Jaguars acquire QB Mac Jones from Patriots for 2024 6th-round pick
The Jaguars had a major problem late last year. Trevor Lawrence was dealing with so many injuries and playing through them that I called him the black knight from the Monty Python movie. Lawrence continued to take the field because the Jaguars didn’t have a viable backup quarterback, so they were doomed without him.
Mac Jones changes that. Jones had a rough 2023 campaign, but has shown in the past that he can be a solid game manager. He makes for a perfect backup, and it’s not out of the question that he can still be developed. Perhaps if the Jaguars coach him up, they can flip him for a fourth-round pick in the future.
The Patriots, meanwhile, did well to get something for Jones. They had no leverage with everyone knowing that they will be drafting a quarterback third overall, so getting a sixth for Jones is fine. This trade makes sense for both teams.
Grade for Jaguars – B
Grade for Patriots – B
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Browns acquire WR Jerry Jeudy from Broncos for 2024 5th-, 6th-round picks
It’s no surprise that Jerry Jeudy was traded. Jeudy had some bright moments in Denver, particularly during the final month of the 2022 season, but was a big disappointment overall. He had issues with drops, while his effort was questioned at times. Denver has a natural replacement in Marvin Mims, who, according to Sean Payton, didn’t see much playing time as a rookie because he and Jeudy played the same position. Trading Jeudy unlocks Mims, so the Broncos aren’t losing much. Acquiring fifth- and sixth-round picks when they had no leverage is a fine move.
However, the Browns may have won this trade. They desperately needed a No. 2 receiver across from Amari Cooper, and Jeudy will provide that at a cheap price. There’s definitely a chance that Jeudy will continue to disappoint, but a new environment could be just what he needs. There’s still some untapped potential with him, so if he finally lives up to it, the Browns will have gotten a steal.
Grade for Browns – A-
Grade for Broncos – B
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Bears acquire G/C Ryan Bates from Bills for 2024 5th-round pick
The Bears recently tried to acquire Ryan Bates in free agency, but the Bills beat them to the punch. Chicago finally got its man, acquiring Bates from Buffalo for a fifth-round pick.
This isn’t a bad trade for Chicago, but it’s a rather curious one. Bates is a solid depth player who can start at multiple positions on the offensive line. However, the Bears could have obtained someone comparable to him in free agency without surrendering any sort of draft compensation. It may have cost them more money, but they’ve got plenty of cap space.
Given the unnecessary use of resources, I can’t grade the Bears favorably. I like that they strengthened their blocking for Caleb Williams (presumably), but the Bills won this trade because they got a free draft pick out of it.
Grade for Bears – C
Grade for Bills – A-
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Jaguars acquire G Ezra Cleveland from Vikings for 2024 6th-round pick
I missed this trade from Tuesday, as it was buried within the other deals. However, it’s a significant one, as the Jaguars were able to obtain a much-needed offensive line boost for pennies on the dollar.
Ezra Cleveland is a talented blocker. He excels in both pass protection and run blocking. He’s also just 25, so there’s a lot of room for growth. Getting him for just a sixth-round pick to boost Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne’s blocking was a major steal.
The Jaguars won this trade by a mile. I don’t know why the Vikings gave away such a talented, young blocker for next-to nothing.
Grade for Jaguars – A+
Grade for Vikings – D
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Bills acquire CB Rasul Douglas from Packers for swap of 2024 3rd- and 5th-round picks
This has to be the least-surprising deal of the trade deadline. Buffalo’s defense has been in shambles ever since losing Tre’Davious White and Matt Milano to injury. The Bills desperately needed to find a cornerback upgrade, and they managed to do so by acquiring Rasul Douglas.
Douglas was once an NFL journeyman, but he found a home with the Packers. He became an excellent cornerback, so he’ll be able to help the Bills defend the great passing attacks in the AFC. Buffalo is essentially moving down two rounds, trading a third for a fifth, so this seems to be a great deal for them.
As for the Packers, they’ve become serious sellers since they’ve dropped four in a row. Their once-promising 2-1 start turned into a 2-5 disappointment, and they need to keep losing to obtain an upgrade over “No Cookie” Jordan Love. It’s a disappointment that they weren’t able to net any assets for Douglas, but a third-round pick should help the rebuilding process.
Grade for Bills – A
Grade for Packers – B-
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Lions acquire WR Donovan Peoples-Jones from Browns for 2025 6th-round pick
The Lions don’t have many weaknesses because their front office has put together a tremendous roster. Receiving depth, however, is an issue because Jameson Williams has not lived up to his first-round billing just yet. There’s still plenty of time for that to happen, but the Lions needed some help this year as they make their playoff run.
Donovan Peoples-Jones won’t move the needle very much, but he’s a solid addition for the Lions. He’ll be a fine tertiary option for Jared Goff. Peoples-Jones has always been inconsistent in Cleveland, but it never seemed as though the Browns ever figured out how to use him. Perhaps Detroit will have better luck.
I think this is fair compensation for both teams. I think the Lions come out a bit ahead, but it’s nice that the Browns could get something for a player they didn’t use enough.
Grade for Lions – B+
Grade for Browns – B
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49ers acquire DE Chase Young from Redskins for 2024 3rd-round pick
The Redskins have decided to completely blow up their roster. This is for the best because the way they are currently built, they won’t be able to compete for a Super Bowl anytime soon. Tanking for Drake Maye and then building around him with plenty of draft picks is the correct decision.
That said, it’s a bit disappointing that the Redskins weren’t able to get more than third-round pick for Chase Young. He’s still just 24, so he could have been a building block for the future. I don’t like selling low like this, but I can understand why it happened.
The 49ers, meanwhile, needed to do something to stop their three-game skid. The offense will be fine once Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel return from injury, but the defense had to be upgraded after it failed to get off the field against the Vikings and Bengals. They couldn’t get any pressure on Kirk Cousins or Joe Burrow, so acquiring another talented pass rusher was essential.
Young hasn’t quite lived up to his draft billing, but only because of injuries. He’s still having a good season with five sacks. He’ll be even better in San Francisco, as opposing offenses won’t be able to focus on him with all the attention being placed on Nick Bosa. Young is a steal for just a third-round selection.
Grade for 49ers – A+
Grade for Redskins – C+
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Vikings acquire QB Joshua Dobbs from Cardinals for swap of 2024 6th- and 7th-round picks
Some would disagree with this because team records can mean everything to some, but I thought this version of the Vikings was better than the 2022 team that went 13-4. The difference has been the defense, which has improved markedly under Brian Flores. Jordan Addison also helps as having a second dynamic weapon in the passing game.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, they lost Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles. There were some wild projections for what the Vikings could do to replace Cousins. Asking Tom Brady to come out of retirement was even mentioned. However, this was probably the best Minnesota could do, as Dobbs is a solid, veteran backup quarterback. Dobbs is an intelligent passer and can scramble out of pressure. He had some nice moments in Arizona, but was surrounded by mostly garbage. Things will be different in Minnesota. Dobbs will have the support of a terrific offensive line and two game-breaking receivers once Justin Jefferson returns from injury. And, as mentioned, the defense is playing at a high level, so Dobbs won’t be in a position where he’ll have to do everything like he did in Arizona.
I think this is a terrific trade for the Vikings. Dobbs can be a quality game manager, and he comes at a very cheap price. A swap of late-round choices will probably be meaningless, so there’s no risk to this deal.
As for the Cardinals, it makes sense to trade Dobbs. They want to see what they have in Clayton Tune, and Kyler Murray is due back soon anyway.
Grade for Vikings – A+
Grade for Cardinals – A-
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Bears acquire DE Montez Sweat from Redskins for 2024 2nd-round pick
Of all the teams that could have acquired a major talent on the day of the trade deadline, the Bears would have been near the bottom of everyone’s pool. Yet, it makes sense, almost. The Bears are going to have a ton of cap space next offseason, so they’re essentially treating this like a free agency signing that’s occurring five months early. Sweat is a tremendous pass rusher and will fill a huge need for Chicago.
I wrote “almost” as far as this making sense because there’s one negative attached to this trade, and that would be that the Bears could win more games because of Sweat this year. That will hurt their draft positioning. Obviously, they have Carolina’s pick as well, but landing the top two selections in the draft would allow them to deal the No. 2 pick for a king’s ransom. That no longer seems to be a likely scenario. Still, obtaining Sweat for an atrocious defense is a great move.
As for the Redskins, it’s no surprise that they’ve begun the rebuilding process. They’ve already won too many games to land Caleb Williams, but perhaps they can tank enough to obtain Drake Maye. Getting a high second-round pick is a nice piece for the future.
Grade for Bears – B+
Grade for Redskins – A-
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Falcons acquire DT Kentavius Street from Eagles for swap of 2024 6th-round and 2025 7th-round draft picks
The Falcons suffered an unfortunate injury this past week, as Grady Jarrett was lost for the season for a torn ACL. They had to acquire some help at the position to replenish their depth, so it’s understandable why they’d acquire Kentavius Street from the Eagles.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, this deal won’t move the needle at all. Street has played extensively in just three games this year, and he was nothing more than a below-average producer at best. He’s just a body to have in the interior. A swap of sixth- and seventh-round picks for him is acceptable.
As for the Eagles, Street barely played most weeks, so it made sense to trade him. They can probably find someone similar to replace him anyway.
Grade for Falcons – B-
Grade for Eagles – B+
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