Trade Grades

Jayport Offseason Trade Grades (Major Trades Only)

This offseason has been one of the craziest offseason to date. In celebration, let's recap and grade some of the major trades that happened this offseason.

Panthers - Bears Trade

Panthers Receive: B-

#1 Overall Pick

Bears Receive: A+

WR D.J. Moore

2023 1st-rounder (No. 9 overall)

2023 2nd-rounder (No. 61)

2024 1st-rounder

2025 2nd-rounder

Analysis:

For the Bears, this is an absolute steal. I can’t say enough about how much this trade will benefit Justin Fields and the Bears offensive which has been terrible the last couple of years. With a TON of draft capital and the acquisition of star WR DJ Moore, the Bears have significantly expedited their rebuild and will be contenders for the NFC North title shortly. The Panthers also benefited from this trade - they were able to jump several QB needy teams in order to land their selection of absolutely anyone in the draft. However, the compensation they had to give up was huge and will hurt them in the future. Additionally, reports have emerged that the Panthers organization is now undecided on who to take with the first overall pick and might look to trade down - because of this they get a B-.

Cowboys - Texans: Brandin Cooks Trade

Cowboys Receive: A+

WR Brandin Cooks

Texans Receive: C-

2023 5th-rounder (No. 161 overall)

2024 6th-rounder

Analysis: The Cowboys got fleeced last year when they gave up WR Amari Cooper for basically nothing. This year it's different - they fleeced the Texans giving them virtually nothing for Brandin Cooks - who is still a great receiver. Pairing him with CeeDee Lamb could take the Cowboys offense to the next level. For the Texans, there’s really not much to say - they lost their number 1 receiver for almost nothing.

Cowboys - Colts: Stephon Gilmore Trade

Cowboys Receive: A+

CB Stephon Gilmore

Colts Receive: F

2023 5th-round compensatory pick (No. 176 overall)

Analysis: The Cowboys did it again. This time, they literally traded nothing (just a compensatory pick!) for a former All-Pro corner. Their defense gets a significant upgrade and an elite corner to pair with young star Trevon Diggs. For the Colts, there's not much to say - it just looks like a salary cap dump.

GIANTS - RAIDERS: Darren Waller Trade

Giants Receive: A-

TE Darren Waller

Raiders Receive: C+

2023 3rd-rounder (No. 100 overall)

Analysis: Never expected this one to happen. For the GIANTS, this trade has major potential - you get a top 3 tight end in the league for a 3rd round pick. In essence, you traded Kadarius Toney for Darren Waller. The only thing not to like about the trade is Darren Waller’s injury history. However, if things don’t work out, Waller’s contract is structured in a way that makes it so that cutting him has 0 financial repercussions. For the RAIDERS - I would like to say I understand the move, but I just don’t. The RAIDERS just recently re-signed Waller to a massive extension and if I recall correctly HC Josh McDaniels said that he wanted Waller to be a big part of the offense moving forward. For a team with a new QB, removing talent from the roster for minimal compensation is not ideal.

Dolphins - Rams: Jalen Ramsey Trade

Dolphins Receive: A+

CB Jalen Ramsey

Rams Receive: D-

TE Hunter Long

2023 3rd-rounder (No. 77 overall)

Analysis: Not going to lie - I don’t know what the plan was here. The Dolphins completely fleeced the Rams. I understand the Rams wanted to offload Ramsey’s expensive contract, however, they virtually traded him for nothing. Hunter Long hasn’t developed and never got a chance to develop in Miami and given the Rams lack of picks the last couple of years, I don’t trust them to make a good pick with the 3rd they received. For the Dolphins - they get yet another stud player - Ramsey will fit well with star CB Xavien Howard.