The 2024 NFL trade deadline is coming up fast, and plenty of teams have stayed busy swapping players.
The wide receiver market, in particular, has been booming. Mike Williams became the latest to be traded on Tuesday, following the deals of DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Davante Adams and Diontae Johnson. More trades could be on the way.
Here’s a roundup of our grades for each major move:
Steelers finally get a WR, add Mike Williams
- Steelers acquire: Mike Williams
- Jets acquire: 2025 fifth-round pick
After months of exploring the wide receiver trade market, Pittsburgh finally got a new perimeter weapon, taking Williams off the hands of the New York Jets, who made their own splash by adding Davante Adams weeks before the deadline. The ex-Los Angeles Chargers standout will pair with George Pickens.
Grades: Steelers B-, Jets B (Full trade grades to come)
Commanders land Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore
- Commanders acquire: Jonathan Mingo, 2025 fifth-round pick
- Saints acquire: 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick, 2025 sixth-round pick
With an extra third-rounder in tow due to their preseason Jahan Dotson trade, Washington capitalized on New Orleans’ sudden rebuild — unofficially initiated by the team’s firing of head coach Dennis Allen — by sending a package of picks for the three-time Pro Bowl cover man.
Grades: Commanders A-, Saints B (Full trade grades to come)
Cowboys swing surprise deal for Jonathan Mingo
- Cowboys acquire: Jonathan Mingo, 2025 seventh-round pick
- Panthers acquire: 2025 fourth-round pick
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promised his team would be “buyers, not sellers” ahead of the deadline, and he delivered, albeit in surprising fashion, sending a fourth-rounder to Carolina for Mingo. The 23-year-old wideout is only 23, one year removed from entering as a second-round pick, but struggled to make an impact for the offensively challenged Panthers.
Grades: Cowboys D+, Panthers B (Full trade grades)
Bengals bolster backfield with Bears RB Herbert
- Bengals acquire: Khalil Herbert
- Bears acquire: 2025 seventh-round pick
With Zack Moss out indefinitely due to a neck injury, the Bengals needed some insurance in their backfield behind Chase Brown. Herbert come aboard as a proven back with over 2,000 scrimmage yards in his career. While the Bears didn’t get a memorable return for Herbert, they gain an asset for a player that was a nonfactor in their backfield and in the final year of his deal.
Grades: Bengals B, Bears C- (Full trade grades)
Lions add pass rusher, land Za’Darius Smith from Browns
- Lions acquire: Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick
- Browns acquire: 2025 fifth-round pick
The Lions get some much-needed help at pass rusher in the wake of losing Aidan Hutchinson for the year. Meanwhile, the Browns add some draft increased draft capital for an aging player that no longer fits their timeline as they sit at 2-7 on the year.
Grades: Lions A-, Browns C+ (Full trade grades)
Cardinals add to defense, acquire Broncos LB Browning
- Cardinals acquire: Baron Browning
- Broncos acquire: Sixth-round pick
Arizona adds to its defensive front. It had already lost both BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck to season-ending injuries. Something had to be done at pass rusher if the Cards want to hold their lead in the NFC West. Defensive tackle Dante Stills is currently Arizona’s sack leader with 3.5 QB takedowns.
Grades: Cardinals B+, Broncos B- (Full trade grades)
Vikings land Christian Darrisaw replacement
- Vikings acquire: Cam Robinson, 2026 conditional seventh-round pick
- Jaguars acquire: 2026 conditional fifth-round pick (could become fourth)
The veteran left tackle fills an immediate need for the Vikings who lost Christian Darrisaw to a season-ending knee injury. It’s deemed as a rental acquisition since Robinson is slated for free agency in 2025.
Grades: Vikings B+, Jaguars B (Full trade grades)
Ravens get former Pro Bowl wideout
The Former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl wideout is making his return to the AFC North. Speaking of the Steelers, the Ravens may have been compelled to acquire Johnson after watching Pittsburgh move a full game ahead of them in the AFC North standings following Monday night’s win over the New York Giants.
In Johnson, Baltimore is getting a 28-year-old wideout who has the experience of being a team’s No. 1 wideout. While he does drop the occasional pass, Johnson has proven to be a productive player who can help open things up for an offense. Baltimore is surely banking on Johnson to do that while playing alongside Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and fellow receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.
Johnson is entering the final year of an extension that he signed during his time in Pittsburgh. Carolina clearly didn’t plan to extend him, so they decided to get something (albeit a small return) now instead of losing him and getting nothing in return this offseason. The Panthers were so determined to part with Johnson that they will reportedly pay down most of Johnson’s remaining salary.
Grades: Ravens A, Panthers D (Full trade grades)
Chiefs get an edge rusher
The Kansas City Chiefs are all in on becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to three-peat as NFL champions. They have a specific defensive weakness — converting quarterback pressures into sacks — and they addressed it. Their 38.9% quarterback pressure is the sixth most in the NFL, but their 15.0 team sacks this season are tied for the seventh fewest in the NFL since their 6.1% sack rate is the 11th worst in the league.
Uche’s 20.5 sacks since entering the NFL in 2020 stand as the second most in New England behind former Patriot Matt Judon’s 32.0 in that time. He broke out with a career-high 11.5 in 2022, but he has since failed to register more than three sacks in any other year of his five-year career. Uche is up to two already this season. His two sacks now rank as tied for the fourth most in Kansas City while his 13 quarterback pressures stand alone as the fourth most along the Chiefs pass rush. Uche, the Patriots’ 2020 second-round pick, is a rental, playing out a one-year, $3 million contract, but a sixth-round pick is a low price to pay for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.
At 2-6, the New England Patriots need all the picks they can get as their rebuild around 2024 third overall pick quarterback Drake Maye. It would’ve been nice for them to get a higher round selection, but it’s ideal that they’re getting anything for Uche since he wouldn’t have been on the team next year regardless.
Grades: Chiefs B, Patriots C+ (Full trade grades)
- Chiefs acquire: Deandre Hopkins
- Titans acquire: 2025 conditional 2025 fifth-round pick (can become a fourth-round pick)
Kansas City was in desperate need of adding a wide receiver in the aftermath of losing both Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice for the year. Hopkins comes in and gives Patrick Mahomes a No. 1 wide receiver with Rice out and Brown returning at some point this year.
The deal makes sense from a Tennessee standpoint as they are 1-5 on the season at the time of the trade and Hopkins was in the final year of his deal. With the 32-year-old not on the team’s timeline for its current rebuild, it was a logical move to gain some assets for him before he left in free agency.
Grades: Chiefs B+, Titans C+ (Full trade grades)
Titans, Seahawks swap linebackers
The Titans and Seahawks have been active this deadline, as evidenced by the multiple trades they made. Seattle paid a steep price for Jones, as the Seahawks are hoping he’ll provide more production than Baker did.
The Jones trade yielded Tennessee another future mid-round pick in addition to getting a productive linebacker in Baker, who like Jones is also still in his prime.
Grades: Seahawks A-, Titans B (Full trade grades)
- Jets acquire: Davante Adams
- Raiders acquire: 2025 conditional third-round pick (can become a second-round pick based on performance)
The return to his hometown didn’t work out the way Adams had hoped, and so the former All-Pro wide receiver is reunited with Rodgers in New York. The Jets are desperate to win, as Adams is part of their “all-in” strategy.
The Raiders are in a rebuilding stage, and don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback. This was best for the Raiders and Adams.
Grades: Jets B-, Raiders A- (Full trade grades)
Bills get a No. 1 WR
- Bills acquire: Amari Cooper, 2025 sixth-round pick
- Browns acquire: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick
The Bills offense was proficient without Cooper, but it was clear Josh Allen needed a No. 1 wide receiver in order to reach the Super Bowl. Cooper will be more of a threat with Buffalo as their top option on the outside, as the Bills are hoping he’ll make the same midseason impact as he did with the Cowboys in 2018.
The Browns appear to be a lost cause in 2024, especially since Cooper reworked his contract and will be a free agent after this year. Better to get something for Cooper than nothing.
Grades: Bills A-, Browns B (Full trade grades)
The first teal of the trade deadline season was minor, but a hint the Jaguars were sellers. Robertson-Harris was in his third season with the Jaguars, and actually signed a three-year, $30 million extension last year after recording a career-high 3.5 sacks from the interior in 2023.
Robinson-Harris adds needed depth at defensive tackle for Seattle, and can move to the outside of the line. The Jaguars shedded salary.
Grades: Seahawks B-, Jaguars C+ (Full trade grades)
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Author: Jeff Kerr
November 5, 2024 | 3:20 pm
