2023 NFL trade deadline grades tracker: 49ers acquire Chase Young, Bears land Montez Sweat, Vikings get new QB

The 2023 NFL trade deadline was the final opportunity for all 32 NFL teams to add talent for a Super Bowl run, or sell assets for draft capital — and now it has come and gone.

We actually saw several trades go down in the first few weeks of the season, but these weren’t blockbuster transactions as much as they were teams taking fliers on players who didn’t work out with their respective teams for whatever reason. However, activity really ramped up on the final day of trading, and we saw some huge surprises on Tuesday. 

Below we will break down every trade that took place before the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline on Halloween. 

Buffalo adds a DB

Bills get: CB Rasul Douglas, 2024 fifth-round pick
Packers get: 2024 third-round pick

NFL Media reported that the Bills made as many calls about cornerbacks or defensive backs as anyone over the past week. In fact, they were reportedly interested in Jaylon Johnson of the Bears, per ESPN. Ultimately, Brandon Beane lands Rasul Douglas, but that’s not a bad add.

 The 28 year old has had an overall good season in Green Bay and is a leader that should make an immediate impact in a secondary that has dealt with some injuries. When you look at draft compensation, this may be more like a late third-round pick for Douglas and a higher fifth-round pick.

Trade grades: Bills B+, Packers C-

Donovan Peoples-Jones returns to Michigan

Lions get: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Browns get: 2025 sixth-round pick

A former University of Michigan star and Detroit native is headed back to the Motor City, as the Browns are sending Peoples-Jones to the Lions for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick. DPJ has just eight catches for 97 yards in seven games this season, after a campaign which he caught 61 passes for 839 yards and three touchdowns. 

The now-former Brown gives Jared Goff another experienced target in the passing game, although he will be a free agent at the end of this season. 

Trade grades: Lions B, Browns C

Chase Young to The Bay

49ers get: DE Chase Young
Commanders get: 2024 third-round pick

How many pass rushers do you need, Kyle Shanahan? The 49ers paid Nick Bosa this offseason, traded for Randy Gregory not long ago and now have added a former No. 2 overall pick in Chase Young. He joins a group that also includes Clelin Ferrell and Drake Jackson. Per ESPN, the 49ers were expecting compensatory picks for the losses of offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, new Titans GM Ran Carthon and Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, and one of those will be sent to Washington.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is in the midst of a career campaign with five sacks in seven games, and will surely benefit from San Francisco’s defensive scheme. Now comes the question if Young’s long-term home is in San Francisco.

Trade grades: 49ers: A, Commanders C+ 

Jaguars beef up offensive front

Jaguars get: OL Ezra Cleveland
Vikings get: 2024 sixth-round pick 

I guess the Vikings were both sellers and buyers at the trade deadline. Cleveland was viewed as one of the top offensive guards on the “trade market,” and he is now perusing the housing market in Jacksonville. The 25 year old lineman is on an expiring deal, but has played both guard spots on the interior and will immediately upgrade the Jaguars offensive line.

Trade grades: Jaguars A-, Vikings C

Vikings find new QB in Joshua Dobbs

Vikings get: QB Joshua Dobbs, 2024 seventh-round pick
Cardinals get: 2024 sixth-round pick

Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday, so the Vikings needed to find a new quarterback if they didn’t want to roll with rookie Jaren Hall. Minnesota found said new quarterback on Tuesday in Joshua Dobbs of the Cardinals. Dobbs, who was traded from the Cleveland Browns to Arizona in August, started all eight games for the Cardinals this season, going 1-7. He has completed 62.8% of his passes for 1,569 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. 

Dobbs is a quick study. He was an aerospace engineer intern at Pratt & Whitney, and spent time at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center as part of an NFLPA externship. It’s a reason why the Titans plucked him off the Browns practice squad to start games late last year, and why the Cardinals traded for him earlier this season. 

Trade grades: Vikings A, Cardinals D

Bears make monster move for Montez Sweat

Bears get: DE Montez Sweat
Commanders get: 2024 second-round pick

The Bears kicked things off on Tuesday with a swing for the fences, as they sent the Commanders a second-round pick for pass rusher Montez Sweat. If the season ended today, Washington would pick at No. 35 overall, so it’s a borderline first-round pick. Sweat is an underrated player in the midst of a career year with 6.5 sacks, 32 tackles and 10 tackles for loss tallied through eight games, but this is an interesting move considering that Sweat is on an expiring deal. Chicago clearly believes in Sweat, and you can bet he will use this in contract negotiations. 

When it comes to the Commanders’ side of things, this is nice compensation for a player who may have been on his way out of town anyway. With Sweat gone, all eyes now turn to former No. 2 overall pick Chase Young, who is also on an expiring deal. 

Trade grades: C- for Bears, A- for Commanders

Atlanta Falcons add help on the defensive line

Falcons get: DL Kentavius Street, 2025 seventh-round pick
Eagles get: 2024 sixth-round pick

He’s back in the NFC South. Street signed with the Eagles this offseason after a career year with the Saints in 2022 under co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Falcons. However, the Eagles have one of the best defensive lines in the entire league, which left Street on the outside looking in on the rotation. This season, he has recorded just four combined tackles. For the Falcons, they just lost star lineman Grady Jarrett to a torn ACL in the loss to the Titans in Week 8, so Terry Fontenot was looking to add to the defensive line. 

Trade grades: A- for Falcons, B+ for Eagles

Seattle Seahawks acquire former Pro Bowl defensive lineman

Seahawks get: DL Leonard Williams
Giants get: 2024 second-round pick, 2025 fifth-round pick

The Seattle Seahawks are 5-2 and near the top of the NFC standings, so they don’t have a ton of holes. However, with their team quarterback pressure rate rankings just outside the top 10 (36.6%) 12th best in the NFL, Seattle sought to reinforce that area by acquiring Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, whose 22 quarterback pressures this season now rank as the second most on the Seahawks trailing only linebacker Boye Mafe’s 23 by one pressure. Williams is likely a rental since his three-year, $63 million contract expires at the end of this season. The Giants are paying out the majority of the $10 million remaining on his deal, according to NFL Media, and they get a decent draft pick return for a player they were likely to lose in the offseason anyways.

Trade grades: B- for Seahawks, A for Giants

Philadelphia Eagles add former All-Pro safety

Eagles get: S Kevin Byard
Titans get: S Terrell Edmunds, 2024 fifth-round pick, 2024 sixth-round pick

The Philadelphia Eagles arguably had one major weakness on their roster, and they just filled it with one of the league’s best players at the position. After seeing both of their starting safeties from last season’s team walk in free agency, Philly was trying to patch things over with multiple players on the back end. Now, the Eagles have Byard, one of the best center-field safeties in the league who has also been quite good flying down from the top against the run. He immediately improves what was already one of the best rosters in football. 

Trade grades: A for Eagles, C- for Titans

Kansas City Chiefs get Mecole Hardman back

Chiefs get: WR Mecole Hardman, 2025 seventh-round pick
Jets get: 2025 sixth-round pick

Mecole Hardman is heading back to the Kansas City Chiefs. The New York Jets have moved on from Hardman after just six games. He received just three targets in his short tenure with the Jets, a significantly different experience from what he had in Kansas City. 

Hardman, a former second-round pick of the Chiefs, had 151 catches for 2,088 yards and 16 touchdowns in four seasons with Kansas City. His best season was his rookie campaign (2019), when he finished with 26 catches for 538 yards and six touchdowns — averaging 20.7 yards per catch. 

Trade grades: B for Chiefs, D for Jets

Atlanta Falcons deal for Van Jefferson

Falcons get: WR Van Jefferson, 2025 seventh-round pick
Rams get: 2025 sixth-round pick 

On the same day as the initial report came out that the Rams were shopping Van Jefferson, the Rams struck a deal with the Falcons, sending the wideout to Atlanta. Along with Jeffers, the Falcons got a 2025 seventh round draft pick while the Rams acquired a 2025 sixth-rounder. 

Jefferson, a 2020 second round pick out of Florida, is in the final year of his rookie contract, so the Falcons will be able to get a solid look at the 27-year-old within their offense before having to possibly commit long-term. Meanwhile, the Rams gain greater draft capital in exchange for a player that played just two offensive snaps a week ago. Jefferson’s best season in the NFL came back in 2021 when he caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns. 

Trade grades: A for Falcons, C for Rams.

San Francisco 49ers acquire Randy Gregory

49ers get: LB Randy Gregory, 2024 seventh-round pick
Broncos get: 2024 sixth-round pick  

The Denver Broncos let it be known that they were set to release veteran pass rusher Randy Gregory unless a trade partner emerged. It was the 49ers who stepped up, and agreed to send a 2024 sixth-round pick to Denver for Gregory and a 2024 seventh-rounder. 

Gregory signed a five-year deal worth up to $70 million with the Broncos during the 2022 offseason, an obvious swing and miss for general manager George Paton. Now, Denver will be paying Gregory $10 million to rush the passer for arguably the best team in the NFL. 

Trade grades: A- for 49ers, F for Broncos

Miami Dolphins add Chase Claypool

Dolphins get: WR Chase Claypool, 2025 seventh-round pick
Bears get: 2025 sixth-round pick  

After being made a healthy inactive in multiple games, the Chicago Bears parted ways with Chase Claypool. Chicago shipped him to the Dolphins in a late-round pick swap, as Miami received Claypool and a 2025 seventh-round pick for a 2025 sixth-round pick. 

Claypool caught 18 passes for 191 yards and one touchdown in 10 total games played for the Bears, and there were questions about his work ethic. A league source told CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones that Claypool needs some hard coaching. That he needs to be someone where there’s “a thumb on him.” Still, Claypool is a big, athletic target who could help the blazing Dolphins.

Trade grades: C for Dolphins, F for Bears

J.C. Jackson returns to New England

Patriots get: CB J.C. Jackson, swap sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025 with Chargers
Chargers get: Swap sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025 with Patriots

The Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots swapped sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025 for Jackson to be shipped back to his former team. Jackson was another player who had been benched and even made inactive by the Chargers. This coming after they team gave “Mr. INT” a five-year, $82.5 million deal just a year and a half ago. Jackson suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury in 2022, and struggled through the early portions of 2023. 

The Patriots lost two of their most important defenders in the blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Christian Gonzalez and Matt Judon, so Jackson was a familiar face Bill Belichick turned to. 

Trade grades: Patriots B+, Chargers D