Grading the Significant Deals at the NFL Trade Deadline

Halloween marked the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline, and some contenders certainly are more scary now than they were entering the day.

Below we will grade the most impactful deadline deals.

Adding to a Gold Rush

Making a splash at the deadline has become an annual occurrence for 49ers GM John Lynch. San Francisco acquired DE Chase Young to bolster a talented but struggling pass rush in what was the biggest trade of the deadline. Last year the 49ers swung big for star running back Christian McCaffrey, and they’ve swung for the fences once more.

This is an incredible move for the 49ers. They only gave up a third round pick, which was actually a complimentary pick they received for losing Demeco Ryans and Ran Carthon to Tennessee last year. If Young leaves in free agency, the 49ers will get a 2025 complimentary pick for him. Washington will also pay most of his salary, meaning the 49ers are only paying Young about $600,000. San Francisco acquired a potential season changing DE for free.

In a year that is Super Bowl or bust, the 49ers will have two weeks to acclimate Young to their scheme since they are on the bye this week. The former number two overall pick is the fifth leading rusher in quarterback pressures and has generated a career high 17.2% pressure rate which is seventh highest.

For the 49ers, they acquired him to get sacks. His five already lead the team, with multiple players including Nick Bosa are tied with only three. San Francisco hopes that Young opposite the reigning DPOY will open up their struggling pass rush and give the overmatched secondary a cushion. Given that basically the 49ers acquired a potentially season altering player for free, this trade is another slam dunk for John Lynch and the front office.

Grade: A+

The Commanders decision to move off Montez Sweat and Chase Young was confusing. Some complimented Washington for getting a 2nd round pick for Sweat on an expiring contract to the team in a never-ending rebuild Chicago Bears, but trading Young on top of that was surprising.

With rebuilding teams, usually they keep some of their talented home grown players. Losing arguably their two best defensive players for a 2nd and a 3rd isn’t much of a return. Will the Commanders draft someone who is equal to or better than Young with that pick? It’s possible but unlikely. With new ownership, the Commanders may completely overhaul personnel both on the field and in the coaching staff. Leaving the new regime without either Sweat or Young is odd, especially when they have the cap space to keep one.

Grade: C-

Bills Add to Their Secondary

Buffalo acquired CB Rasul Douglas and a 5th round pick from the Green Bay Packers. Secondary was an immediate need for this contender after star corner Tre’Davious White tore his achilles earlier this season.

The past three seasons, Douglas has played well generating 10 interceptions. Sean McDermott and his staff lost faith in the young corner Kaiir Elam who has struggled and was benched in Week 7. That paired with a pick makes this a no brainer for the Bills who will have to defend at a high level if they want to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Grade: A-

The Packers are going nowhere fast. They are going to have to go through a rebuild after dropping to 2-5. The rest of the season should function as a try out for young players to determine who they want to build around. With uncertainties to address, like if Jordan Love is the franchise quarterback moving forward, turning a 5th into a 3rd for an older player that likely wouldn’t survive the duration of the rebuild is good value.

Grade: B

Seahawks Bolster D-Line

On the eve of the deadline, the Seahawks acquired Giants DL Leonard Williams for a couple picks. Likely a rental with an expiring contract, Leonard’s 22 pressures slides into 2nd on the Seahawks defense trailing only linebacker Boye Mafe by one. With signings of Frank Clark and now Leonard, Seattle’s 12th best 36.6% pressure rate could leap into the top ten making them a legitimate NFC contender as they leapfrogged the 49ers for first place in their division.

It’s an aggressive move that puts them in a spot to win the division, but giving up a high pick for a rental that doesn’t make them Super Bowl favorites is maybe short sighted.

Grade: B-

The mightily struggling Giants received a 2024 2nd and 2025 5th round pick for a veteran defensive lineman they were likely to lose to free agency anyways. What looks like a full rebuild on the horizon, receiving a 2nd for this year’s draft is a great return as they have many areas to improve on their roster, including an invisible wide receiver room and one of the worst offensive lines in football.

Grade: A+

Chicago Beefs Pass Rush

In a shocking move, the Chicago Bears acquired DE Montez Sweat from Washington. Using what will be a high 2nd rounder on a DE with an expiring contract is questionable. If they fail to resign him, then they lose a premier pick for nothing.

They are also a rebuilding team that would like to tank to obtain the optimal pick in this year’s draft, so acquiring Sweat is confusing on multiple levels. Budding star cornerback Jaylon Johnson requested a trade the night before the deadline, as he and the Bears are far apart on extending his contract. The Bears should focus on keeping him in the secondary rather than lose a high pick for a guy who may not return.

What makes this more questionable for Bears fans is that GM Ryan Poles did essentially the same thing trading their 2nd round pick for WR Chase Claypool last year. In his time as a Bear, he was told to stay home for multiple games before getting traded to the Dolphins for a 2025 6th round pick. If Sweat struggles on the field or fails to resign with Chicago, look for more firings in Halas Hall.

Grade: D+

For the Commanders, trading Sweat who wasn’t a part of long term plans for a 2nd rounder is a good deal for them. They can use that pick to upgrade many other positions of need, like the offensive line that has given up the most sacks in the NFL this year. This pick will be needed for a team that will probably have a new coach next year and has just waived the white flag regarding playoff contention.

Grade: A

Another Tennessee Star to Philly

Acquiring All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to a banged up secondary cements the Eagles as the NFC favorite. With a sparkling 7-1 NFL best record, acquiring even more talent on the defense should strike fear into the NFL. Like Lynch in San Francisco, Eagles GM Howie Roseman continues to be aggressive adding talent to a roster that can win now.

Byard is a two-time All-Pro for the Titans, proving to be a difference maker as a ball hawk with 27 career interceptions in eight years. The Eagles defensive line already is praised as a top unit providing consistent pressure, so adding a star in the secondary who can take the ball away puts further pressure on opposing offenses to be perfect. As he finds his rhythm in Philadelphia, the Eagles defense will become scarier as the secondary starts complimenting the dominant defensive line play.

Grade: A+

The Titans need draft picks. They acquired a 5th and 6th round pick in this year’s draft, along with safety Terrell Edmunds. Tennessee is likely going to rebuild after a rough start to the season, so getting some value for a 30-year-old DB provides some value for a guy that probably wasn’t in their long term plans. The Titans probably could have driven up the price more, but they addressed a dire need even if it is a couple of day three picks. Before this trade, Tennessee only had six total picks in the 2024 draft.

Grade: C+

Jaguars address OL

In a rare trade for an offensive lineman, the Jaguars acquired G Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings for a 6th round pick. Cleveland is a solid run blocker that should help boost Travis Ettienne’s already fantastic production, and per PFF he has only allowed one sack.

He is also versatile, possessing the ability to play either left or right guard and has experience at tackle in college. A lot of contenders could have used offensive line depth, so the Jaguars boosting their unit and preventing other teams from getting better is a plus for a day three pick.

Grade: B+

Cleveland’s playing time diminished with the addition of Dalton Risner, but with the demand offensive line garners at the deadline you can’t help but feel like they could have gotten more.

Grade: C-

Vikings Look to Rocket Science for Answers

After Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles last week, the Vikings acquired Josh Dobbs and a 7th round pick from the Arizona Cardinals. The Vikings have been on a bit of a roll, winning three games in a row sitting at .500 and at the seventh NFC playoff spot.

It’s going to be tough for the Vikings to win moving forward with Cousins out for the season, but they acquired one of the better backup options on the market for cheap. If anyone can learn a playbook quick, it’s Dobbs. The former rocket scientist will be tasked with learning his 4th playbook in 2023.

This acquisition gives the team a boost, telling the locker room that the front office believes in who they have and that they want to make an earnest push for the playoffs. More importantly, it sends a message to Justin Jefferson with looming contract concerns that they care about competing.

Grade A

With Kyler Murray set to return soon, the Cardinals getting a 6th round pick isn’t bad. It’s also not great. Arizona had leverage over the Vikings who badly need a quarterback, but then again Dobbs is a backup level quarterback who is likely a rental. Cardinals got something out of a quarterback they didn’t need, but my only concern is that they could have gotten a little bit more.

Grade: B