2024 NFL Trade Deadline Grade Tracker: Steelers sign WR Mike Williams, Commanders acquire Saints’ Pro Bowl CB

The 2024 NFL trade deadline is fast approaching and many teams are still busy trading players.

The wide receiver market in particular is booming. After the deals of DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Davante Adams and Diontae Johnson, Mike Williams was the latest to be traded on Tuesday. More trades could be on the way.

Here’s a summary of our grades for each major move:

The Steelers finally get a WR, adds Mike Williams

• Acquire Steelers:Mike Williams
• Buy jets: 2025 fifth-round pick

After months of exploring the wide receiver trade market, Pittsburgh finally acquired a new perimeter weapon, acquiring Williams from the New York Jets, who made a splash with the addition of Davante Adams weeks before the deadline. The former Los Angeles Chargers star will team up with George Pickens.

Grades: Steelers B-, Jets B (full trade grades to follow)

Commanders bring in Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore

• Acquire commanders: Jonathan Mingo, 2025 fifth-round pick
• Acquire saints: 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick, 2025 sixth-round pick

With an additional third-rounder in tow due to the preseason trade of Jahan Dotson, Washington took advantage of New Orleans’ sudden rebuild — unofficially initiated by the team’s firing of head coach Dennis Allen — and sent a package of three-pro Bowl picks -Cover man.

Grades: Commanders A-, Saints B (full trade grades to follow)

Cowboys pick up surprise deal for Jonathan Mingo

• Buy cowboys: Jonathan Mingo, 2025 seventh-round pick
• Acquire Panthers: 2025 fourth-round pick

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promised that his team would be “buyers, not sellers” before the deadline, and he delivered, albeit in surprising fashion, sending a fourth-rounder to Carolina for Mingo. The 23-year-old wideout is just 23 years old and a year removed from becoming a second-round pick, but has struggled to make an impact for the offensively challenged Panthers.

Grades: Cowboys D+, Panthers B (Complete commercial qualities)

The Bengals strengthen the backfield with Bears RB Herbert

• Acquire Bengals: Khalil Herbert
• Acquire bears: 2025 seventh-round pick

With Zack Moss out indefinitely with a neck injury, the Bengals needed some coverage in their backfield behind Chase Brown. Herbert comes on board as a proven defender with over 2,000 scrimmage yards in his career. While the Bears didn’t get a memorable return for Herbert, they do get a win for a player who played no role in their backfield and in the final year of his contract.

Grades: Bengals B, Bears C- (Complete commercial qualities)

The Lions add a pass rusher, acquiring Za’Darius Smith from the Browns

• Acquire Lions: Za’Darius Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick
• Acquire Browns: 2025 fifth-round pick

The Lions are getting much-needed help at pass rusher after losing Aidan Hutchinson for the year. Meanwhile, the Browns are adding some increased draft capital for an aging player who no longer fits their schedule as they are 2-7 this year.

Grades: Lions A-, Browns C+ (Complete commercial qualities)

Cardinals strengthen defense and acquire Broncos LB Browning

• Acquire Cardinals: Baron Browning
• Acquire Broncos: Sixth round pick

Arizona is expanding its defensive front. It had already lost both BJ Ojulari and Dennis Gardeck to season-ending injuries. Something had to be done at pass rusher if the Cards wanted to maintain their lead in the NFC West. Defensive tackle Dante Stills is currently Arizona’s sack leader with 3.5 QB takedowns.

Grades: Cardinals B+, Broncos B- (Complete commercial qualities)

Vikings bring in replacement for Christian Darrisaw

• Acquire Vikings: Cam Robinson, 2026 conditional seventh-round pick
• Buy jaguars: 2026 conditional fifth-round pick (could go fourth)

The veteran left tackle fills an immediate need for the Vikings, who lost Christian Darrisaw to a season-ending knee injury. This is a rental acquisition as Robinson is scheduled to hit free agency in 2025.

Grades: Vikings B+, Jaguars B (Complete commercial qualities)

The Ravens bring in the former Pro Bowl wideout

The former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl wideout is returning to the AFC North. Speaking of the Steelers, the Ravens may have been forced to sign Johnson after watching Pittsburgh a full game ahead of them in the AFC North standings following their win over the New York Giants on Monday night.

With Johnson, Baltimore is getting a 28-year-old wideout who has the experience to be a team’s No. 1 wideout. Even though he occasionally drops a pass, Johnson has proven to be a productive player who can help open up the floor for an offense. Baltimore is certainly betting on Johnson to do that while playing alongside Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and fellow receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

Johnson is entering the final year of an extension he signed while in Pittsburgh. Carolina obviously wasn’t planning on extending him, so they decided to get something now (albeit a small return) rather than lose him and get nothing in return this offseason. The Panthers were so determined to part ways with Johnson that they would reportedly pay back most of Johnson’s remaining salary.

Grades: Ravens A, Panthers D (Complete commercial qualities)

The Chiefs are getting an edge rusher

The Kansas City Chiefs are determined to become the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to achieve three goals as NFL champions. They have a specific defensive weakness – converting quarterback pressure into sacks – and they’ve taken care of it. Their quarterback pressure rate of 38.9% is the sixth highest in the NFL, but their 15.0 team sacks this season are also the seventh fewest in the NFL, as their sack rate of 6.1% is the 11th worst in the league.

Uche’s 20.5 sacks since entering the NFL in 2020 are the second-most in New England behind former Patriot Matt Judon’s 32.0 sacks during that time. He broke out in 2022 with a career-high 11.5, but since then he hasn’t registered more than three sacks in any other year of his five-year career. Uche has already moved up to two this season. His two sacks are now tied for the fourth-most in Kansas City, while his 13 quarterback pressures alone are the fourth-most in the Chiefs’ pass rush. Uche, the Patriots’ 2020 second-round pick, is a rental and is expiring on a one-year, $3 million contract, but a sixth-round pick is a low price to pay for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.

At 2-6, the New England Patriots need all the picks they can get as they rebuild with third overall pick quarterback Drake Maye in 2024. It would have been nice if they had been picked in a higher round, but it’s ideal that they get something for Uche as he wouldn’t have been in the team next year anyway.

Grades: Chiefs B, Patriots C+ (Complete commercial qualities)

• Acquire chieftains: Deandre Hopkins
• Acquire Titans: 2025 conditional fifth-round pick 2025 (can become a fourth-round pick)

Kansas City desperately needed a wide receiver after losing both Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice this year. Hopkins comes in and gives Patrick Mahomes a No. 1 wide receiver while Rice is out and Brown returns sometime this year.

The deal makes sense from Tennessee’s perspective as they are 1-5 on the season at the time of the trade and Hopkins was in the final year of his contract. With the 32-year-old not on the schedule for the team’s current rebuild, it was a logical step to get something for him before he hit free agency.

Grades: Chiefs B+, Titans C+ (Complete commercial qualities)

Titans and Seahawks swap linebackers

The Titans and Seahawks were active during this period, as evidenced by the numerous trades they made. Seattle paid a heavy price for Jones as the Seahawks hope he produces more than Baker.

The Jones trade gave Tennessee another future middle-round pick as well as a productive linebacker in Baker, who like Jones is also still in his prime.

Grades: Seahawks A-, Titans B (Complete commercial qualities)

• Purchase jets: Davante Adams
• Acquire Raiders: Conditional 2025 third-round pick (can become a second-round pick depending on performance)

The return to his hometown didn’t go as Adams had hoped, and so the former All-Pro wide receiver reunites with Rodgers in New York. The Jets are desperate to win as Adams is part of their “all-in” strategy.

The Raiders are in a rebuilding phase and don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback. This was what was best for the Raiders and Adams.

Grades: Jets B-, Raiders A- (Complete commercial qualities)

Bills get a No. 1 WR

• Purchase invoices: Amari Cooper, 2025 sixth-round pick
• Acquire Browns: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick

The Bills’ offense was successful without Cooper, but it was clear that Josh Allen needed a No. 1 wide receiver to reach the Super Bowl. Cooper will be more of a threat if Buffalo is their best option on the outside, as the Bills hope he can make the same impact midseason that he did with the Cowboys in 2018.

The Browns appear to be a lost cause in 2024, especially since Cooper reworked his contract and will be a free agent after this year. It’s better to get something for Cooper than nothing.

Grades: Bills A-, Browns B (Complete commercial qualities)

The first criticism of the trade deadline season was minor, but an indication that the Jaguars were sellers. Robertson-Harris was in his third season with the Jaguars and actually signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension last year after recording a career-high 3.5 domestic sacks in 2023.

Robinson-Harris gives Seattle needed depth at defensive tackle and can move to the outside of the line. The Jaguars have cut their salary.

Grades: Seahawks B-, Jaguars C+ (Complete commercial qualities)