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NFL Trade Deadline 2018: Grades for every team

By Cody Williams

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Golden Tate #15 of the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium on September 30, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 30: Golden Tate #15 of the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium on September 30, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 28: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings catches the ball in the first half of the game as he is hit by Eli Apple #25 of the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 28: Stefon Diggs #14 of the Minnesota Vikings catches the ball in the first half of the game as he is hit by Eli Apple #25 of the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Chargers

There’s not much that the Los Angeles Chargers could’ve really done at the deadline given their roster needs and the players that were seemingly available. Having said that, it still would’ve been nice to see a little bit of action, even if they still look like an underrated force out of the AFC without having made a move.

Grade: B-

Los Angeles Rams

Staying silent would’ve been fully understandable for a Los Angeles Rams team that remains the lone unbeaten team in the league after eight weeks. However, the rich got substantially richer as LA sent a 2019 third-rounder and 2020 fifth-rounder to Jacksonville for Dante Fowler. Edge rusher was the biggest hole for this team and the Rams landed a talented, high-upside player to fill that void.

Grade: A+

Miami Dolphins

I’m not entirely sure what the Miami Dolphins would’ve done at the NFL Trade Deadline given their position. Their hot start to the 2018 season was more fool’s gold than anything else and they are a team clearly with a number of issues that are long-term things. Thus, it seems like giving an average grade is the right call here.

Grade: C

Minnesota Vikings

In truth, the Minnesota Vikings could have used some help on their offensive line as that’s been a worrisome part of their team to this point of the season. Having said that, the market wasn’t particularly great on the offensive line, so it’s hard to fully fault them for not making any move in that regard.

Grade: C+

New England Patriots

There was buzz leading up to the NFL Trade Deadline that the New England Patriots were looking to add someone else to their wide receiver corps. They obviously failed to make that happen and, though they are still AFC contenders, that doesn’t give them a great grade here.

Grade: C

New Orleans Saints

Trading for Eli Apple is a bold move for the New Orleans Saints, but one that they are in a position to make. They are a team that is performing on the level of a contender right now and, with a need for depth in the secondary, Apple gives them a high-upside player that does just that for them. They may be hurting for draft capital, but it’s about winning now for this team.

Grade: B

New York Giants

It’s clear that the New York Giants are in Eli Manning purgatory right now, so they had a bit of a mini-fire sale by dealing both Damon Harrison and Eli Apple. Both of those deals are solid, even if the return wasn’t huge. Still, it would’ve been nicer to see the G-Men deal a bigger asset to try and get more valuable draft capital.

Grade: B-

New York Jets

Standing pat wasn’t the worst decision for the New York Jets as they aren’t really working towards anything this season. However, they are a team that’s working towards their future and they should be looking to add draft capital. Their failure to do so in any capacity is a slight loss for them at the NFL Trade Deadline.

Grade: C-

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