RZ B/R - The Preseason Trade-a-palooza

by adelfish | 2 years ago | 0 Comments

RZ B/R - The Preseason Trade-a-palooza

What is going on in our beloved league?

The new CBA was released, removing the trade committee (thank you very much) as gatekeepers for transactions to go through. Now, it is on the 32 individual general managers to make sure they are acting in a sim manner. 

The commissioners gave us an inch, and we took a mile.

As of this writing, there have been 14 trades...FOURTEEN. These have ranged from superstar mega-deals to backups being swapped - and guess what, we are going to grade ALL OF THEM.

So grab your favorite snack and beverage, and settle in for some grades...

Texans trade LT Laremy Tunsil to the Seahawks for S77 2nd Round Pick, S78 1st Round Pick & S78 3rd Round Pick

Bang! This is a trade worthy of kicking off a new cycle. The Seahawks drafted left tackle Charlie Cross 9th overall this year, and now they bring Laremy Tunsil into the fold, one of the best tackles in the league. Tunsil has 2 years left on his contract.

Tunsil is one of the best pass blockers in the league, and in a league where great tackles are hard to find, you'll need to pay a premium to get one. There is no doubt this a premium.

Seattle acquired two 1sts and two 2nds in this coming draft from the Russell Wilson deal, and only has to relinquish one 2nd rounder in this deal. Sure, they give up their 1st in next year's draft, but keeping both 1sts this year is a huge win for the Seahawks. 

Meanwhile, Houston knows who they are. They arguably have the weakest and most talent deficient roster in all of football, and have decided to sell off their top pieces to acquire more chances at adding young talent. In this coming draft they have two picks in each of the first three rounds, and in next year's draft they have three 1st round picks. Hitting on those could be the key to a quick turnaround.

Grade for Houston: A-

Grade for Seattle: A

Dolphins trade QB Tua Tagovailoa to the Seahawks for S77 3rd Round Pick, S77 6th Round Pick, & OLB Uchenna Nwosu

Seattle came into this preseason looking to make an upgrade at the quarterback position between Drew Lock & Geno Smith. After losing out on the big fish we will cover later, the Seahawks acquired the 24 year old former 1st round pick from the Dolphins. 

So much has been made about the arm talent of the former Crimson Tide quarterback, but there is no doubt he can be an efficient game manager if the scheme plays to his strengths. The Seahawks have no shortage of weapons, with D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and newcomer Noah Fant. Paying two mid-round picks for a starting quarterback at Tua's age is a fantastic deal. Throwing in edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu isn't ideal, but was necessary to get the deal done.

Meanwhile, Miami made it clear that their new coaching staff is going to transition to a scheme that will not benefit Tua's strengths, and decided to get value when they could. Teddy Bridgewater is a great bridge quarterback to whoever the next era is. Sure, the return isn't great, but I would consider this a very fair deal.

Grade for Miami: B

Grade for Seattle: A+

Browns trade RT Jack Conklin to the Chargers for S77 2nd Round Pick & S77 4th Round Pick

The Chargers have one of the better rosters in the league, but one of their weaknesses was at the right tackle spot - not anymore. Jack Conklin isn't elite, but he is a very good offensive tackle who is their day one starter on the right side. Being in win-now mode can make draft picks more expendable, so sending two picks for his services seems fair. 

From Cleveland's perspective, maybe I'm not locked into their backup linemen, but I don't understand this one. Letting Conklin go doesn't save a ton of money, and now they have a big hole on the right side of their offensive line, which was one of their biggest strengths. 

Grade for Cleveland: C

Grade for Los Angeles: A-

Bengals trade QB Joe Burrow to the Lions for S77 1st Round Pick (DET), S77 1st Round Pick (LAR), S78 1st Round Pick (DET), S78 3rd Round Pick, QB Jared Goff & CB Jeff Okudah

Wow. 

I don't think much else can be said right? The Bengals traded their franchise quarterback to Detroit for a haul of picks and players. When I initially looked at this trade without thinking too in depth about it, I felt like it wasn't enough for Joe Burrow. Let's break it down.

Starting on the Bengals side, they trade away their franchise quarterback to get three 1st round picks, a 3rd round pick, a bridge quarterback, and a disappointing cornerback with upside.

The best asset that the Bengals got out of this is the Rams' 1st round pick. If Silk struggles in his return to the Red Zone, this could be a top 5 pick. The Lions jumped (in my mind) to NFC North favorites with the addition of Joe Burrow, so I anticipate these 1st rounders to fall in the 20s. The 3rd round pick does nothing for me, and I think the players are just throw-ins. When you really look at Jeff Okudah's numbers, I don't see the path to him developing.

If you take the players out of it, is it enough? There have been trades in the past involving more 1st round picks to move up in the draft to acquire a rookie quarterback, let alone a proven commodity like Joe Burrow at his age. Burrow has 2 more years on his rookie deal, plus a 5th year option. So the Lions have three years of control then will look to extend him. If the Bengals did this to save money, it didn't make sense to do it for 3 seasons.

The Lions got multiple first round picks so they could get a chance to get a franchise quarterback, and they spent these picks to acquire a player who could win MVP. Burrow is now the face of a young franchise that has a ton of upside.

I love this trade for Detroit, I do not love it for Cincinnati. In a division with Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, and Kenny Pickett, the Bengals have unnecessarily handicapped themselves.

Grade for Cincinnati: D

Grade for Detroit: A

Texans trade WR Brandin Cooks to the Falcons for S77 3rd Round Pick, S77 4th Round Pick & S78 2nd Round Pick

I really like Brandin Cooks, he is a speedy deep threat who has flown under the radar due to being stuck on bad Houston teams. He heads to Atlanta for three draft picks to join Calvin Ridley and Drake London in a suddenly deep wide receiver room. If the Falcons do intend to start rookie Desmond Ridder at quarterback, adding more weapons is a good move.

Once again, I like the return for Cooks here for Houston. They have loaded up with draft picks over the next two years, and it truly is a treasure trove to play with. They can keep them all and continue to throw darts at the dart board, or they can package these into trades. Going to be fun to watch Houston's next two offseasons.

Grade for Houston: A

Grade for Atlanta: B

Falcons trade CB Isaiah Oliver to the Bills for TE O.J. Howard

The rare player-for-player trade! I love these.

Atlanta continues to add weapons to it's receiving room, bringing in O.J. Howard to join Kyle Pitts on the tight end depth chart. In doing so, they relinquished cornerback Isaiah Oliver, who is actually very underrated.

Oliver was scheduled to be third or fourth on the depth chart for Atlanta, but he is a huge get for Buffalo, as he would be one of the best depth corners in the league. The Bills have the high upside Dawson Knox at tight end, so this move to acquire depth at a premium position in corner, was worth to them thinning depth at tight end.

Overall, I like the move for Buffalo more, but we'll see what the plan for Howard is in Atlanta.

Grade for Atlanta: C+

Grade for Buffalo: B+

Eagles trade DT Fletcher Cox & S77 3rd Round Pick to the Chargers for S77 1st Round Pick & DE Sebastian Joseph-Day

The Chargers came into S77 with one thing in mind - championship or bust. They have added an elite defensive tackle, and a very good offensive tackle. Nothing wrong with upgrading the trenches.

So let's take a look. Fletcher Cox is 31 years old on a dirt cheap contract, and is still one of the premier run stuffers in football. He joins a defensive line featuring Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, which makes the front seven in Los Angeles arguably the best in foobtall. To do this, they surrendered a 1st round pick (which shoudl fall in the high 20s) and defensive end Sebastian Joseph-Day.

I actually really like Joseph-Day, a very good run stuffer off the edge who would have provided good depth and rotation for the Chargers. This gives them only 1 pick in the first 90 in next year's draft, but that's not the kind of timeline they're on. This is a win-now trade, and it very well could be the piece that pushes them over the top.

Grade for Philadelphia: B

Grade for Los Angeles: B+

Giants trade RB Saquon Barkley to the Bears for S77 1st Round Pick, S78 1st Round Pick, & S78 3rd Round Pick

I don't need to dress it up for you - this is a terrible trade for the Bears.

Saquon Barkley has been banged up his entire career, and despite having high-end athleticism, has had his development stunted. Don't get me wrong, Saquon is a good player with a ton of upside, but he is a running back. This position group has a shelf life and is over-saturated, and giving up two 1st round picks is a crazy return.

The Bears have one of the worst rosters in football, and running back was not one of their holes. David Montgomery is already on roster and was projected to be the lead dog this season, not anymore. Saquon needs to produce at an elite level to prove he is worth this return.

The Giants meanwhile, get a steal of picks from the Bears. The Bears are currently slotted to finish 3rd or 4th in the NFC North. These 1sts will project to be in the 8-14 range, and getting two of them for a running back is masterful GM work. This trade could set the Bears back for a long time.

Grade for New York: A+

Grade for Chicago: F

Vikings trade DT James Lynch to the Texans for DT Ross Blacklock and S78 5th Round Pick

Not sure I understand this trade from the perspective of the Texans. I think Blacklock is clearly the better prospect of the two defensive tackles in this deal, and they actually gave up a future draft choice to bring in James Lynch. I'm aware that the relationship between coach and player exists here, but I think the Vikings' defensive tackle got way better with Blacklock, and now they have another pick next year.

Grade for Houston: D-

Grade for Minnesota: B-

Giants trade LB Blake Martinez to the Bills for S77 3rd Round Pick

The Giants continue to trade off pieces to acquire more draft picks for the coming offseasons, and this time it's linebacker Blake Martinez heading to Buffalo for a 3rd round pick.

Martinez is a very good run defending linebacker, who joins a good linebacker core with Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds. The Bills get an above-average player for a good deal, giving up a third for a player like Martinez is a great move for a team with AFC East aspirations.

Meanwhile, the Giants can move forward with the youth movement, a team that is suddenly stockpiled with draft picks.

Grade for New York: B

Grade for Buffalo: A-

Jaguars trade CB Shaquill Griffin to the Vikings for S77 2nd Round Pick, S77 3rd Round Pick & S78 3rd Round Pick

Coach Spencer Jordan made it known that the Vikings were looking to upgrade at the cornerback position, as the lack of a true #1 cornerback worried the staff heading into Season 77. Yes, they have intriguing young pieces like Andrew Booth and Cameron Dantzler, but a top cornerback was needed.

Shaquill Griffin is a very talented 27 year old defensive back, with great athleticism and high zone coverage skills. Is he a top ten corner? No, but he has potential to keep developing. I think the Vikings gave up too much for him, but for a team that has potential to compete for the NFC North, they needed an upgrade at a premium position. 

For the Jaguars, they receive three more draft picks to keep building one of the worst rosters in football, and free up some more cap space to build the team in Ricky Chapstick's image. They will miss Griffin this year, but I really like the pick return for him.

Grade for Jacksonville: A-

Grade for Minnesota: C

Saints trade TE Juwan Johnson to the Dolphins for LB Duke Riley

Player for player!! These get me more excited then Tauph does at an all-you-can-eat buffet!

Juwan Johnson is a speedy tight end with the ability to go up and get the football. The Dolphins are moving towards a run after the catch offense with speed at every position, and adding depth like Johnson is further proof of that. In an offense that will utilize 2 tight end personnel in singleback formations, Johnson could see a lot of opportunities behind Mike Gesicki.

Duke Riley is an athletic linebacker who has yet to catch on as an every-down player, but is a great special teamer and run stopper. He brings speed to the linebacker core in New Orleans, and could compete for some meaningful depth snaps. 

Overall, I like this move for both teams.

Grade for New Orleans: C

Grade for Miami: C+

Colts trade LB Shaquille Leonard to the Cowboys for S77 1st Round Pick, S77 3rd Round Pick & S78 3rd Round Pick

Shaquille (Darius) Leonard is one of the best run stuffing linebackers in the game, and joins a Dallas Cowboys defense with Defensive Rookie of the Year, Micah Parsons. No doubt, Dallas has one of the best linebacker rooms in football now.

Was it necessary? Dallas has holes on the defensive line, but is pretty set over the rest of their defense. Adding a pass rusher was higher on the list for me, and bringing in Darius Leonard seems like overkill at a position that isn't considered premium. 

The Colts meanwhile, free up a lot of cap from Leonard's big contract, and acquire three high value draft picks. The Cowboys with Coach Tiko are by no means a sure thing, so that 1st round pick could end up being very valuable. The Colts have a big hole on their defense now, but have some intriguing young players at the position.

Overall, I think the Cowboys improve from a W/L perspective, but how much value does another linebacker bring?

Grade for Dallas: C+

Grade for Indianapolis: B

Seahawks trade QB Drew Lock to the Colts for S77 4th Round Pick

The 25 year old Drew Lock brings some intriguing abilities to the Colts, who have made it very public that they have been unhappy with what they've seen from Matt Ryan in the preseason scrimmages. Lock brings youth and athleticism to the position, with a sneaky good arm. Factor in the prior relationship with Coach Astin and Lock, and this could be a match made in heaven, for at least a season.

Seattle found it's quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa, so recouping a draft pick for a guy who was behind Geno Smith is a win in my books. A 4th is a 4th, but it is another asset for the Seahawks to use next offseason.

Getting your likely starting quarterback for a 4th is a nice deal. Do I think Lock is highly successful in Indy? With Coach Astin calling the plays, anything is possible, but there certainly is a ceiling. I like the trade, but it's still Drew Lock we're talking about.

Grade for Seattle: A+

Grade for Indianapolis: A-