2022 NFL Trade Deadline Grades: Chubb, Ridley, Hines, Claypool Deals, More

Analyzing every major move, including pre-deadline day trades for Christian McCaffrey, Robert Quinn, Roquan Smith and James Robinson.

The younger front offices and sidelines get (and the more Thanos-like Eagles GM Howie Roseman gets), the more exciting trade deadline week becomes. Teams in the middle of the pack are trying to break out. Teams way out in front are trying to stomp on the competition and keep good players from coming back to bite them in the postseason. And just about every GM and coach realizes that if they sit on their hands or insist they can’t incorporate a player into their system in the middle of the season, an owner is going to find someone who can.

Trades are good for business across the board.

The 2022 deadline has already been a bustling one, with several superstars on the move and perhaps a few more to go. We’ve gotten enough in the hopper to start the all-important process of grading those moves. While this is difficult—in many cases the players haven’t gotten much of an opportunity—we can still get a sense of each team’s situation, the compensation they doled out and how they’ll be able to best utilize the player’s skill set.

This post will be updated throughout the weekend and into Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.

DEADLINE DAY

Clockwise from upper left: Ridley, Chubb, Hines and Claypool / USA Today Sports (4)

Bradley Chubb and a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Dolphins for Chase Edmonds and a 2023 first-round pick (previously acquired via the 49ers)

Grade for the Dolphins: C+
Grade for the Broncos: A

Chubb is averaging 2.0 pressures per game in 2022, a career-low for any season during which he played at least eight games. The former No. 5 overall pick is a strong and talented rusher who has clearly benefited from time spent with Von Miller, whose move suite is among the most valuable dossiers in all of football. It will be worth watching Chubb on a defense with more than one Alpha and some thicker pocket pushers. The Dolphins simply have more avenues to get at the quarterback than Denver does right now. We like the deal for the Broncos, though, because they were not going to maximize Chubb in their defense, nor were they likely to pay him an exorbitant amount of money this offseason, especially with another solid edge class coming up in 2023 and a decent veteran edge class in the free-agent market. The Dolphins may have reached a little for a player who has one complete season in the books. 

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Jeff Wilson Jr. to the Dolphins for a 2023 fifth-round pick

Grade for the Dolphins: B+
Grade for the 49ers: A

The intricacies of an outside-zone running game take time to learn. One coach said it takes more than two years for an offensive line coach to learn how to properly teach it—think about what that means for a running back. Wilson will provide the Dolphins with a back already familiar with the system, and a tireless, punishing running game can continue to make Tua Tagovailoa’s development process smoother. I think running backs are more valuable than they’ve been in some time. With defenses taking away a lot of big-play options, personnel that can grind down opponents has become the new efficiency.

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Calvin Ridley to the Jaguars for a 2023 conditional fifth-round pick and a 2024 conditional second-round pick

Grade for the Falcons: A
Grade for the Jaguars: A

I thought this was a smart move for both sides. Even before Ridley was suspended for a season for the heinous act of enjoying a league-sponsored gambling app, the Falcons had discussed the possibility that it may be for the best that Ridley finds a home elsewhere. From an economic standpoint, this could be a shrewd way for the Jaguars to cut into the wide receiver market without paying an outrageous premium, as they continue to add weapons for Trevor Lawrence.

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Nyheim Hines to the Bills for Zack Moss and conditional 2023 sixth-round pick

Grade for the Bills: A
Grade for the Colts: B

While I may have wanted to hang on to a dependable passing down back like Hines if I were Indianapolis (and I was starting an unproven quarterback for the remainder of the season), they have ultimately shifted into a broader perspective, where future draft equity matters as much as their current, unenviable disposition. As for the Bills, it is going to be maddening to cover Josh Allen and Hines both coming out of the backfield at the same time. As we noted back in the spring, this is the season of the checkdown back, and the Bills have just gotten the fastest one in the NFL. There is not a single player you can comfortably put in the flat who has the power to bring down Allen if he scrambles, or the athletic flexibility to handle Hines when he gets his hands on the ball.

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William Jackson III and a conditional seventh-round pick to the Steelers for a conditional sixth-round pick

Grade for the Steelers: B
Grade for the Commanders: B

Why not, right? If you have the back-of-the-draft equity and you want to spend it on a 30-year-old cornerback who is familiar with the division and—up until this year—was allowing an opposing quarterback completion percentage under 60% for his career, I don’t see a problem with it. Especially given what the Steelers were operating with at corner this year.

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Chase Claypool to the Bears for a 2023 second-round pick

Grade for the Steelers: C
Grade for the Bears: A

I’m going to go out on a limb here, since I’ve been absolutely mauling the Bears all summer for not giving Justin Fields a warm body to throw to at wide receiver, and compliment Ryan Poles for what he’s done. Sure, from a value standpoint, optically, it looks wonky to have basically traded Smith for Claypool. But I do think sometimes the intent behind the trades, and what that intent can do for a locker room, means something. The Bears hired the defensive whiz head coach. They’re telling the locker room that they’re willing to put more stress on Matt Eberflus, which he can handle, to ease the burden on Fields. Claypool will fit perfectly into this offense and give the Bears an ability to further diversify their running game, with more jet sweep threats and the occasional home run ball.

As for Pittsburgh, it’s understandable that the Steelers want to clear the decks to get George Pickens the ball more, but imagine this receiving corps in its entirety with more capable quarterback play. This should have been a dream, not a move where you’re throwing up your hands and ditching a perceived surplus.

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T.J. Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a ’24 conditional fourth-round pick to the Vikings for a ’23 second-round pick and a ’24 conditional fourth-round pick

Grade for the Lions: D
Grade for the Vikings: B

So, this thing devolved to the point where Dan Campbell was at least somewhat comfortable noting, in public, that Hockenson needed to be a better run blocker. I am never a fan of dealing tight ends who can contribute to the running game and catch passes; they are among the rarest unicorns in the NFL (George Kittle, Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert), but Detroit seems to think that Hockenson leaves more to be desired. The Lions also have one of the best offensive lines in football, so, perhaps, they view Hockenson as a bit of a luxury item at this point, especially if there is another tight end in next year’s draft who can gain more separation but is less of a polished blocker. Sticking that person next to Penei Sewell or Taylor Decker would improve the situation and make the whole thing a wash without having to pay Hockenson a large amount of money.

All that said, how did it get here? How did a regime with a former tight end as a head coach, an A-plus offensive line staff and the best on-paper offensive line in football get to a point where the first-round pick tight end didn’t benefit and become something closer to Kittle, Andrews, Kelce or Goedert?

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Rashad Fenton to the Falcons for a conditional seventh-round pick

Grade for Falcons: B
Grade for Chiefs: B

I always liked Fenton, who may not be having his best season but is a gamer who tackles well in the quick game and always seems up for a difficult matchup against a good wide receiver. The Falcons have been gutted in the secondary so far this season. This is an affordable way to try and patch some holes. 

BEFORE DEADLINE DAY

Quinn and McCaffrey are two of the bigger names to find new homes :: Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports (Quinn); Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports (McCaffrey)

Roquan Smith to the Ravens for a 2023 second-round pick, ’23 fifth-round pick and LB A.J. Klein

Grade for the Ravens: C+
Grade for the Bears: A

It would be completely hypocritical of me at this point to throw my hands up and accuse the Bears of packing it in, after we were all mad about the way they supported Justin Fields from a personnel standpoint this offseason.

Smith is going to be a free agent this offseason, and it's very likely he did not fit into Matt Eberflus’s long-term vision for the defense (and even if he did, he may play in a position Eberflus feels he can replace more effectively via the draft). Smith is a high-volume tackler who doesn’t miss a lot of chances to bring a ballcarrier to the ground. In fact, these past two seasons, his missed-tackle percentage is below 5% despite being on pace for 160-plus tackles again this year. 

While the Ravens are normally the masters of asset management and can afford to make these trades because they acquire so many mid-round picks through their expert understanding of the compensatory formula, this seems like a high price to pay for a linebacker they’ll have to extend this offseason, no matter how increasingly valuable solid off-ball linebackers have become.

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Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a 2023 fourth-round pick

Grade for the Bears: B+
Grade for the Eagles: A

The Bears need picks. We saw the Ravens build a steady competitor out of their slew of fourth-round picks, so I wouldn’t for one second discount the return. If nothing else, it gives Chicago a chance in the draft next year to take a legitimate flier on a player who may really fit its system. As for the Eagles, Quinn immediately gives them a chance to rotate their pass rushers more frequently. While his production isn’t going to touch the 18.5-sack season from a year ago, watch Quinn this year against even the quickest release quarterbacks (such as Kirk Cousins). Quinn has a ton of moves and was a driving force behind a middling Bears defense logging the 16th-best pass-rush win rate thus far on the season (according to ESPN’s advanced metrics). Early this season, Quinn was double-teamed more than almost any other pass rusher in football, which means he can either open the backfield up to one of Philly’s talented rushers, or get the job done himself. This is a gavel-banging move by the best team in the NFC.

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Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers for 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks and a ’24 fifth-round pick

Grade for the Panthers: A+
Grade for the 49ers: A

Thanks to Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch (and possibly Les Snead and Sean McVay for driving the price up), the Panthers now have six picks in the top 111 of the 2023 draft, which is exactly what a new coach will need to build their program. Let’s face it: Carolina was not going to be competitive with McCaffrey any time soon. A pass-catching running back is a luxury and the final piece of a puzzle for another team, not a building block for a new offense that could end up prioritizing different characteristics out of their backs (and a front office that may want to get younger at the position). As for the 49ers, my feelings on this are already in cyberspace for you to consume. I think this has a chance to completely alter the course of the NFC. McCaffrey’s limited snap count in one week as a member of the 49ers shouldn’t be indicative of his overall usage (good Lord, we hope not). They will be a matchup nightmare.

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Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs for a conditional third-round pick and a sixth-round pick

Grade for the Giants: B
Grade for the Chiefs: C+

We can’t fault Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen for trading away a receiver they didn’t draft, and getting somewhat decent return for him considering that Toney, a former first-round pick, has been on the field in two games this season. They also drafted their own version of Toney who they feel better fits the system. Daboll has made chicken salad out of every corner of this roster, so it’s not like he’s a hard-headed new coach simply ridding the team of players he didn’t draft. As for the Chiefs, it seems like they’re diversifying their offense, though they already have most of the requisite athletic profiles on that depth chart. Perhaps Toney allows them to do more in the quick game out of the backfield, but this is a decent investment for a player we know little about.

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Robby Anderson to the Cardinals for a 2023 sixth-round pick, ’24 seventh-round pick

Grade for the Panthers: C
Grade for the Cardinals: D

Here’s my frustration with the Cardinals: They seem to be far too rigid in terms of what they need from the wide receiver position to succeed. And, they should have been able to develop one of these guys, especially at the more vertical “burner” position. Anderson likely takes the place of making those straight, streaky lines on the team’s GPS route-tracking chart. That said, the Cardinals know their offense worked best last year when Kyler Murray was regularly completing balls down the field, and the only way to make that happen again, at this moment, is to keep trading for guys who will get there. Still, this Cardinals offense is closer in spirit to a Sean McVay offense than a true Mike Leach Air Raid, and we’ve seen offenses similar to the former have success with far less than big-name wide receivers. Good deal for the Panthers, too, who received a pair of late-round picks for a guy they had excused from the sidelines about 40 seconds earlier.

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Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports

James Robinson to the Jets for a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick

Grade for the Jaguars: D
Grade for the Jets: B+

I know the Jaguars have a wealth of running backs, but I don’t know if I’ve seen enough ball security and consistency out of Travis Etienne to make the move with confidence. Once he gets his footing in the NFL, he’s going to become a legitimate, top-flight No. 1 back, but we’re not at that point yet. It leaves the Jaguars with JaMycal Hasty as the room’s resident veteran and places a lot of stress on the coaching staff in-season to bolster the running back room. As for the Jets, this is a great move for GM Joe Douglas, as it signals faith and aggression, while maintaining responsibility. The Jets need a thumping run game for Zach Wilson to succeed and there aren’t many options for them at this point to win a vertical shootout. Robinson doesn’t bring with him the same DNA as Breece Hall, but he’s as good an option as any right now.

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Jonathan Hankins to the Cowboys for a 2023 sixth-round pick

Grade for the Cowboys: C
Grade for the Raiders: C

The Cowboys have the best pass-rush win rates in the NFL right now, thanks to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. They have one of the league’s worst run-stop win rates. While the Hankins’s trade doesn’t alter that much, he has historically been a formidable presence in the trenches. It’s worth a shot, especially with the run-heavy Bears and Packers coming up next on their schedule.