Let's grade every big deal ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline, which is Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. ET. I got things started with the Las Vegas Raiders sending wideout Davante Adams to the New York Jets, reuniting Adams with the quarterback he starred with during his time with the Green Bay Packers. I also have grades for the deal that sent receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns to the Buffalo Bills.
I'm a big believer in judging decisions based on information available at the time. The saying "Let's see how it plays out" isn't an option for general managers making deals for their teams, so why should be it for us evaluating those transactions? So when I'm grading trades, I evaluate them for each team based on on-field impact, cap implications, draft compensation and effects within the context of a team's overall short- and long-term outlook. I like to think about decisions on two axes:
How confident are we in knowing if this is a good or bad decision?
How big is the impact of this decision?
They'll both play a role in our grades, though a low-impact decision can still receive a strong or poor grade. Low-stakes, clear-cut wins or losses still matter. I'll grade more deals as they happen over the next two weeks. Latest grades are at the top:
Bills add WR Cooper from Browns for third-round pick
Buffalo Bills get: WR Amari Cooper, 2025 sixth-round pick
Cleveland Browns get: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick
Trade date: Oct. 15