelers are giving up on Kenny Pickett so quickly. Pickett had enough talent to be chosen in the first round, yet Pittsburgh is giving up on him after just two seasons in which Pickett struggled under inept offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson, but he’s just a short-term solution at best. I thought Pickett would learn under Wilson and then eventually get a second chance, but apparently not.
For the Eagles, I’m not sure what they want with Pickett. They obviously have Jalen Hurts, and he’s just two months older than Pickett. It never hurts to have a quarterback to groom for the future, but I’m not sure how much of a difference there is between Pickett and Tanner McKee. I don’t get the Eagles moving down from 98 to 120 for Pickett unless they’ve suddenly grown bearish on Hurts despite the fact that he played like an MVP candidate for half of 2023.
Update: We now know why the Steelers gave up on Kenny Pickett, as they cleared him out for Justin Fields. This grade has been adjusted.
Grade for Eagles – D
Grade for Steelers – A-
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Vikings acquire Nos. 23, 232 from Texans for Nos. 42, 188, 2025 2nd-round pick
The Vikings have made their intentions known: They want to trade up for a quarterback. They have nothing at the position, so if they don’t want to trade for Justin Fields, they have no alternative but to move up for a franchise signal-caller.
Of course, Minnesota’s decision will hinge on which quarterback it can obtain. If the Patriots are stupid enough to trade out of No. 3, the Vikings will earn a great grade by obtaining either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. If, however, they can only land J.J. McCarthy, then this will seem like a waste of resources.
As for the Texans, it seems as though they lost this trade because they surrendered a first-round pick without obtaining one back in return. The trade value chart says Minnesota won this deal by a slim margin, but I can’t help but feel that the Texans were cheated out of a prospect who could help them advance deep into the playoffs this year.
Grade for Vikings – B+
Grade for Texans – C-
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Bears acquire WR Keenan Allen from Chargers for 4th-round pick
As someone who considered betting the Bears at 50/1 to win the Super Bowl, I said I was disappointed with how their offseason had gone thus far. They barely signed anyone of note in free agency, and when they did, it was an overpay at running back or tight end.
Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed any longer. This is a blockbuster move to make sure Caleb Williams has some amazing weapons at his disposal. The Bears already had D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet, but really nothing beyond those two players. Williams will now have Allen added to his arsenal, which has to make him very excited. Allen is a receptions monster who helped develop one young quarterback in Justin Herbert, so he’ll be able to help Williams similarly. Allen has a checkered injury history, but the Bears are just giving up a fourth-round pick. This is a steal.
The Bears definitely won this trade. The Chargers were effectively forced into a deal because they were up against the salary cap, and Allen didn’t want to take a pay cut. This move definitely hurts the Chargers’ chances of being competitive in 2024, as Quentin Johnston is the remaining No. 1 receiver. When my 2024 NFL Mock Draft is updated next week, I’m going to slot Malik Nabers to them at No. 5 overall.
Grade for Bears – A
Grade for Chargers – D
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Seahawks acquire QB Sam Howell from Redskins for swap of 3rd- and 4th-round picks and swap of 5th- and 6th-round picks
It’s not very surprising that the Seahawks traded for Sam Howell. They’ve reportedly been fans of Howell, and they needed a backup quarterback in the wake of Drew Lock’s departure. Ideally this quarterback would be a young player with future starting potential.
Sam Howell fits that description. He struggled late last year, but had some very bright moments at times, particularly against the Eagles. He was ultimately betrayed by his offensive line, but he could be a decent quarterback if he’s well protected. The Seahawks are giving up a bit more than I would have liked, as swapping third- and fourth-round picks is somewhat significant, but it’s not an egregious overpay.
On the other end, I love this trade for the Redskins. They have no use for Howell because they own the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They also have a veteran backup in Marcus Mariota, so Howell wasn’t even guaranteed to make the final roster. Moving up from the fourth to the third round could allow them to secure an impactful prospect.
Grade for Seahawks – B
Grade for Redskins – A
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Cardinals acquire QB Desmond Ridder from Falcons for WR Rondale Moore
It’s hard to believe, but the Desmond Ridder era has finally come to an end in Atlanta. I’m sure Falcons fans will fondly remember the days when Ridder would constantly fumble into the end zone.
Ridder was woeful last year. He’ll obviously make for a better backup, but I’m not even sure he can be an average backup. Perhaps the Cardinals believe they can develop him into being a solid No. 2 option behind Kyler Murray, but Arizona can’t count on winning many games if/when Murray gets hurt.
The Cardinals, however, didn’t give up much, surrendering only Rondale Moore. The 24-year-old receiver has seen his receptions drop in each of the past three seasons, as he’s looking more and more like a second-round bust. However, the Falcons have a promising offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson, so perhaps Robinson can figure out a way to utilize Moore. I think Atlanta has more upside in this trade, but this is a swap that could very easily become insignificant for both parties.
Grade for Cardinals – B-
Grade for Falcons – B+
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49ers acquire DT Maliek Collins from Texans for 7th-round pick
The 49ers continue to beef up their defensive line. They lost Arik Armstead and presumably Chase Young this offseason, so they had to find some replacements. They signed Leonard Floyd, Yetur Gross-Matos and Jordan Elliott, and now they’ve traded for Maliek Collins.
Collins projects to be a better defensive tackle option than Elliott. Collins is a solid interior pass rusher who will be a nice piece in San Francisco’s rotation. The price is great, as it’s just a seventh-round pick. If I were the Texans, I would have preferred to keep Collins rather than ship him away for next to nothing.
Grade for 49ers – A
Grade for Texans – D
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Jets acquire OT Morgan Moses from Ravens for 6th-round pick, swap of 4th-round picks
Aaron Rodgers’ injury wasn’t the only issue the Jets had last season. Their offensive line was also in shambles, so blocking for Zach Wilson was a major problem. Wilson never had a chance, so the Jets had to make sure that Rodgers will have better players in front of him in 2024.
Morgan Moses will help ensure that. Jets fans are familiar with Moses, who played for them one year. Moses started at right tackle for the Ravens since and did a good job. The one downside is that he’s 33, but Moses has not shown any signs of regression. He’ll be a solid short-term solution at a reasonable price, as all the Jets have given up is a sixth-round pick and 20 spots in the fourth frame.
As for the Ravens, they needed to clear some cap space, so I understand this trade. Still, Baltimore is getting weaker up front, which is never a good thing.
Grade for Jets – A
Grade for Ravens – C
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Panthers acquire WR Diontae Johnson from Steelers for CB Donte Jackson
Be careful what you wish for. Diontae Johnson voiced his displeasure with the Steelers offense, so Pittsburgh sent him off to a different team. Johnson will now be playing in Carolina with Bryce Young, who was atrocious in his rookie season.
Still, this is an exciting trade if you’re a Panthers fan. Johnson may be disruptive, but most receivers act this way. Johnson will provide the Carolina offense with a dynamic threat they sorely lacked last year.
In return for Johnson, the Steelers are getting much-needed help at cornerback. This was a big problem area last year, as Patrick Peterson was a bust signing. Jackson is a solid and versatile cornerback, as he can play both outside or in the slot.
I’d say this is a fair trade for both teams. Johnson and Jackson are close in talent, and both teams are filling needs.
Grade for Panthers – B+
Grade for Steelers – B+
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Texans acquire RB Joe Mixon from Bengals for conditional 2024 7th-round pick
It was initially announced that Joe Mixon would be released, but Houston ended up trading for him. I wondered why the Texans would do that when they could have just signed him, but we know why. All Houston relinquished was a seventh-round pick, and it’s even conditional.
This move seems to have drawn lots of acclaim on Twitter, but people praising the Texans must not have watched Mixon the past couple of years. Mixon has been a rapidly declining player, so much so that I wrote that Chase Brown should have drawn starts over him late last year. Mixon can catch the ball out of the backfield, which is nice, but it’s not enough to offset his pedestrian running.
Then again, I can’t grade this poorly for the Texans because they didn’t surrender anything of note. The Bengals didn’t receive anything of note either, making this a very “blah” trade.
Grade for Texans – B
Grade for Bengals – B
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Lions acquire CB Carlton Davis, 2024 6th-round pick, 2025 6th-round pick from Buccaneers for 2024 3rd-round pick
It wasn’t too long ago that the Lions had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They improved against the run substantially last year, but still struggled to stop the pass. They had to find some help in the secondary, so they’ve begun by trading for Carlton Davis.
Davis would have fetched more than a third-round pick and two sixth-round selections in the past, but he’s coming off a down year. However, Davis, who has been injury-prone, is still young enough (27) to rebound. If he can manage to stay healthy, he’ll be a nice addition for Detroit’s secondary. The risk, however, will prevent the Lions from earning a great grade.
As for the Buccaneers, they’re in a position where it would be in their best interest to dismantle the team and tank. They’re not doing that, but at least they’re picking up extra assets by trading an injury-prone player.
Grade for Lions – B
Grade for Buccaneers – B+
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Giants acquire DE/OLB Brian Burns from Panthers for 2024 2nd- and 5th-round picks
This is what you would call selling low. The Panthers had an offer for two first-round picks for Brian Burns in the past, but turned down the offer. Now, they’re shipping Burns out of town for second- and fifth-round choices. This absolutely cannot sit well with the fans.
The Giants are the winners of this deal, but I’m not even crazy about the trade for them. This seems like the sort of move a team on the verge of Super Bowl contention would make. The Giants are far away from that, and spending resources on Burns means that could make upgrading the offensive line more difficult. Granted, Burns is a huge upgrade to the pass rush, but I don’t think he’s going to get New York deep into the playoffs, at least not in the next year or two.
Grade for Giants – B
Grade for Panthers – D
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