NFL trade grades, 2025 offseason: Who won Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf deals? Raiders upgraded at QB

Raiders receive:

• QB Geno Smith

Seahawks receive:

• 2025 third-round pick (No. 92)

I bet ex-Raiders coach Antonio Pierce wishes the club could have made this deal last year, when the Raiders' hopes of drafting a quarterback -- thereby setting Gardner Minshew up for bridge-QB duty -- were dashed by all the rookies being gobbled up before Las Vegas got on the clock. After swinging and missing badly at the position, the Raiders finally found a suitable answer under center. Geno Smith isn't a perfect signal-caller by any means, but he is a massive upgrade over Minshew and Aidan O'Connell, able to win at the line of scrimmage and fearless under pressure. Those are superpowers that can allow him to continue flourishing even as he creeps up in age. The 34-year-old stood in under massive interior pressure last season in Seattle, in an environment where worse QBs would have crumbled.

After the Raiders struck out on Matthew Stafford, pivoting to a reunion between Pete Carroll and Smith made sense. The franchise couldn't head into the draft again without a surefire starter. The price isn't exorbitant for a starting quarterback. Seattle's inability to reach agreement with Smith on a contract extension led to his trade, and a new deal with Vegas has yet to come to fruition. That could further color how this transaction looks in the coming months.

The addition doesn't change the reality that there is still no long-term plan under center, but it will serve as insurance if all the top signal-callers are once more off the board when the Raiders select.

I've already said my piece about the Seahawks essentially swapping Smith for a mid-round pick to get younger and cheaper under center. I get the logic, but until Seattle's offensive line is fixed, it won't show up in the win column.

Browns receive:

• QB Kenny Pickett

Eagles receive:

• QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
• 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 164)

A year ago, Philly acquired Kenny Pickett from Pittsburgh in exchange for a pick swap (2024 third-round pick for a fourth-rounder) and two 2025 seven-rounders. This year, Howie Roseman flipped Pickett for a fifth-round choice and another backup quarterback. Not bad business.

Pickett played fine in limited work for Philly before injuries opened the door for Tanner McKee to show off in the regular-season finale. McKee, a preseason darling, should finally get a legit shot to be the backup, making Pickett superfluous. Getting a pick and a wild-card quarterback for superfluous is good work in my book.

The Dorian Thompson-Robinson experiment was over in Cleveland. The young quarterback never looked comfortable or like a fit in Kevin Stefanski's offense. And while I can understand the logic of the Browns acquiring at least a functioning quarterback with starting experience, I don't love giving up a pick for Pickett. The 2022 first-rounder led one of the least explosive offenses in the NFL during his time in Pittsburgh. The best Stefanski's offense looked over the past few years was when it was led by Joe Flacco and, for flashes, Jameis Winston, two quarterbacks unafraid to stretch the field. That's not Pickett, who profiles as a stand-in -- but for what? Praying Russell Wilson picks them? Carson Wentz? A rookie makes the most sense, but in which round? The first? Second? Sixth?

I assume that, still holding 10 draft picks after the trade, Andrew Berry was OK with handing one out in exchange for a placeholder quarterback. Yet, he's still no closer to solving the decades-long problem under center in Cleveland.

Vikings receive:

• RB Jordan Mason
• 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 187)

49ers receive:

• 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 160)
• 2026 sixth-round pick

The Vikings took a sixth-rounder netted in the Ed Ingram trade (see below) and shipped it (while also completing a pick swap) to San Francisco for a backup running back. Coolio.

Aaron Jones remains the clear starter in Minnesota, but given his age (30) and injury history, a steady backup is necessary. The Vikings also gave Jordan Mason, who was a restricted free agent, a two-year deal worth a max value of $12 million, with $7 million guaranteed.

Given the RB depth in this draft class, I'm slightly surprised that the Vikings didn't prefer waiting and adding a rookie instead of taking on salary and giving up a future pick. But Mason proved he's a good stand-in when called upon.

With Christian McCaffrey and others dealing with injury last season, Mason generated 789 rushing yards on 153 carries with three TDs. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry before going on IR with an ankle injury after 12 games. Mason is a good, trusty runner who should fit Kevin O'Connell's scheme well if Jones goes down. The Vikings have been trying to solidify that backup RB spot for several years -- and they kept ending up with Cam Akers. This trade could end that rotation.

For San Francisco, the deal is a continuation of pervasive cost-cutting measures. Moving on from Mason and allowing Elijah Mitchell (who signed in K.C.) to walk removes some depth behind McCaffrey. However, the Niners still have Isaac Guerendo as the primary backup, along with Patrick Taylor. Guerendo showed pop last season, and if he improves at pass protection in Year 2, he could see the field more. Kyle Shanahan has proven he can find RBs for his scheme pretty much anywhere, so this trade makes sense as a way to trim expenses.

Commanders receive:

• WR Deebo Samuel

49ers receive:

• 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 147)

Deebo Samuel's fit in Washington is legit. He might be coming off a down season, but he can still gobble up YAC. In 2024, Samuel tied with Zay Flowers for the fifth-most yards after the catch over expected (YCOE) among NFL receivers, with 120, behind only Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown and Puka Nacua. That's good company for a wideout who recently admitted to being 10 pounds over his listed weight of 215. Commanders coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's love of screens and getting his playmakers in space should be a boon, setting up a potential bounce-back season for Deebo. This move is much like Houston's acquisition of Stefon Diggs last year; Washington is getting "a motivated" player who will match well with WR1 Terry McLaurin.

Taking on Samuel's big $17.46 million cap figure for 2024 and giving up a pick dings the grade slightly for Washington, but another playmaker for Jayden Daniels was never going to come cheap. The recent contract revision that added $3 million in incentives was a savvy move by the front office, adding another carrot for Samuel to chase.

In a world where pick swaps have become en vogue, snagging a fifth-round choice while dumping salary isn't a bad return for a player who might have been outright released if the Niners had found no takers. Samuel struggled last year, posting the lowest yards-per-touch mark (8.7) of his career, and the team seemed to sour on the situation. With the club apparently aiming to get its books in order after several seasons of spending big, Samuel always looked like a target to be moved. Kyle Shanahan has pieces to help fill the void -- presuming they can stay healthy. The key is Ricky Pearsall, who showed big-time flashes down the stretch as a rookie. He won't be blocked by costlier teammates from the jump in Year 2.

Steelers receive:

• WR DK Metcalf
• 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 185)

Seahawks receive:

• 2025 second-round pick (No. 52)
• 2025 seventh-round pick (No. 223)

The Steelers finally found the receiver they'd been searching under every nook and cranny for over the past few seasons. Like many players on this list, DK Metcalf is coming off a down season (#trope), missing two games in 2024 and finishing under the 1,000-yard mark, with a career-low five TDs. He didn't create separation as easily as he did in previous seasons; even so, ESPN's receiver scores placed him in the top 40 at getting open (tied with Amon-Ra St. Brown).

Metcalf's ability to create big plays is something the Steelers lacked in recent years. Pairing him with George Pickens gives them two field-stretchers who could be a menace to secondaries -- assuming the Steelers don't trade Pickens himself at some point this offseason. The duo will force clubs into lighter-box formations to avoid getting burned deep, which should open up coordinator Arthur Smith's running game.

Metcalf's massive new deal (four years, $132 million) ensures he'll be in Pittsburgh for the long haul, making it more likely that Pickens' time there -- he is entering the final year of his rookie contract -- has an expiration date. Giving up a second-rounder plus committing to serious money takes the Steelers' grade down a peg, but finally landing a big fish in Pittsburgh is a positive. Now the team needs to figure out who will get him the ball.

Much like with Geno Smith, the Seahawks presumably didn't want to extend Metcalf at his desired dollar amount. I understand not wanting to pay through the nose for a player who is Pro Bowl caliber but not quite All-Pro. Still, what Metcalf landed from the Steelers is becoming the going rate. It's undeniable that Seattle was better with DK than sans DK.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba should step into the No. 1 role, but he is a slot player. Signing 31-year-old Cooper Kupp softened some of the blow, but it wasn't like he was dirt cheap, getting a three-year, $45 million pact, and his lengthy injury history made it a gamble. Marquez Valdes-Scantling adds some speed and scheme fit but is also 30. Seattle got older and worse at receiver. After an offseason of resetting, John Schneider needs to nail his draft picks.

Texans receive:

• WR Christian Kirk

Jaguars receive:

• 2026 seventh-round pick

The Texans needed help at the receiver position alongside Nico Collins, with Tank Dell's 2025 availability jeopardized by last December's knee injury, Stefon Diggs heading out the door and none of their young players (John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson) stepping to the forefront. Next to an expensive wideout market teeming with aging veterans, acquiring Christian Kirk doesn't look so bad, especially with the team reportedly restructuring his contract, which was set to pay him $15.5 million in 2025, to open up more cap space.

The 28-year-old is coming off two down seasons, generating just 379 yards and one touchdown in eight games in 2024. If he can stay on the field and get back to even three-quarters of his 2022 level (84 catches, 1,108 yards, eight receiving TDs), it's a win for the Texans. He can still get open, and with targets to be had in Houston, he could have a bounce-back season. Given the cost and need, I don't hate the dice roll for a player in the final year of his contract.

The Jags got something for a player they were about to cut. Yay! It also wasn't a lot, so I can't give them too high a grade here. Given his injury history and production over the last two years, it made sense that Jacksonville's brass would move on swiftly. We can, too.

Commanders receive:

• OT Laremy Tunsil
• 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 128)

Texans receive:

• 2025 third-round pick (No. 79)
• 2025 seventh-round pick (No. 236)
• 2026 second-round pick
• 2026 fourth-round pick

I'm already on record with this being a positive trade for Washington. There are only so many wall-sealing left tackles on the planet. The Commanders had a chance to acquire one, and they pounced. It's smart. If Laremy Tunsil cleans up his penalties -- which I expect him to -- they have a lock-down tackle to protect star young quarterback Jayden Daniels. This move wasn't cheap, and it could cost more if an extension comes down the pike, but these are the types of swings clubs on the up-slope should take. And I don't expect the 30-year-old to fall off a cliff.

Houston traded its best blocker on a horrific offensive line. That hurt. However, acquiring assets for an older player gives the Texans more bites at the apple to fix the unit over time. The crew was already bad with Tunsil last season. Adding Cam Robinson as a follow-up move is a downgrade, and it likely won't ease the penalty issue, but he's still an experienced player who should work in coordinator Nick Caley's system. Houston also scooped up veteran OT Trent Brown on a one-year deal. The next phase is to use the picks from the Tunsil trade to strengthen the group for the long haul.

Bears receive:

• OG Joe Thuney

Chiefs receive

• 2026 fourth-round pick

Chicago desperately had to upgrade the interior. Desperately. General manager Ryan Poles looked at the oncoming free-agent market and chose to make his initial acquisitions via trades before dipping into the veteran pool for center Drew Dalman. Adding an All-Pro and unquestioned leader like Joe Thuney at a position of need in exchange for a mid-round pick a year from now is a money move. Thuney brings a ruggedness to the interior that the Bears have lacked and he remains one of the best guards -- if not the best guard -- in football. He flipped to left tackle last year in Kansas City to fill a hole, but that's not his game. The four-time Super Bowl champion brings pedigree -- which is also needed in Chicago -- and should be a stabilizing force in front of Caleb Williams.

Whereas the trade for Jonah Jackson (see below) comes with injury risk, Thuney is nearly the model of health. He's missed two regular-season games nine years, with a pectoral injury that kept him out of Super Bowl LVIII being the only significant strike on his ledger. The fact that he'll turn 33 in November is the biggest knock against him, as nicks and bruises at that phase of a player's career can turn into more, but unless his trajectory takes a drastic turn, it's a good bet he'll age gracefully in Chicago. As of now, the Bears haven't yet adjusted his contract, which has one year left. A multi-year deal seems likely to come at some point to tie him to Chicago longer. In a world where few linemen become available, Poles did well to use his assets to immediately upgrade the weakest link of his club.

By tagging Trey Smith and dealing Thuney away, the Chiefs essentially chose a 25-year-old over a veteran on the back nine of his NFL tenure. Considering all the money tied up in Patrick Mahomes' offensive line, you can understand that logic. K.C. added Jaylon Moore for $30 million over two years, a lot for a player who produced middling results during his limited work in San Francisco (827 career regular-season snaps). The Chiefs are seemingly banking on Kingsley Suamataia being able to slide inside to guard after struggling at left tackle as a rookie in 2024. They can't pay everyone, so moving on from a 32-year-old a year early makes sense. However, it is still a gamble for a squad that just won the AFC title to rely on youngsters.

The last time Kansas City got whooped in a Super Bowl, Brett Veach completely revamped the offensive line. Time is flat-circling again.

Bears receive:

• OL Jonah Jackson

Rams receive:

• 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 202)

Jonah Jackson's familiarity with Ben Johnson after spending the first four years of his career with the coach in Detroit is a huge bonus to his acquisition, given the style of play Johnson wants to bring to Chicago. When healthy, Jackson is a bulldozer with a mean streak. There is a reason the Rams shelled out $51 million on a three-year deal last offseason to add the guard.

There is also a reason L.A. dumped him after just one season. Injuries have persisted for the 28-year-old. He played just four games last season, missing time with a shoulder injury and then being benched, and he hasn't played 16-plus games since 2021. Jackson is still young enough to bounce back, but injuries usually become more of an issue with age, particularly for someone with his physical style. That's a gamble.

It's also surprising that the Bears were willing to take on all the remaining dollars on Jackson's deal, even handing him a one-year extension through 2027, with additional guarantees. Poles had money to spend, but given the Rams' plans to move on, I would have figured Chicago would've shaved some money off the top by adding a pick. For a team that has missed on previous iterations of the offensive line, securing a proven vet that you know will fit in Johnson's scheme is a smart start. That injury history, however, looms.

The Rams get docked for giving out a big deal they apparently immediately regretted, but completely shedding the player and money while snaring a Day 3 selection is a solid turnabout.

Texans receive:

• OG Ed Ingram

Vikings receive:

• 2026 sixth-round pick

I'm not sure the Texans are improving, but at least they're making moves. Again, it's not as if they could get worse than they were on the O-line last year. They seem to be taking the "toss a bunch of players at the problem and see who sticks" approach. Houston essentially swapped out its own disappointment, Kenyon Green (dealt to Philadelphia, as documented below), for Minnesota's disappointment, Ed Ingram.

A former second-round pick, Ingram started 41 games over three seasons in Minnesota. However, he struggled mightily. Minnesota kept giving him chances to turn the corner, but he tripped on every crack. In 2024, he was eventually benched for Dalton Risner, who immediately provided an upgrade. It was evident at that point the Ingram experience was over in Minneapolis. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did well in getting even a modicum of capital back.

With the addition of Laken Tomlinson and presence of 2023 second-rounder Juice Scruggs in Houston, Ingram profiles as a potential backup guard for the Texans. It's a flier addition for a team scouring for answers after a disastrous year up front. From that angle, scooping up a low-cost former second-rounder makes sense. Maybe Ingram can turn it around in new surroundings. The NFL is littered with linemen who never panned out, so don't bet on it -- but at least the Texans are trying.

Saints receive:

• DT Davon Godchaux

Patriots receive:

• 2026 seventh-round pick

We're back to another player who was bound to be released. Instead, the Saints gave up a final-round pick two drafts from now, which is about as low a non-pick-swap return as you can get for a player.

Davon Godchaux had some productive years early in his career but dipped last year and wasn't a fit in the new scheme in New England. Getting younger and more flexible up front made sense for the Pats.

I don't hate the fit in New Orleans under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Godchaux reportedly taking a slight contract shave as part of the deal also helps. The Saints need bodies up front, and Godchaux certainly aids a run defense that needs gap stuffers. The 30-year-old won't add much in the way of pass rush but can plug the hole and has a plus tackle rate for a nose.

Cowboys receive:

• LB Kenneth Murray Jr.
• 2025 seventh-round pick (No. 239)

Titans receive:

• 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 188)

The Cowboys won't spend in free agency but were comfortable taking on a linebacker with a $7.66 million cap hit. Seems odd. Kenneth Murray Jr. is an innings eater with 67 career starts and 416 total tackles. Given the Cowboys' struggles against the run, you'd have thought players they'd chase this offseason would excel, but Murray has been below-average as a run-defender.

Dallas certainly needed aid in the middle of the defense with DeMarvion Overshown's injury. On the positive side, it didn't cost much draft capital and Murray is just 26 with a lot of experience. I'd be more excited if Murray had a history with Matt Eberflus, but this is an average add.

The low trade cost suggests that the Titans were planning on moving on from the linebacker, so kudos to the front office for getting something, even if it was just moving up 51 draft spots near the end of the selection process.

Cowboys receive:

• CB Kaiir Elam
• 2025 sixth-round pick (No. 204)

Bills receive:

• 2025 fifth-round pick (No. 170)
• 2026 seventh-round pick

Dallas lost Jourdan Lewis in free agency and responded by taking a swing at a former first-round pick who had worn out his welcome in Buffalo long ago. Kaiir Elam never looked comfortable in Sean McDermott's scheme, immediately getting bypassed by sixth-round draftmate Christian Benford.

In three seasons, Elam generated a +23.5 target EPA with a +10.6 completion percentage over expected (CPOE) allowed (negatives are better for corners). When forced into duty in games where McDermott needed to play more man (i.e., against Patrick Mahomes), Elam was picked on incessantly.

This trade was about two years in the making in Buffalo, and the light asset recoup shouldn't be a surprise for a first-round pick who played just 533 coverage snaps over five years.

The Cowboys are taking a swing that, in Matt Eberflus' scheme -- another zone-heavy one -- Elam can find a stride and become the player scouts projected during the draft process. It's a cheap play but isn't a surefire answer to Dallas' corner questions heading toward the draft.

Texans receive:

• S C.J. Gardner-Johnson 
• 2026 sixth-round pick 

Eagles receive:

• OG Kenyon Green
• 2026 fifth-round pick

Houston gave up a struggling lineman who'd been injured/benched in exchange for a starting safety who can bring attitude to DeMeco Ryans' secondary. A former first-rounder, Kenyon Green was either hurt or highly ineffective. There was no coming back in Houston. Moving him for a starter with plus attributes to replace Eric Murray, who signed in Jacksonville, is a boon.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson provides multifaceted ability to the Texans' secondary alongside Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre. Gardner-Johnson's ability to play deep, near the line and -- if needed -- at nickel fits nicely in Ryans' D. That he brings attitude to the AFC South adds some pizzazz.

After the trade, the justifying scuttle surrounding CJGJ in Philadelphia was that the safety missed too many tackles and gave up big plays for the Super Bowl champion defense. However, it was mainly about shedding the contract. The Eagles will miss his physical style as they lean into youngsters.

The move did give Howie Roseman his latest first-round reclamation project in Green. The Eagles will hand the 24-year-old, who started 23 games in his career, to O-line guru Jeff Stoutland and hope he works magic again. Stoutland did wonders for Mekhi Becton, moving him from tackle to guard. Reclaiming Green might be a tougher task.