NFL trade grades: Breaking down biggest moves at the deadline
(Getty Images)
The NFL hot stove has been burning for weeks now. Davante Adams, DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper headline the marquee names that have already been dealt, and there’s sure to be more trade action on the way.
We’ll keep you up to date on all of the wheeling and dealing around the league with trade grades for every major move made between now and Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Za'Darius Smith makes most sense for Lions
(Getty Images)
In many ways, Za'Darius Smith was always the target who made the most sense for the Lions. He checks a ton of boxes in terms of what the Lions look for. He can defend the run and set an edge. He entered Sunday 22nd in pressures with 27 and 14th in sacks with five. Smith could be brought back in 2025 as a strong fit opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. And the Lions and Browns aren't strangers -- a deadline deal sent Donovan Peoples-Jones to Detroit a year ago -- so there's a familiarity there between GMs Brad Holmes and Andrew Berry. And with the Browns 2-6 entering Sunday, they're a team that would benefit from selling off pieces.
In Smith, the Lions are getting a reliable edge rusher who helps account for the loss of Hutchinson. As a Super Bowl contender, the team couldn't afford to stand pat at the deadline after Hutchinson went down. Smith is a blueprint defensive end for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. He's consistent and productive -- two things the Lions desperately needed. They now have it.
Could Giants' Azeez Ojulari be traded by deadline today?
The Giants are listening to offers for LB Azeez Ojulari, but want to ensure they get value in return for the pending free agent.
GO FURTHER
Giants’ fourth straight loss brings them to familiar time: ‘Tankathon’ season
Once the Bears moved Khalil Herbert out of their gameday lineup two games ago, making him a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, this seemed inevitable. Herbert did a nice job throughout his career stepping in at running back when needed, often putting up a high rushing average (4.9 yards for carry).
He outplayed his sixth-round draft slot and also proved valuable on special teams, but he’s in the last year of his rookie contract and is one of the final players remaining from the Ryan Pace regime. Herbert wasn’t going to be re-signed — the Bears are set with D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. The only worry is depth. If either of those two goes down, it’d be Travis Homer getting carries, and while Homer has the backing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, he hasn’t been as effective a runner as Herbert. This is a good opportunity for Herbert, who’s never come close to the playoffs, to play for a contending team.
Bengals trade for Bears' Khalil Herbert
(Getty Images)
The neck injury to Zack Moss on Friday shifted the Bengals into desperation mode to locate a running back. The injury looks to be serious and left starter Chase Brown with essentially zero depth behind him and half a season — plus playoffs, potentially — ahead. They were already thin before Moss' injury and this provides a player capable of filling the role Moss held on passing downs and give a breather to save snaps on Brown.
"It’s important you can have a guy that can take some of the work load off of him, whether that’s a couple carries or that’s some other snaps in other areas," Zac Taylor said on Monday.
The 7.4 yards per reception and one sack allowed in 96 pass-block reps (via, PFF) for his career are surely major pieces of the puzzle for the pass-heavy Bengals offense. Khalil Herbert will immediately slip to second on the depth chart in front of Trayveon Williams and Kendall Milton, recently signed off the practice squad.
GO FURTHER
Bengals trade for Bears’ Khalil Herbert: Why Chicago’s moving on from RB
The Cincinnati Bengals trade with the Bears to get running back Khalil Herbert, and I was told they’re not done. Cincinnati continues to look around the league for an addition on defense.
Eagles midseason predictions: Saquon Barkley will break at least two single-season team records
This prediction isn’t leaning on an arbitrary number. In a way, it’s almost conservative. Barkley’s already on pace to break LeSean McCoy’s single-season records in 2013 for rushing yards (1,607) and scrimmage yards (2,146). No other player than Barkley in team history has more rushing yards (925) or scrimmage yards (1,071) through eight games. His production has been efficient. His 5.9 yards per carry is the highest among Eagles since 2000, per TruMedia (min. 100 attempts). So, Barkley won’t be required to surpass Ricky Watters’ 404 total touches in 1996.
Barkley is at the center of every Eagles game plan. This ensures, at the very least, that Barkley will have the opportunity to break those yardage records. His consistent excellence also suggests others are within reach. He’ll tie Steve Van Buren (1948) if he rushes for 100 yards in a fourth-straight game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Barkley is the first since McCoy to record five 100-yard games within the first eight games. He’ll surpass Wilbert Montgomery (1981) if he reaches nine.
The remaining schedule is favorable. They’ll twice play the NFL’s two worst defenses in terms of EPA per rush: the Cowboys (32nd) and Washington Commanders (31st). The Los Angeles Rams (20th), Carolina Panthers (27th) and New York Giants (25th) have also been dreadful defending the run.
Single-game records could be toppled. Barkley, who’s rushed for 147, 159 and 176 yards in separate games this season, will need 218 yards to surpass McCoy’s obliteration of the Detroit Lions in 2013. Barkley has also twice rushed for two touchdowns. Perhaps if the Brotherly Shove’s issues from Sunday persist, he’ll exceed the several players, including Jalen Hurts, who share the single-game record with three rushing touchdowns.
No comments:
Post a Comment