News
10/20/24
9 min read
Grading NFL's Latest Trades: Davante Adams Trade Isn't Good for Jets or Raiders
The NFL trade deadline is still a few weeks away, but teams have decided that Week 7 was the perfect time to start making a flurry of moves.
In the course of 48 hours, four players were moved by their teams in exchange for draft capital.
This week's trades were highlighted by Davante Adams reuniting with his former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, thanks to a trade by the New York Jets. However, it's not the only move from this week that could have a major impact on the league.
After the surge of moves heading into Week 7, let's dive into some grades on all of the moves for each team.
Grading NFL's Latest Trades
Davante Adams to The Jets
Jets receive: WR Davante Adams
Raiders receive: 2025 conditional third-round pick
New York Jets: C+
If this was fantasy football or Madden, the Adams trade would be such an exciting move. However, in real life, this move doesn't make much sense for a team with more glaring issues.
Adams will have a legitimate impact on the passing game; there's no denying that. However, the bigger issue of poor offensive line play remains unaddressed. According to TruMedia, the Jets rank 31st with just 0.84 yards generated before contact per rushing attempt. That's a glaring indictment on the offensive line, which has also allowed Rodgers to be sacked 16 times through six games.
Tyron Smith looks unrecognizable after an All-Pro career, but instead of addressing the offensive line, the Jets took a big swing on Rodgers' favorite weapon from his time with the Green Bay Packers.
It will be an exciting move, but it may not be enough to turn the Jets' season around and put them in real contention in the AFC East.
Even if things go well enough for the Jets to make the playoffs, what does an Adams trade mean for the team in 2025 and beyond? This team is so over-leveraged for the 2024 season that things could get really bleak in the near future.
Las Vegas Raiders: D+
Why did the Las Vegas Raiders wait so long to make an Adams trade, only to rush the process and come away with a mid-round draft pick?
The Raiders likely could have received a much more lucrative deal had they traded Adams this offseason. Instead, they waited for the situation to reach a boiling point, with Adams' hamstring injury forcing him to sit out. That led to him formally requesting a trade halfway through the year.
Once Adams requested a trade, the Raiders leaked that they wanted a second-round pick plus some additional assets for the superstar receiver. They also had plenty of time to field calls from other teams while Adams sat out, with the trade deadline still a few weeks away on Nov. 5.
Instead, the trade felt rushed, and the Raiders settled on a third-round pick that could become a second. However, according to ESPN, that would require Adams to have an All-Pro season or for the Jets to make the AFC Championship.
Neither of those seems like a likely outcome at this moment. It was time for the Raiders and Adams to move on, but to get so little for their top outgoing asset is a tough look for a team that needs to rebuild their roster.
Amari Cooper to The Bills
Bills receive: WR Amari Cooper, 2025 sixth-round pick
Browns receive: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick
Buffalo Bills: A+
If there was a team that lacked an impact player as an outside receiver, it was the Buffalo Bills.
Earlier this week, we talked about Cooper's fit in Buffalo following the trade. In addition to giving him a fresh start with a playoff contender, the trade also gives Josh Allen a weapon on the outside capable of winning with route running and separation.
Meanwhile, Cooper's arrival allows players like Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, and even Dalton Kincaid to be more versatile chess pieces. Being able to move around the field, kick into the slot, or even have Kincaid play more as an in-line tight end will open up things for Buffalo's offense.
The Bills already had the third-best offense by DVOA, but this move answers a lot of questions about the sustainability of this passing game.
As long as he's healthy, Cooper's presence should vault Allen into the MVP conversation and make the Bills a legitimate Super Bowl contender out of the AFC.
Cleveland Browns: A-
It's time for the Cleveland Browns to start planning for the future, even if it means sacrificing the present.
Deshaun Watson remains the starting quarterback despite his poor play. His dead cap hit numbers during the next few seasons make parting ways with him incredibly difficult, but at some point, the Browns need to cut the cord and start embracing a full-on rebuild.
Trading Cooper away is the start of that rebuild. He's a veteran receiver who is nearing the end of his prime, so the fact that the Browns got a third-round pick should be seen as a major win.
The only issue with the trade is that the offense will be even more unwatchable in the short term, with players like Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore having to take on the bulk of the workload while the Browns try to figure out a path back to relevance in the coming years.
Cam Akers to The Vikings
Vikings receive: RB Cam Akers, 2026 conditional seventh-round pick
Texans receive: 2026 conditional sixth-round pick
Minnesota Vikings: C+
It's not often that you see a team trade for the same player twice in their career. It's even more rare to see that team trade for the same player twice in the span of 12 months.
The Minnesota Vikings swapped conditional late-round picks in a draft 1.5 years away to acquire a backup running back. It's not something that will move the needle, but it might have been a necessary move given the health of Aaron Jones.
Jones appeared to have suffered a hip injury during the team's win in London a couple of weeks ago, but the injury has since been reclassified as a hamstring issue. The Vikings running back hopes to return to practice on Thursday as he continues to heal after the bye week.
Despite Jones' hopes to practice, the fact that the Vikings traded for a running back suggests that this might be a more long-term issue than the team lets on. If Jones misses time, Ty Chandler will likely assume starting duties while Akers is sprinkled into the RB rotation.
It's not an exciting move, but it might be a necessary one depending on Jones' health.
Houston Texans: C+
Getting any kind of asset for Akers must feel like a win for the Houston Texans.
It's been a rough year for Akers, who has had to take on a larger role at times while Joe Mixon dealt with an ankle injury. Despite that increased workload, Akers averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, one of the league's worst rates.
The advanced metrics aren't much better. According to Next Gen Stats, Akers had the fourth-worst rushing yards over expectation per attempt, averaging -0.93 RYOE per carry.
With Mixon and Dameon Pierce healthy, Akers wasn't going to see much of the field anyway. Getting some kind of asset, however negligible, was a worthwhile move for the Texans.
Roy Robertson-Harris to The Seahawks
Seahawks receive: DL Roy Robertson-Harris
Jaguars receive: 2026 sixth-round pick
Seattle Seahawks: B
It's not the flashiest move, but the Seattle Seahawks acquiring another veteran up front should help out their defense.
Despite hiring a defensive-minded head coach in Mike Macdonald, the Seahawks have struggled with consistency on that side of the ball. They're just 18th in defensive DVOA, and they've produced just four takeaways through six games.
A lack of depth up front has been an issue, particularly with first-round rookie Byron Murphy II dealing with a hamstring injury. The good news is that Murphy is back at practice, and Roy Robertson-Harris is coming in to give the front some much-needed depth.
On top of being a decent run defender, Robertson-Harris still has some real pass-rushing juice at 31 years old. According to Pro Football Focus, he's already generated 11 pressures this season.
The clip below is an example of what Robertson-Harris (#95) can bring as a run defender.
This was an impressive stop in the run game by newly acquired Seahawk Roy Robertson-Harris pic.twitter.com/Z74AIktNOK
— Parker (@ParkerLewes) October 14, 2024
Robertson-Harris won't be a breakout star on Seattle's defense, but he's enough of a needle-mover to be worth trading a future sixth-round pick.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B+
The Jacksonville Jaguars don't get a B+ grade for getting rid of a solid player. They get the grade because it seems like they're finally starting to embrace the tank.
Jacksonville is a disaster right now. They have the worst defensive DVOA against the run and pass despite having one of the league's top pass rushers in Josh Hines-Allen. On top of that, the offense is a mess with Trevor Lawrence under center, and head coach Doug Pederson is firmly on the hot seat with the potential to be fired before the season even ends.
At 1-5, the Jaguars are facing another one-win team in the New England Patriots for their second of back-to-back games in London. If they can't pull off a win, then there's a good chance that it's Pederson's last game as their head coach.
Look for general manager Trent Baalke to be even more aggressive as a seller if that happens.
