Every NFL offseason trade so far, graded: Breaking down the biggest deals around the league
The Bills, Rams and more teams have already made major moves. Here's how each trade grades out.
This NFL offseason has already been a wild one, and we haven't even reached free agency. John Harbaugh is now the coach of the New York Giants, the Miami Dolphins fired Mike McDaniel, who landed in Los Angeles as Jim Harbaugh's offensive coordinator, and the Buffalo Bills fired Sean McDermott before promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the top job. While free agency is right around the corner, there has already been plenty of player movement.
It feels as though we've seen an uptick in trades. Perhaps that's an indicator of how executives view this free agency class -- and the incoming draft class as well. Just in the past few weeks, we've seen teams swap young players for young players, and contenders take big swings in pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy. It's fair to say we're not done either, as Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby or Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown could be next.
While several deals have already been agreed to, trades cannot become official until the start of the new league year at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11.
Below, we revisit every trade that's been made over the last month and check out how the CBS Sports staff graded each move.
Bears trade DJ Moore to Bills
Joe Brady is bringing in a veteran wide receiver to help Josh Allen, as Buffalo sent a second-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for Moore and a fifth-round pick. Moore was always viewed as a trade candidate this offseason, but not many expected the Bears to net this kind of return given the wideout's contract.
Moore is signed through 2029. As part of the trade, the Bills will guarantee $15.5 million of his 2028 base salary, his agents told ESPN. Moore's $23.5 million salary for 2026 is already fully guaranteed, and his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed next week.
Trade grades (via Zach Pereles)
- Bills: B-
- Bears: B
Chiefs trade Trent McDuffie to Rams
- Rams receive: WR Trent McDuffie
- Chiefs receive: 2026 first-round pick (No. 29 overall), 2026 fifth-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick, 2027 third-round pick
Star cornerback Trent McDuffie goes from one Super Bowl contender to another. The Los Angeles Rams are sticking by their "F them picks" mantra, sending a 2026 first-round pick (No. 29 overall), a 2026 fifth-round pick, a 2026 sixth-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for the 25-year-old defensive back, who has a case to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history soon. McDuffie is set to play the 2026 season on his fifth-year option.
The Rams needed to upgrade their secondary this offseason, while the Chiefs needed to shed some cap. This isn't the first time Kansas City has elected to trade one of its top corners, as it sent L'Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans just a couple years ago.
Trade grades (via John Breech)
- Rams: A
- Chiefs: B+
Lions trade David Montgomery to Texans
- Texans receive: David Montgomery
- Lions receive: OL Juice Scruggs, 2026 fourth-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick
The Houston Texans have a new running back after trading a fourth-round pick, a seventh-round pick and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs to the Detroit Lions for Montgomery, who turns 29 this summer. Montgomery recorded the eighth-most rushing touchdowns over the past three seasons with Detroit (33), but had a career-low 158 rushing attempts and 716 rushing yards in 2025.
He now has a chance to establish himself as RB1 in Houston, while Jahmyr Gibbs loses his "Knuckles," his power-running partner in Detroit's "Sonic and Knuckles" backfield.
Trade grades (via Tyler Sullivan)
- Texans: B
- Lions: B-
Texans trade Tytus Howard to Browns
- Browns receive: OT Tytus Howard
- Texans receive: 2026 fifth-round pick
All five starters on the Cleveland Browns' offensive line are set to hit free agency. No team since 1970 has lost all five starters on the offensive line in the same offseason, according to CBS Sports Research.
That's why Cleveland swung a trade for a versatile blocker in Tytus Howard, who has played every spot on the offensive line except center. The Texans receive a fifth-round pick in the deal.
Trade grades (via Jordan Dajani)
- Browns: A
- Texans C-
Titans trade T'Vondre Sweat to Jets for Jermaine Johnson II
The first trade that will become official in the new league year is a rare player-for-player deal, as the Titans sent defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat to the Jets for pass rusher Jermaine Johnson II.
Sweat is a massive man with massive potential, while Johnson fills a big need for the Titans at pass rusher and has familiarity with new coach Robert Saleh.
Trade grades (via Zach Pereles)
- Jets: B+
- Titans: B-
