Cardinals acquire QB Joshua Dobbs, 7th-round pick from Browns for 5th-round pick
I don’t understand this trade for the Cardinals. Moving down from the fifth to the seventh round Won’t have the greatest impact, but This trade seems completely unnecessary.
The Cardinals obviously have quarterback issues with Kyler Murray nursing a torn ACL, but it’s not like Joshua Dobbs is going to start over Colt McCoy. The Cardinals also have Clayton Tune as a backup, and Tune played rather well in the second preseason game, so where does Dobbs fit in? If the Cardinals wanted another quarterback so badly, they could have waited after final cuts and signed someone comparable to Dobbs.
The Browns obviously won this trade. Dorian Thompson-Robinson became the favorite to win the No. 2 job anyway, so moving up two rounds by trading someone irrelevant is definitely a terrific transaction.
Grade for Cardinals – D
Grade for Browns – A
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Giants acquire LB Isaiah Simmons from Cardinals for 7th-round pick
Isaiah Simmons had many supporters in the draft community when he entered the NFL, as many people fell in love with his incredible athleticism. Some of Charlie Campbell’s sources, however, questioned if Simmons had a natural position in the pros. Those concerns came to fruition, as the Cardinals struggled to utilize Simmons properly. Simmons has struggled to cover and tackle thus far in his career.
Despite this, I love this trade for the Giants. Their defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, loves to blitz, and that’s the one thing Simmons has done extremely well in the NFL. Simmons figures to be an intriguing asset in Martindale’s system as a pass rusher. Plus, it’s not out of the question that Simmons could be a late bloomer. He’s still just 25, so there still might be some untapped potential.
The Giants clearly won this trade. Even if Simmons fails for them, they’ve risked nothing by acquiring him. The Cardinals, on the other hand, should have figured out how to get the most out of Simmons. I’d rather have him than some meaningless seventh-round pick.
Grade for Giants – A
Grade for Cardinals – C
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Lions acquire WR Denzel Mims, 7th-round pick from Jets for conditional 6th-round pick
It’s almost difficult to believe that Denzel Mims was once a second-round pick. Mims registered 357 receiving yards as a rookie in 2020, but has struggled since, failing to record 200 yards in any single season.
The Lions aren’t really giving anything up for Mims, and yet they can’t be declared the winners of this trade. Mims is still young, but it’s difficult to envision him achieving anything in the NFL. Really, the only benefit for Detroit is that Dan Campbell can now yell, “Shut up, Mimsy!” if he’s frustrated. It’s nice that the Jets were able to potentially upgrade a late-round choice, even if it is going from the seventh to the sixth round.
Grade for Lions – C+
Grade for Jets – B
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Browns acquire DE Za’Darius Smith, 2025 6th-, 7th-round picks from Vikings for 2024 & 2025 5th-round picks
You’d think the Browns would have possessed a great pass rush in recent years because of Myles Garrett’s presence, but that hasn’t been the case. No one has been able to generate pressure on the quarterback aside from Garrett, so this trade can’t be too surprising. Za’Darius Smith logged 10 sacks last year, so he will be a viable bookend for Garrett. He’ll certainly help Cleveland improve defensively and potentially reach the playoffs. Smith is just a 1-year rental with an expiring contract, but the Browns didn’t surrender much in this trade.
As for the Vikings, this is definitely a disappointing development and an obvious ramification of Kirk Cousins’ horrible contract. The Vikings needed to shed some salary, so at least they’re able to upgrade two late-round selections into a pair of mid-round picks. That said, Smith’s departure will really hurt a defense that was already poor against the pass.
Grade for Browns – A
Grade for Vikings – C-
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Eagles acquire RB D’Andre Swift from Lions for swap of 7th-round picks, 2025 4th-round pick
The Eagles reportedly were interested in both Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs in the first round, but both went off the board earlier than most people expected. Thus, the Eagles didn’t have a realistic chance to land either of them despite coming away with two terrific first-round picks. The Eagles still needed a running back, and the Gibbs selection was able to facilitate this trade.
With Gibbs on the Lions, Swift was suddenly available for trade. The Lions did well to unload him, and I’m not surprised the Eagles had interest. Swift is a very talented running back who is capable of going the distance whenever he touches the ball. The problem is that he seldom touches the ball because he’s always hurt. Swift hasn’t played in fewer than 13 games in any of his three NFL seasons, but he has been limited in many of the contests in which he was able to be active. Swift was constantly hindered with an injury last year, which is why he had 11 games where he saw single-digit carries.
Swift can be a dynamic player for the Eagles if he can remain healthy. That’s a big “if,” but the Eagles didn’t give up much for him, relinquishing a fourth-round pick in a couple of years. The price could be worth it, as Swift could make some big plays to help the Eagles win games.
Grade for Eagles – B+
Grade for Lions – A
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Jets acquire QB Aaron Rodgers and 5th-round pick (No. 170) for swap of 1st-round picks (13 & 15), 2023 2nd-round pick (No. 42), 6th-round pick (No. 207), 2024 1st- or 2nd-round pick (conditional)
Our national nightmare is over. The days of wondering when Aaron Rodgers will be traded have come to an end, as the future Hall of Fame quarterback has finally been dealt to the Jets.
Of course, it was more about how much the Jets would relinquish for Rodgers than if he’d actually be traded to the Jets. Considering the Packers had no leverage – they couldn’t possibly pay Rodgers’ massive salary if he didn’t want to play in Green Bay – I assumed the Jets would surrender two third-round picks, with the 2024 selection possibly becoming a second-rounder based on conditions. I also assumed the Jets and Packers would flip picks.
Never once did I consider that the Jets would surrender a package that includes a second-round choice and a conditional selection that will become a first-rounder if Rodgers plays 65 percent of snaps. This is way too much to give up for Rodgers, and the Packers got away with highway robbery. Jets fans should be very frustrated with Joe Douglas’ poor trade negotiation skills.
That said, even though the Jets lost this trade, they ultimately come out winners in the short term because they’re now a top-five team with Rodgers (see my NFL Power Rankings for more). If the Jets do what the Buccaneers did in 2020 with Tom Brady and what the Rams did in 2021 with Matthew Stafford, then it will all have been worth it. However, the Packers are definitely the winners in this deal, as all of these selections will be vital to their rebuilding process with No Cookie Jordan Love.
Grade for Jets – C+
Grade for Packers – A+
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Steelers acquire WR Allen Robinson from Rams for swap of 7th-round picks
The Rams thought they were getting a legitimate No. 2 receiver last year when they acquired Allen Robinson. Instead, they obtained a washed-up player who couldn’t generate any separation. It appeared as though they would be stuck with him for another season because of his contract, but they found a sucker to take on part of the deal.
The Steelers are that sucker, and they will pay about $5 million of Robinson’s $15 million contract. This means the Rams will foot $10 million of the deal, but this is the best thing they could have hoped for. This will give the Rams some needed financial breathing room, and they’re even moving up 17 spots in the seventh round. That last part isn’t overly significant, but it seems like an unncessary bonus for a move that is addition by subtraction.
As for the Steelers, I don’t know why they’re bothering with Robinson. Paying $5 million for him is $5 million too much. Robinson sucks now, so I don’t see any upside in this trade.
Grade for Steelers – D
Grade for Rams – B+
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Falcons acquire CB Jeff Okudah from Lions for 5th-round pick
It’s almost hard to believe that Jeff Okudah was the No. 3 overall pick three years ago. He hasn’t come close to living up to those expectations, struggling in his first and third seasons, and missing all but one game of the second with a torn Achilles. Okudah had suffered numerous other injuries in his first three years, which contributed to his struggles.
That said, I like that the Falcons are buying low on him. Okudah has plenty of talent, and he won’t even be 25 until February. If he can remain healthy, there’s a chance he’ll finally perform on a high level. Doing so would fill a big need in Atlanta’s secondary at a very cheap price. Conversely, if Okudah continues to struggle, losing out on a fifth-round pick won’t be the end of the world.
The Falcons definitely won this trade, but this wasn’t an awful deal for the Lions because they would have lost Okudah to free agency soon anyway. They signed Cameron Sutton and potentially plan to draft a cornerback with an early selection, so they would have obtained a replacement for Okudah anyway. Still, it’s a disappointment that their No. 3 overall pick turned into just a fifth-rounder.
Grade for Falcons – A-
Grade for Lions – C+
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Browns acquire WR Elijah Moore from Jets for swap of 2023 2nd- and 3rd-round picks
No one should be surprised that Elijah Moore was traded after they signed Mecole Hardman earlier in the day. Moore and Hardman were redundant pieces of the offense, so Moore had to go. Moore already made it known that he was disgruntled, so a replacement was needed anyway.
The Jets did well to move up from No. 74 to 42. With this improved draft capital, trading selections for Aaron Rodgers will sting less. I think they won this trade, though I don’t hate the move for the Browns either. Cleveland sorely lacked receiving depth behind Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Moore is young and has upside. I don’t like that the Browns won’t be picking until No. 74, but Moore should be able to help Deshaun Watson.
Grade for Browns – B
Grade for Jets – A-
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Cowboys acquire WR Brandin Cooks from Texans for 2023 5th-round pick, 2024 6th-round pick
Has Dallas’ quest to find a No. 2 receiver finally ended? They flirted with Odell Beckham Jr. late last year before declining to sign him. They then obtained T.Y. Hilton, who didn’t do much outside of convert a crucial third-and-33 versus the Eagles. Beckham was discussed again in the offseason, but Dallas has finally settled on Brandin Cooks, whom it acquired in a trade with the Texans.
Cooks definitely has more upside than Hilton, but there is a very low floor. Cooks has a very dubious concussion history, and one more concussion could knock him out of the league for good. Furthermore, Cooks showed signs of a decline last year. This, however, may have been a byproduct of catching passes from terrible quarterbacks and losing interest because the team was so bad. Cooks could definitely rebound in 2023.
I wouldn’t like this trade for the Cowboys if they were surrendering significant resources, but they are not doing so. A pair of third-day picks won’t make a huge difference, especially with one being a sixth-rounder in 2024. Furthermore, the Texans have agreed to take on $6 million of Cooks’ salary, which is a huge deal.
The Cowboys definitely won this trade. Cooks made it known that he didn’t want to play in Houston, so the team didn’t exactly have any leverage. However, agreeing to pay $6 million is a loss, even if it netted those late-round picks.
Grade for Cowboys – A-
Grade for Texans – C-
Comment on the other free agent signings below.
Follow me @walterfootball for more hiring/signing grades and updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
