Bleacher Report NFL Trade Deadline Grades and Analysis

The NFL trade deadline is the last-gasp opportunity for any team in need of a significant upgrade to its roster during the current campaign.

Top-of-the-line free agents signed months ago. The next draft isn't until April. And difference-makers aren't likely to be found among remaining free agents, current backups or practice-squad players. 

While the NFL isn't nearly as active as other leagues when it comes to last-minute deals, general managers always work the phones in an attempt to improve because they understand that talent acquisition is a never-ending process. Plus, a good deal is a good deal whenever one presents itself. 

This year, the setup is slightly different since teams have yet to reach the midpoint of the season based on a 17-game slate. So, any acquisition will have at least nine regular-season contests to help their new squad. 

How much those who ultimately secured new talent actually improved remains up for debate. The 2021 trade deadline has now officially passed and Bleacher Report breaks down each transaction and assigns grades to see just how well the corresponding organizations did.

Draft evaluations can be the guiding force behind roster moves years after the fact. 

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t wait that long to acquire a cornerback they clearly liked from this year’s draft. They sent a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Denver Broncos to acquire Kary Vincent Jr., according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. 

Denver originally drafted Vincent six months ago with the 237th overall pick. The Eagles passed on Vincent at the time, instead taking defensive end Patrick Johnson three picks earlier. 

The Eagles might have had a preferred free-agent grade on Vincent, so they doubled back when the Broncos dangled their cornerbacks on the trade market. 

Broncos general manager George Paton saw the depth his team had in its secondary. Bigger names such as Kyle Fuller, Ronald Darby and Kareem Jackson made the rounds in trade rumors. But the team ultimately moved on from a late-round investment and received more in return than it originally spent. 

Vincent has yet to play in a regular-season contest, but the Eagles continue to add developmental defensive backs since Steven Nelson and Avonte Maddox are free agents after this season. 

Eagles: C

Broncos: B

Certain trades make sense even if they don’t move the needle either way. 

Shortly before Tuesday’s official deadline, the New York Jets sent tight end Dan Brown to the Kansas City Chiefs for guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. 

In the Jets' case, Duvernay-Tardif can help solidify the right guard spot. 

The Chiefs spent all offseason retooling their offensive line to protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes. During the 2021 NFL draft, they chose Trey Smith in the sixth round, and he has been a revelation.

Because of Smith’s emergence, the Chiefs no longer needed Duvernay-Tardif at right guard. But the veteran has been a five-year starter on one of the league’s best offenses. The 30-year-old could be a short-term Band-Aid for the Jets and possibly re-sign after this season. 

Meanwhile, Brown can help the Chiefs’ tight end depth. But the move was likely more financially motivated than anything else. As the Kansas City Star’s Herbie Teope noted, the Chiefs cleared $1 million off their books by moving Duvernay-Tardif. 

Jets Grade: B

Chiefs Grade: D+

The San Francisco 49ers already have Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead in place at defensive end, but their depth beyond those two has been suspect.

Dee Ford has never become the player whom San Francisco expected when it traded for him two years ago. He’s nothing more than a rotational piece despite his $85 million contract ($8.9 million cap hit this season). Meanwhile, Samson Ebukam hasn’t found his footing after signing with the 49ers in free agency this offseason.

General manager John Lynch addressed the position Tuesday by trading a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Charles Omenihu, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Omenihu is only 24 years old, and he led all returning Texans players with 32 total pressures last season, per The Athletic’s Aaron Reiss. But the Texans are in the process of building a war chest for a long-term rebuild, so they decided to move forward with Jonathan Greenard and Jacob Martin as their defensive ends.

Omenihu does provide some versatility since he can play base end and reduce inside in certain sub-packages. But overall, the trade is a minor move for both squads.

49ers Grade: C+
Texans Grade: C

Melvin Ingram III played well to start this season after signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers in July. But his playing time quickly diminished once Alex Highsmith returned to the lineup after recovering from a pulled groin. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the veteran edge-defender "quietly asked" for a trade. The Steelers granted the request Tuesday by sending him to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round draft pick (via Baltimore). 

Pittsburgh will take a hit from a depth perspective if Highsmith or T.J. Watt get dinged up at any point over the next two months. However, Ingram was otherwise a luxury that the Steelers didn't need.

Meanwhile, Kansas City's desperation to add quality defensive talent at the trade deadline was glaring. The Chiefs rank among the league's bottom 11 in total, scoring, rushing and pass defense. 

Ingram will provide much-needed flexibility. The 10-year veteran can start at defensive end and allow Chris Jones to move back inside where he's most comfortable. The combination should create a ripple effect with Jones collapsing the pocket and a capable edge-rusher to restrict space for opposing quarterbacks. 

The Chiefs had to do something to get better on defense. They did. Ingram may no longer be a Pro Bowler, but he's still a very capable edge-rusher. 

Chiefs Grade: B+

Steelers Grade: C+

The Los Angeles Rams want to repeat the feat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers accomplished for the first time last season by winning a Super Bowl in their home stadium. To do so, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay pushed all their chips into the pot.

On Monday, the Rams traded next year's second- and third-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for future Half of Fame edge defender Von Miller, per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora. 

In the short term, the Rams have the most potent pass rush in football. Aaron Donald remains the game's most consistently disruptive force. As good as the all-world interior defender is, he needs help from those working the edges. 

Los Angeles already leads the league with 25 sacks. Leonard Floyd is an excellent complement to Donald with a team-leading 6.5 sacks. The other side of the formation isn't as consistent.

Enter Miller, who's bounced back from last year's season-ending ankle injury. He's still very effective working the edge and giving opposing offensive tackles headaches. Miller held the league's third-highest pass-rushing grade among edge defenders going into this past weekend's slate, according to Pro Football Focus. 

The Rams' win-now mentality will hamper them eventually. They will have one pick (a compensatory selection) during the first two days of the 2022 draft. They've already traded away multiple first-round picks for cornerback Jalen Ramsey and quarterback Matthew Stafford. But the risk could be well worth the reward. 

Besides draft capital, the Rams didn't spend too much since the Broncos will pay $9 million of Miller's $9.7 million salary, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. 

Denver essentially paid to acquire a pair of Day 2 draft picks when Miller wasn't part of its long-term plans. After all, the 32-year-old is operating under the final year of his current deal. The extra draft picks could help the Broncos secure a solution at the quarterback position. 

Rams Grade: A

Broncos Grade: B