NFL trade deadline grades: Lions earn A- for pass-rush addition; Cowboys' WR gamble nets C-

Date of completed trade: Oct. 29

BALTIMORE RECEIVES:

• WR Diontae Johnson
• 2025 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: A

CAROLINA RECEIVES:

• 2025 fifth-round draft pick

GRADE: D-

Baltimore's already potent offense added another weapon, shoring up the wide receiver room with a proven veteran who can play on the outside. The Ravens receiving corps was light on depth beyond Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor. In steps Johnson, who brings excellent route running to Baltimore and is a proven weapon. He put up good numbers when he had competent QB play this season in Carolina, including three games with 75-plus yards. Johnson's ability to separate from defensive backs will give Lamar Jackson another option to pepper defenses.

Johnson's boundary presence will open the middle up for Flowers and tight ends, and his ability to win deep makes safeties take notice. Acquiring Johnson not only provides playmaking ability but also insurance, should an injury strike. He played just 17 snaps in his first game with the Ravens and didn't see a target. I expect to see production when he's worked into the rotation more often.

A bonus for Baltimore: Acquiring Johnson came at a dirt-cheap price.

The Ravens gave up next to nothing. With Johnson heading for free agency, perhaps that's why he came so cheaply, but it's a steal for Baltimore, which is why the grade for the Panthers is so low. They basically gave away a talented receiver for a bag of circus peanuts. Giving up a proven pass-catcher to move up 20 or so spots on Day 3 of the draft is a poor use of assets. Then you add in that Carolina is reportedly paying down the wideout's salary, and it becomes even more of a head-scratcher. Planning for future compensatory picks is usually faulty for teams devoid of talent who intend to make moves in free agency, so I understand that the Panthers likely didn't think they were going to get one if Johnson left in the spring. Yet, it still makes little sense why they felt the need to make this deal a week before the deadline.

Acquiring Johnson in the offseason to add a weapon for Bryce Young made perfect sense. Shipping him away for a late-round pick swap does not. It's stunning that no one would have paid more, especially with the Panthers picking up salary.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 24

KANSAS CITY RECEIVES:

• WR DeAndre Hopkins

GRADE: A

TENNESSEE RECEIVES:

• 2025 conditional fifth-round draft pick

GRADE: B-

I had this as an "A" grade for the Chiefs before Nuk went out and dropped a two-touchdown hammer on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his second game with the Chiefs. The performance justified rather than informed the grade. Hopkins is the kind of veteran receiver capable of winning one-on-one matchups that Patrick Mahomes hasn't worked with in years. During their back-to-back Super Bowl run, K.C. relied on Travis Kelce and Mahomes to create magic while Andy Reid schemed up open receivers. The Chiefs finally have a playmaker who, in the crucible of the big moments, can make a play for Mahomes. That's deadly.

Kansas City could always move the ball between the 20s but struggled immensely in the red zone, leading to a host of mid-range field goals. Boring. Hopkins instantly upgrades the Chiefs in the red area and ensures opposing defenses can't just blanket Kelce. The four-time All-Pro tight end has just one touchdown on the season. Watch that number increase as teams realize they must shade Hopkins' way. Nuk completely opens up the offense and will allow rookie Xavier Worthy to grow into his role rather than being an every-down necessity. With Monday's line (8/86/2), Hopkins was just scratching the surface in terms of what's possible once he and Mahomes smooth out their chemistry.

Landing a Pro Bowl talent -- even a declining one at age 32 -- for a fifth-rounder that could become a fourth is good business. The fact that Tennessee is paying roughly half of Hopkins' salary makes this a stud move by Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.

It was logical for Tennessee to move on from Hopkins, who was gratuitous in an offense that struggled to pass the ball. The two-win Titans still have Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to focus air attack around. Hopkins compiled 173 yards and one touchdown on 15 catches in six games this season before the trade. Given their rebuilding status, the extra pick will be worth more to the Titans than a final half-season of Hopkins would have been.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 15

BUFFALO RECEIVES:

• WR Amari Cooper
• 2025 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: A-

CLEVELAND RECEIVES:

• 2025 third-round draft pick
• 2026 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: B

The Bills' apparent offseason plan to throw bodies at the WR situation and see what shook out seemed to hit the skids. With wideouts unable to generate separation, Josh Allen was stuck playing hero ball. It was clear when Khalil Shakir missed time due to injury that the receiver corps needed help. In stepped Cooper, a potential WR1 that defenses must account for. The 30-year-old has had an extremely disappointing 2024 campaign (he logged 250 yards on 24 catches with two TDs in six games in Cleveland), but I'm betting he didn't just forget how to play receiver. After all, Cooper put up back-to-back 1,100-plus yard seasons despite dealing with the Browns' less-than-ideal QB situation. Even if the early returns in Buffalo aren't great (5/69/1 in two games so far), and he missed Week 9 due to a wrist injury, it was worth the move for the Bills.

Cooper provides an ability to win off the line of scrimmage that the team previously lacked and takes some pressure off youngsters like Keon Coleman to produce. I'm not going to suggest that the acquisition of Cooper alone unlocked the rookie, who upped his yards-per-catch mark to 21.6 since Cooper arrived; it's natural that first-year players take a step forward as the season progresses. However, that kind of veteran star presence can help lift the entire crew. At any rate, the Bills didn't need this move to win games in October or early November -- it's one for January. Based on the price for a half-year rental, this was a good swing.

The Browns weren't going anywhere with Cooper, who never found any apparent chemistry with Deshaun Watson. Moving on in the final year of Cooper's contract seemed natural -- they couldn't have predicted Watson would blow his Achilles the following week. Cleveland had to cash out on the impending free agent. It's somewhat surprising they couldn't get more, but his status as a rental likely limited his market.

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

DETROIT RECEIVES:

• OLB Za'Darius Smith
• 2026 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: A-

CLEVELAND RECEIVES:

• 2025 fifth-round draft pick
• 2026 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: B+

I like this trade all the way around. 

GM Brad Holmes needed to make a move after losing Aidan Hutchinson to injury. The Lions couldn't sit by and let a potential Super Bowl run slide away because they couldn't affect the opposing quarterback. Add in the injury to Marcus Davenport and Josh Paschal’s absence for medical reasons, and the Detroit D-line was in dire straits. A rotation of James Houston, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Trevor Nowaske and Isaiah Thomas wasn't going to get it done. Moving Levi Onwuzurike outside more is just a band-aid move. For a team with Lombardi-lifting aspirations, this crew needed to add oomph. 

Smith isn't the splash play that many in Detroit wanted, but he's a clear-cut upgrade. His 26 QB pressures make him the most effective active Lions pass rusher (ranking behind only Hutchinson's 30, which still leads the club even though he’s missed the past three games). No other Lions full-time edge player has more than 10 QB pressures. 

This was a move Holmes HAD to make. He gets extra points for not overpaying despite the Browns’ small bit of leverage here. Scooping up a player who immediately provides an upgrade for your division-leading team -- and is under club control for another season -- without shelling out more than a late-round pick is a win. 

On the flip side, much like the Amari Cooper trade, it was clear the Browns needed to sell ahead of the deadline. GM Andrew Berry's club is desperate for an infusion of young talent. With the limited flexibility in recent years due to the Deshaun Watson trade and contract, this is an old and slow team. They need all the picks they can get to add younger players at a good price.

Smith was a good player for the Browns. He finally began to show promise in Jim Schwartz's defense in Year 2 with the team and is stellar in the locker room, but his best days are behind him. A veteran like that was superfluous in Cleveland now -- and could be in 2025, too.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 28

KANSAS CITY RECEIVES:

• LB Josh Uche

GRADE: A-

NEW ENGLAND RECEIVES:

• 2026 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: C+

Good teams stack depth for deep playoff runs. Great teams add that talent for bargain-basement pricing. The Chiefs are a great team.

Uche might not be an innings-eater or top-tier edge rusher, but in the right situation, he provides pressure in bursts and brings insurance for Steve Spagnuolo's defense in the event of an injury. Mike Danna is already dealing with a pectoral issue. If someone else is dinged up during this long season, it's good to have a player like Uche -- with 20.5 career sacks -- waiting in the wings. In his first game with Kansas City, the former Michigan product picked up two tackles on just eight defensive snaps, per Next Gen Stats.

The Patriots brought back Uche this offseason on a one-year deal, but it was clear they viewed him as a trade candidate just a handful of games into the season. Given the likelihood the Pats plan to spend this offseason, a compensatory pick probably wouldn't have come into play. It's somewhat surprising New England couldn’t get a draft pick in 2025, given the pervasive need for pass rush help on contending teams, but that likely means most teams viewed Uche as a backup rental. At least Eliot Wolf coaxed an actual draft selection as opposed to a pick swap.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 15

NEW YORK RECEIVES:

• WR Davante Adams

GRADE: A-

LAS VEGAS RECEIVES:

• 2025 conditional third-round draft pick

GRADE: B+

Adams and Aaron Rodgers have not gotten off to a hot start, with the receiver totaling 175 yards and 14 catches with one TD over his first three games with New York. But there are signs things are starting to click, including Thursday's line (7/91/1), which came with a drop. I'm not going to allow hindsight to alter this grade; the Jets needed to push their chips all in to support an aging quarterback and get back in the race. Losing their first two games after acquiring Adams doesn't change that calculus. Standing by as the season spiraled wasn't an option.

The veteran remains a top-tier talent, even if he's currently the second-best receiver on his new club (behind Garrett Wilson). Adams can still create separation from defensive backs and has the best get-off-the-line move in the game. Rodgers' roller-coaster play under constant pressure has likely had more to do with Adams' initial pedestrian numbers than anything else. The wideout was open, even if the ball wasn't finding him. And before someone yells about drops: Those happen. Was the cost high, given the contract that will need to be dealt with? Sure, but that's the corner New York backed itself into.

The Raiders did well to get a Day 2 draft pick out of a player who seemed to clearly be done playing for them. Sans any apparent leverage, Vegas was willing to continue paying Adams' game checks until the Jets became desperate enough to buy in. Even if it's far-fetched to think the conditions that would move the pick into the second round will be met, the return here is good -- especially when you consider what other wideouts went for on the market. Should the Raiders have moved on from Adams last year or during the offseason? Yes. They would have likely gotten more back. Also, the overall impact of Vegas' initial move to bring Adams in -- giving up a first- and second-round pick for 37 games with the receiver -- wasn't the best use of assets and slightly dings the grade. Still, that third-round pick should come in handy for a team that might need it to maneuver for a QB.

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

PITTSBURGH RECEIVES:

• WR Mike Williams

GRADE: B+

NEW YORK RECEIVES:

• 2025 fifth-round draft pick

GRADE: B

We spent all offseason and much of the early part of the 2024 campaign waiting for the Steelers to add a weapon opposite George Pickens. On Tuesday, they finally pulled the trigger. Williams is a diminished player after years of injury wear, but he should fit well with Russell Wilson and the type of offense the Steelers want to run. The veteran can stretch the field as a boundary weapon and should see one-on-one opportunities opposite Pickens. With Wilson's propensity for throwing up moon-balls, Williams should get one or two deep shots a game. That could be enough to loosen things up for the running attack and dump-offs to backs. Williams should also help open the offense in the red zone.

Miscast by the Jets coming off last year's ACL tear, he's a better fit in Pittsburgh. Williams will be a free agent after the season, meaning this is just a short-term rental, but it's one the Steelers needed to make given the state of their WR corps. Calibrate your expectations properly, but this is a good addition for a team with designs on finally advancing past the first round of the postseason. Between this and the trade for Preston Smith, GM Omar Khan proved he's not shy about spending future assets to try and win now. 

The Jets did better than I expected in terms of the return for a player who became unessential following their trade for Davante Adams. Aaron Rodgers apparently throwing Williams under the bus didn't help, either. Despite the world knowing Gang Green needed to move on from Williams before the deadline, they still netted a fifth-rounder. Given what they surrendered to acquire Adams, it was necessary to add another draft pick. 

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

WASHINGTON RECEIVES:

• CB Marshon Lattimore
• 2025 fifth-round draft pick

GRADE: B+

NEW ORLEANS RECEIVES:

• 2025 third-round draft pick
• 2025 fourth-round draft pick
• 2025 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: A-

Jayden Daniels and the offense have been sensational, guiding the Commanders to a 7-2 record and a spot atop the NFC East. But the defense needed help. The secondary, in particular, has gone through lapses; Benjamin St-Juste is allowing 2.0 yards per coverage snap this season, per Next Gen Stats. So the team used a chunk of draft ammo to bring in Lattimore. 

Injuries are a concern -- Lattimore has missed 19 games since 2022, including two this year due to a hamstring injury. But when he's on the field, the veteran is still money, a gritty bully who can match up with big-bodied receivers and out-muscle smaller players. Since he entered the NFL in 2017, Lattimore has racked up 88 passes defended, fifth-most in the league in that span. His 0.7 yards per snap allowed in coverage as the nearest defender ranks as the third-lowest in the NFL among cornerbacks with a minimum of 150 snaps, per Next Gen Stats. The 28-year-old Lattimore is under contract for the next two seasons, with the cap hits for those years set at $18 million and $18.5 million, so this isn't a rental. He should anchor Dan Quinn's defense for the next few seasons. The cost of this deal was not low, but any team with a dynamic quarterback on a rookie contract should take swings to add veteran talent. 

New Orleans was clearly in sell-mode after a seven-game losing streak culminated in the firing of coach Dennis Allen. It's a credit to the front office -- and Lattimore's standing around the league -- that the Saints got back a good return, including a valuable third-rounder. Given their team structure, with aging contracts they can't easily dump, they need to bring in as many young players on rookie contracts as possible to replenish the stores. This deal set them up to accomplish that with aplomb. 

Date of completed trade: Nov. 4

ARIZONA RECEIVES:

• LB Baron Browning

GRADE: B

DENVER RECEIVES:

• 2025 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: B-

Arizona needed help off the edge, with BJ Ojulari out for the season and underrated rotational rusher Dennis Gardeck recently suffering an ACL tear. With the Cardinals finding themselves atop the NFC West, it was good to see them take a swing at the deadline. Why not try to stay ahead of the crowd?

Through nine weeks, Jonathon Gannon's defense has been solid, if unspectacular. The back seven makes up for the lack of pressure up front, and the coaching staff has been able to scheme up sacks from a multitude of spots without the benefit of having one premier pass rusher. Thirteen Cards have at least half of a sack, and Dante Stills leads the way with 3.5 -- tied for 46th-most in the NFL. The Cards rank 28th in the NFL with a 29.5% QB pressure rate, per Next Gen Stats. Help was needed if they're to keep finding ways to win.

Browning owns athleticism and the talent to win off the edge, but injury issues have slowed the former third-round pick. He's never played a full season and suffered a foot injury in Week 2 that put him on IR for four weeks. Browning compiled 9.5 sacks in 2022 and 2023 combined, flashing some playmaking ability off the edge. The Cards will attempt to coax more from the former Ohio State product than he showed in Denver.

Given his injury history, along with the fact that he'd all but fallen out of the rotation and is in the final year of his contract, the market likely wasn't filled with suitors for Browning. In the three games since coming off IR, he played fewer than 35 snaps in each tilt and totaled two tackles. By making the trade, Denver freed more reps for rookie Jonah Elliss behind Nik Bonitto and newly extended Jonathon Cooper.

With the Broncos handing Cooper a new contract, it was unlikely Browning would have returned to Denver in 2025. Instead of playing out the string, Denver moved on and netted a Day 3 pick. Yes, they're still in the playoff picture in a muddled AFC, but the move underscores that this is still a rebuild under Sean Payton. Getting youngsters more playing time should be part of the plan down the stretch.

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

CINCINNATI RECEIVES:

• RB Khalil Herbert

GRADE: B

CHICAGO RECEIVES:

• 2025 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: B-

Zack Moss' neck injury induced a move from the Bengals. Herbert is a strong between-the-tackles runner who will pair nicely with Chase Brown. Assuming he gets back to form, Herbert can provide power at the goal line and in short-yardage situations. In his previous three seasons, the former sixth-round pick averaged 4.9 yards per attempt on 364 carries with eight touchdowns. It's been two years since Herbert generated 165 rushing yards over expected in 2022, per Next Gen Stats. Was that because of a lack of opportunities behind a porous offensive line, or a sign of a back hitting a wall? 

Brown showed he can be a three-down weapon following Moss' injury and should get the bulk of the workload. But for a team that still has a chance to push for a playoff spot, adding experienced insurance for a final-round pick is a good move. 

In Chicago, Herbert was buried on the depth chart behind D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer. The 26-year-old earned just eight rushes for 16 yards with a TD in 2024. The Bears ground game has been a roller-coaster this season, with big games and disappearing acts through nine weeks. That the coaching staff barely let Herbert ride even when he was healthy said plenty. The injury to Moss helped Chicago at least collect a late-round flier for a player they'd had little apparent interest in playing. 

Date of completed trade: Oct. 30

MINNESOTA RECEIVES:

• OT Cam Robinson
• 2026 conditional seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: B-

JACKSONVILLE RECEIVES:

• 2026 conditional fifth-round draft pick

GRADE: B+

The Vikings had to make a move after starter Christian Darrisaw went down with a season-ending injury. Standing pat wasn't much of an option, particularly given that Darrisaw's initial stand-in, David Quessenberry, was immediately scorched in one half of football, allowing six pressures and half a sack on 14 pass-block plays, per Next Gen Stats. Woof.

The modest compensation highlights the type of player the Vikings are acquiring. There simply wasn't going to be a can't-miss left tackle replacement on the market. It's like shopping for a turkey on Thanksgiving. All the best birds are gone.

The Jags benched Robinson in favor of Walker Little after Robinson allowed a 2.2 percent sack rate this season, per Next Gen Stats. For his career, Robinson has been an OK pass protector but a below-average run blocker. The flaws are evident, and the 29-year-old hasn't played well this season. However, he does bring 90-plus career starts, which provides a foundational floor. In his first start with the Vikings on Sunday night versus Indianapolis, Robinson allowed seven QB pressures and a sack, per Next Gen Stats.

Kevin O'Connell will have to game-plan around not having one of the best left tackles in the game, but adding a veteran at least offers a chance. Minnesota couldn't afford to let left tackle become a complete liability without at least trying to remedy it before the trade deadline passed.

For the Jags, the benefit here was that they at least got something -- potentially moving up a few rounds in the 2026 draft -- in exchange for a player they had benched. With Robinson in the final year of his deal, the club moved on a few months earlier than anticipated.

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

PITTSBURGH RECEIVES:

• OLB Preston Smith

GRADE: B-

GREEN BAY RECEIVES:

• 2025 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: B-

In another case of a good organization building depth for a playoff run, an already potent Steelers defense added another weapon on the edge who can help pick up the slack in case injuries continue to strike. Pittsburgh was already without Alex Highsmith for a spell this season and hopes to get Nick Herbig back soon. It doesn't hurt to have an additional pass-rusher on hand, particularly one with as much experience as Smith, who generated at least eight sacks in each of the past three seasons. The grade is down slightly simply because Smith's play has fallen off this season. Perhaps if he ends up in a true rotation after Herbig is back, the Steelers will milk more out of the soon-to-be 32-year-old. 

It might seem odd for a team in playoff position like Green Bay to shed a pass rusher. However, the move makes sense in totality. Smith looked like a potential cut candidate in the offseason as a questionable fit in the new defense under Jeff Hafley. He's struggled to consistently generate pressure this season, netting a 7.1 percent QB pressure rate on 156 pass rush snaps, per Next Gen Stats -- compare that to his marks in 2022 (11.2 percent) and 2023 (12.4 percent).

In Week 9, the Packers signaled their intent to siphon snaps from Smith in favor of younger players. The veteran logged just 21 snaps on Sunday, his fewest in a game in which he didn't exit with an injury over six seasons in Green Bay. Moving Smith means more snaps for Lukas Van Ness and other young players, perhaps including Arron Mosby, who earned half a sack in five defensive snaps last week. 

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

SAN FRANCISCO RECEIVES:

• DT Khalil Davis

GRADE: C+

HOUSTON RECEIVES:

• 2026 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: C+

The Niners beefed up their interior defensive line by adding Davis to the rotation. The 28-year-old has netted one sack, 11 QB pressures and seven stops on 164 snaps in 2024, per Next Gen Stats. With Javon Hargrave on injured reserve, San Francisco needed aid, particularly against the run, where it has struggled this season. Davis isn’t a game-tilter but gives the Niners depth for a low cost. 

Given the compensation, Davis could have been a cut candidate for Houston. The Texans are slated to get Mario Edwards Jr. back from suspension after Week 10, so moving Davis frees up a spot. Davis, a sixth-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2020, played 18 snaps or fewer in six of nine games this season. If he were indeed a cut candidate, Houston was wise to get a pick for him.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 14

SEATTLE RECEIVES:

• DE Roy Robertson-Harris

GRADE: C+

JACKSONVILLE RECEIVES:

• 2026 sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: C

The Seahawks desperately needed help up the middle, where they'd been gashed while offering little resistance to quarterbacks. In the three games leading up to Robertson-Harris' acquisition, Seattle allowed 35.7 points per game and 7.1 yards per play. Since then, things have gotten slightly better, including in Week 7, when the team allowed 14 points to Atlanta.

Over the past three games, RRH has generated 10 tackles while playing slightly over one-third of the defensive snaps each game. He's another big body up front and brings some versatility to Mike Macdonald's defense, though he's lined up mainly on the outside on early downs so far, to help against the run. A string of injuries, including to rookie Byron Murphy and Uchenna Nwosu (who landed on IR), necessitated a move to shore up the D-line. Robertson-Harris isn't a game-changer, so the grade is capped, but he's a solid addition to a team in need. The price wasn't too costly when it comes to steadying a draining unit in Macdonald's first season.

The Jags moved on from a player who was lost in the rotation; Robertson-Harris started just two games with Jacksonville in 2024 after starting 17 in each of the previous two seasons. His snap count dwindled each week after his removal from the starting lineup. The 31-year-old was not necessarily a fit in the Jaguars' new defense, and Jacksonville was right to free up snaps for younger players, given where they're at this season. Getting a future pick is better than nothing, but it amounts to a wild card one year after RRH was inked to a three-year, $21.6 million extension.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 15

MINNESOTA RECEIVES:

• RB Cam Akers
• 2026 conditional seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: C

HOUSTON RECEIVES:

• 2026 conditional sixth-round draft pick

GRADE: C

The Vikings re-acquired a player they traded for in 2023. Fun. With Aaron Jones banged up last month, and given his injury history, it made some sense for Minnesota to add a running back familiar with the offense to provide depth alongside Ty Chandler. After not touching the pigskin in his first two games back, Akers rushed six times for 46 yards and added two catches for seven yards on Sunday night. This was a cheap insurance play by Minnesota.

Akers made two starts in Houston when Joe Mixon was injured earlier this season, but he was mostly ineffective. He generated 147 yards and one TD on 40 carries with Houston this season. When Mixon returned healthy, Akers became superfluous in the offense. While Dameon Pierce's recent injury could have provided a continued role, it's likely that the Texans were willing to move on.

The conditional late-round pick swap two drafts from now highlights that this was a transactional move by both clubs for a player who might have been cut otherwise. They didn't belabor the point, and we don't need to, either. Moving on.

Date of completed trade: Oct. 23

SEATTLE RECEIVES:

• LB Ernest Jones

GRADE: C

TENNESSEE RECEIVES:

• LB Jerome Baker
• 2025 fourth-round draft pick

GRADE: A-

The Seahawks sorely needed to boost the middle of their defense, which has been an unencumbered highway for offenses. The C grade isn't a reflection of Jones, who has played exceedingly well this season. In Tennessee, he was part of a stingy defense that smothered ball-carriers. He generated 44 tackles (three for loss) in six games with the Titans. He immediately upgraded the tackling in Seattle, netting 15 total takedowns in Week 8 (seven solo) and nine tackles (one for loss) and a pass defensed in Week 9. The coverage can be a struggle, and the Seahawks' defense still got gashed, but the trade improved the unit's tackling in the middle. Jones also brings stronger blitzing acumen than Baker provided.

The lower grade stems from it taking nearly half the season for Seattle to make a move to help rectify an issue that fans were griping about since minicamp. It was clear to most that the Seahawks linebacker corps would be an issue, yet naught was done until the group was shredded. Perhaps they tried to pry Jones from Los Angeles during the offseason but were told to skedaddle, so they had to acquire him circuitously. Either way, having to send a fourth-round pick and a player to Tennessee to make up for the error isn't pretty.

Titans GM Ran Carthon acquired Jones for a 2026 Day 3 pick swap (2026 fifth for a 2026 sixth). Then, he flipped the LB for a fourth-round pick two months later. That's good business. Much like last year in the Kevin Byard trade, Carthon got a veteran player in the deal to help fill the void. For a rebuilding club, getting a middle-round pick for a player destined to be a rental was a very good move. The only knock here is that the Titans are in clear rebuild mode despite all the offseason moves Carthon made to upgrade the roster.

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

BALTIMORE RECEIVES:

• CB Tre'Davious White
• 2027 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: C-

LOS ANGELES RECEIVES:

• 2026 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: C-

I'm not here to kick dirt on a respectable player like White. However, Lions WR Jameson Williams toasted him in Week 1, and the veteran never recovered. Miscast in the type of defense Los Angeles prefers, the 29-year-old hasn't played since Week 4. He was a healthy scratch in each of the past four games. Sean McVay said the club granted White permission to explore a trade, and an interested team was found.

White should be a better fit in Baltimore, but how much he has left in the tank remains to be seen. He hasn't played more than six games in a season since suffering an ACL tear in 2021. Then he tore an Achilles in 2023. In his heyday in Buffalo, White was a sticky corner who could play in space. It's rare for a player at any position to come back from such devastating injuries to perform at a high level, let alone a corner. It's not a bad dice roll from the Ravens, who need defensive help, but the small compensation tells the story of how White is valued right now. 

Date of completed trade: Nov. 5

DALLAS RECEIVES:

• WR Jonathan Mingo
• 2025 seventh-round draft pick

GRADE: C-

CAROLINA RECEIVES:

• 2025 fourth-round draft pick

GRADE: A-

The Cowboys certainly needed help in the receiver room. Brandin Cooks is on IR. Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Brooks have not seized their opportunities. And now CeeDee Lamb is dinged up, though his injury is reportedly not considered serious. So adding another body to the mix made some sense. It would have made more sense in August, but here we are. 

My initial gut reaction to seeing the price Dallas paid produced a bit of a sour stomach. Even factoring in the Cowboys' need, they gave up a solid pick to move down three rounds and acquire a wideout from a club that had zero apparent interest in keeping him. Maybe Mike McCarthy unlocks Mingo's talent and this looks like a steal in 2025. I just have a hard time believing. 

The Panthers drafted Mingo in the second round in 2023, likely hoping he would pair perfectly with Bryce Young. Nope. In 24 games, the former No. 39 overall pick grabbed 55 of 111 targets for 539 total yards and zero touchdowns. His route-running was questionable. He showed zero ability to separate. He dropped passes. He was about as inefficient as one can get in an offense that struggled to move the ball. By almost every metric, Mingo was no bueno -- for his career, he's logged 0.8 yards per route run, a -12.7% completion rate over expected and -347 receiving yards over expected, per Next Gen Stats. From stats to film, he's been disappointing. 

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are apparently betting they can turn him around. Maybe they are right. A player they presumably liked in the 2023 draft became available, so they made a move. Dallas has been heavily criticized for inaction. Then, when the team makes a trade, it is equally doubted. I just don't like the price for a team whose playoff hopes are nearly kaput. Plus, the Cowboys have successfully found solid starters in the middle rounds of the draft; dropping that far is a tough pill to swallow. The saving grace is that Dallas has at least two more years of team control to determine if the move was worthwhile. 

For Carolina, moving up into the middle rounds of the draft in exchange for a player selected by the previous regime and had apparently already been phased out is a stellar return. Mingo played fewer than 16 snaps in two of the past three weeks. The Xavier Legette selection signaled that Mingo was likely on borrowed time. Carolina unearthing undrafted free agent Jalen Coker -- whose 222 yards over the past five weeks is more productive than any five-game span of Mingo's career -- cinched it. The rebuild moves on with another mid-round asset.