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Nfl Trade Grades Evaluating Every Deal Made Ahead Of The 2025 Deadline

Bonisiwe Shabane
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nfl trade grades evaluating every deal made ahead of the 2025 deadline

With the 2025 NFL trade deadline firmly in the rearview, it's time to take a closer look at how the sides fared in 20 deals made between the start of the season and Nov. 4. With Charvarius Ward on IR, Indy's CBs needed help. So the Colts pushed all their chips into the middle, and now in comes Sauce to play savior. Gardner opened his career with smashing success, using his length and physicality to compile 31 passes defended and two INTs in his first two seasons, earning All-Pro honors in each campaign. The corner position being fickle, the past two years haven't been as kind; he's struggled some in coverage and dealt with a concussion earlier this year.

When he's on, though, Gardner remains an upper-echelon cover man. Per Next Gen Stats, he faced No. 1 receivers on 45.5% of his coverage matchups, the NFL's highest rate (min. 125 matchups). When targeted, he has forced tight windows (allowing less than 1 yard of separation) at a rate of 53.8%, also leading the league (min. 20 targets).

The Colts are betting big that their Lou Anarumo-led defense will present Sauce with a better situation than he played under the past two seasons in New York. Still, considering that the cost is similar to what Green Bay gave up for pass rusher Micah Parsons (two first-round picks and a player), it's a hefty price to pay for a corner. Even one as good as Sauce can be. On the Jets' end, it's a stunner of a move. They just handed Gardner -- drafted fourth overall in 2022 -- a sizable contract this offseason to be one of their building blocks, and four months later, said building block is headed for Indianapolis. Once we pick our jaws off the floor, it's not hard to see the logic for New York.

The windfall was simply too good to pass up. What good is a star corner when the rest of the operation is crumbling? The 2025 NFL trade deadline has officially passed, and Bleacher Report's team of NFL analysts—Brent Sobleski, Gary Davenport, Kris Knox and Moe Moton—have weighed in on all the major deals. Grades are based on factors such as player upside, positional value, trade compensation, how well needs are addressed, and how deals fit into each team's short- and/or long-term plans. .css-wrcrjw{margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-lu48cp{margin:0;font:inherit;color:var(--br--palette-primary-main);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-lu48cp:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}The Trade .css-1582m2i{margin:0;font:inherit;font-weight:700;}Indianapolis Colts Receive: CB Sauce GardnerNew York Jets Receive: 2026 and '27 first-round draft picks, WR Adonai Mitchell

Colts: AThe Colts are all-in to win this season. At 7-2 and tied for the NFL's best record, general manager Chris Ballard pulled off the most stunning trade prior to this year's deadline. The acquisition of Sauce Gardner addresses the Colts' biggest need area at cornerback, while giving the team a two-time All-Pro to build around now and in future years. True difference-makers aren't readily available at the trade deadline. The Colts saw an opportunity and took the plunge. Gardner is the NFL's highest-graded cornerback since entering the league in 2022, per Pro Football Focus.

His addition helps solidify a cornerback room ravaged by injuries in the short term and provides a long-term building block since the 25-year-old defensive back signed a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension in July. The Colts are operating differently under the guidance of owners Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson. Tuesdays' deadline deal is the most obvious example of the franchise's shifting philosophy. Sorting through the fallout from the NFL trade deadline in real time can be as complicated as orchestrating the deals themselves. The annual cutoff for swaps arrives 4 p.m. ET Nov.

4, and an event that's taken on added significance in recent years could once again prove plenty meaningful for contenders and rebuilding teams alike. So far, the action leading up to the deadline itself has been relatively muted. But that could change in the final stretch as teams mull whether to sell off – or buy – major contributors ahead of the stretch run. With that said, here are our initial grades from all the deals completed during the week of the NFL trade deadline: There's probably no way to cobble together a viable protection plan for Justin Herbert after losing both Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater for the season. It was a good idea for the Bolts to try something, though.

Penning was moved to left guard by the Saints, but he should get another shot at sticking at his more natural position of offensive tackle. He can be a bit penalty-prone and wild as a pass protector, but he fits the Chargers' style of play and has shown promising play in the run game. Given the shortage of other moves at the Chargers' disposal, it was worth it to at least take a shot. The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, as contenders had one last chance to make deals ahead of this year's playoff push. While the trade deadline isn't typically as exciting in the NFL as it is in some other sports, it is still a crucial date for the season. This year, many of the league's best teams were active before the deadline expired, adding talent that could become important pieces this winter.

Some of the trades made since Nov. 1 involved significant players and draft picks, while others were just minor moves involving depth options. Therefore, here's how each NFL trade deadline deal this year ranks by significance. In the biggest trade of the day, the Jets sent star CB Sauce Gardner to the Colts for two first-round picks and WR Adonai "AD" Mitchell. It is the official beginning of the rebuild in New York, while the Colts go all-in with a 7-2 record through nine weeks. MORE: Breaking down the Jets' future first-round picks

The 2025 NFL trade deadline has arrived, and front offices across the league are making their final pushes to either shape postseason rosters or build for the future. We’re tracking every major trade with instant analysis, player grades and team outlooks as deals come together across the league. The Cowboys become the latest team to land a Jets star, acquiring defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick. Dallas has been desperate for defensive reinforcements, and Williams — who leads all interior defensive linemen in PFF run-defense grade this season at 90.8 — should provide a massive boost to a unit that... As part of the deal, the Jets also receive defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The 27th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Smith has yet to record a season with a PFF grade above 50.0 and now becomes a reclamation project for Aaron Glenn and the Jets.

Adding Tryon-Shoyinka is a solid depth move for a Bears team that lost Dayo Odeyingbo to a season-ending Achilles injury this past week. Tryon-Shoyinka has been on the field for just 14 snaps as a pass-rusher for the Browns this season, but he has managed to registered three pressures on those snaps, and registered 20 pressures or... A blockbuster trade that sends shockwaves through the NFL, this move firmly establishes the Colts’ credentials as contenders in 2025. Sauce Gardner has forced 49 incompletions and earned a 90.8 PFF grade since entering the league — both the highest marks among all cornerbacks over that span. He also leads the NFL with a 74.1% lockdown percentage through the first half of this season. We began NFL trade deadline day thinking that the likes of Jaylen Waddle, Breece Hall, Trey Hendrickson, Kirk Cousins, Calvin Ridley and more stars would discover their fate.

As it turned out, literally none of the above players had changed teams by 4 p.m. ET — and yet this will still go down as one of the most momentous deadlines in recent league history. The action got started a few days ago, as contenders like the Steelers and Eagles both made moves to add talent to their defenses. But that was mere prelude to the madness of Tuesday morning and afternoon, in which a whopping seven different deals went down (the third-most since 1990, behind only 2024 and 2022). The New York Jets shocked the entire football world not once but twice, shipping out All-Pro defenders in Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams, and they were hardly alone. Here's everything you need to know about a frantic few hours across the NFL, from trade grades to fan reactions.

It's a fire! sale. The New York Jets traded Sauce Gardner to the Colts just minutes before dealing three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys. As talented as Williams is, this is an underwhelming fit for several reasons. First and foremost, the trade comes just months after Dallas sent its All-World pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. It should come as no surprise that the Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in football as a result.

Dallas received a first-round pick and Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark for Parsons. While Clark has been fine, he's no Parsons, and adding Williams to the defensive front won't save the Cowboys defense, either. Per Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys are sending a first-round pick and more to the Jets for Williams. Dallas is 3-5-1 on the season. Frankly, they need all the draft capital they can get to build around Dak Prescott next April. That's what makes this move all the more confounding.

It's not that Williams won't thrive in Dallas – he very well might – but this team is going nowhere fast. Well how about that for a trade deadline? We had eight trades come in day-of before the 4 pm ET trade deadline yesterday, including one massive blockbuster that no one saw coming. More trades are always more fun than no trades, so it made for an exciting day for NFL fans. Below, I’ve broken down and graded every trade made at the deadline this year. This includes a pair of trades that came through on Monday, so 10 total for this article.

There’s a lot to consider when grading trades, and it goes beyond the deal itself. The surrounding context is also important to take into account. Let’s jump right in with that aforementioned blockbuster trade, one that included multiple first-round picks and a former All-Pro: Whoa. Talk about the unthinkable happening. Even though the Jets were a classic fire sale candidate, no one thought Gardner was touchable.

He and WR Garrett Wilson were thought to be unavailable no matter what. Clearly, though, every player has a price. Let’s start with what this means for the Colts. At 7-2, they’re tied for the best record in the NFL and have one of the league’s most efficient offenses in recent memory. However, their defense has been more hit-or-miss, due in part to some bad injury luck at cornerback. Colts CB Charvarius Ward is the second-highest-graded cornerback in football this year per PFF, but he’s currently on IR with a concussion, the second one he’s sustained this season.

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