-
Seth Walder, ESPN Analytics
Time to grade some NFL trades as we head toward the deadline to make deals on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 4 p.m. ET. We’ve already seen three trades as wide receiver Chase Claypool, cornerback J.C. Jackson and running back Cam Akers were moved to new teams.
I’m a big believer in judging decisions based on information available at the time. 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?
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:
They’ll both play a role in the grades, though a low-impact decision can still receive a strong or poor grade. Low-stakes, clear-cut wins or clear-cut losses still matter.
We’ll add more grades here for the rest of October, with the latest at the top:
Bears get: 2025 sixth-round pick
Dolphins get: Chase Claypool, 2025 seventh-round pick
Trade date: Oct. 6