The start of the new league year is almost here. On March 11th, teams can begin signing free agents and finalizing trades, but there have already been a handful of deals that have been agreed upon prior to the start of the new year. The trades can’t officially go through until March 11th, but they have been agreed on in principle.

Five pretty big trades have gone down over the past couple of weeks, so today, I’ll be grading all five of them to see to determine who won and who lost each deal.

Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles

Los Angeles Received: CB Trent McDuffie

Kansas City Received: 2026 1st-round pick, 2026 5th-round pick, 2026 6th-round pick, 2027 3rd-round pick

Earlier this week, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams agreed on a blockbuster deal, sending All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams in exchange for four draft picks, including the Rams’ 2026 first-rounder. The Rams, who held two 1st-round picks in this draft thanks to last year’s trade with Atlanta, still maintain the 13th pick in the draft, but no longer have two firsts.

The move makes a lot of sense for both sides, so let’s start with the Rams. On paper, the Rams were already one of the most talented teams in the league, but they really needed to add some secondary help, particularly at cornerback. Instead of drafting one at 29 and banking on him turning into a good player, they used that pick (and others) to secure one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

The Rams absorb a $13 million cap hit in 2026 and will likely have to make him the highest-paid corner in the league when they extend him, but the Rams currently have the 12th-most cap space in 2026 and the third-most in 2027. They can afford to pay him a lot of money if he can be the lockdown corner he was in Kansas City.

As for the Chiefs, they are not in a great place, salary cap-wise. They had the least cap space of any team entering the offseason, so getting McDuffie off their books helps in 2026, but also in the future. They rank 25th in cap space in 2027, so they couldn’t really afford to make McDuffie the highest-paid corner in the league. At least, they couldn’t if they wanted to pay other people as well.

All-Pro cornerbacks don’t grow on trees, but neither does money. Knowing they couldn’t give him the extension he wanted, which likely would’ve resulted in him walking out the door after next season, they traded him and got a big haul in return. They now have two first-round picks in this draft, which has some really good cornerback prospects in it. They may not get an All-Pro in the draft, but they can find an adequate replacement for a fraction of the cost.

This trade seems pretty good for both sides. The Rams add their missing piece, and the Chiefs get cap relief plus a ton of draft picks in return.

Rams: B+

Chiefs: A-

D.J. Moore to Buffalo

Buffalo Received: RB D.J. Moore, 2026 5th-round pick

Chicago Received: 2026 2nd-round pick

It’s no secret the Buffalo Bills need wide receiver help. Ever since Stefon Diggs left two years ago, Josh Allen hasn’t had the WR1 he needs to have success in the playoffs. With Joe Brady taking over as head coach, it felt like this was the year they’d finally get Allen some weapons on the outside, and he acted quickly.

The Bills traded their 2nd-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for D.J. Moore and a 2026 5th-round pick. The Bills get the wide receiver they’ve needed for years, and the Bears get to free up some cap space while also bringing in another top-100 pick.

By trading for Moore, the Bills are agreeing to pay him a fully guaranteed salary of $23.5 million in 2026 and 2027, while also guaranteeing him $15.5 million of his $23.5 million salary in 2028. That’s a pretty big investment for a team that’s $31 million over the cap as of Friday, but because they’d have to shell out $27+ million to get Alec Pierce, the top WR in free agency, it’s not too bad.

D.J. Moore is an extremely talented player, but for whatever reason, he never really connected with Caleb Williams. If he and Allen can build a connection, which I assume they’ll be able to do pretty easily, he can be a perennial 1,000-yard receiver.

I’ve seen a ton of people online saying the Bears fleeced the Bills, but I don’t get that. They may have overpaid by a round, but the Bills probably couldn’t find a receiver of Moore’s caliber in the second round, and when the cap goes up $20+ million again next year, a $23.5 million cap hit in 2027 will look like great value for Moore. And if he’s the missing link that is the final piece for a Super Bowl run, who cares what they had to give up to get him?

Bills: B

Bears: A-

Jermaine Johnson to Tennessee

Tennessee Received: Jermaine Johnson

New York Received: T’Vondre Sweat

Player-for-player trades are rare in the NFL, but the Jets and Titans executed one by swapping former top-50 picks Jermaine Johnson and T’Vondre Sweat. The Jets and Titans swapped the former top-50 picks in a deal that probably won’t be too consequential.

Titans Head Coach Robert Saleh was the Jets’ head coach when they drafted Johnson, so a reunion makes a lot of sense, especially because Jermaine Johnson’s best season came with Saleh in 2023, when he recorded 7.5 sacks. Since Saleh’s departure, Johnson has dealt with some injuries, including an Achilles tear, but even when he was on the field, he wasn’t all that productive, with three sacks in 16 games. Still, he’s 6-foot-5, 294 pounds, and very athletic. If anyone can unlock his potential, it’s his former head coach.

As for the Jets, they get Johnson’s $13 million cap hit off their books in 2026, and no longer have to worry about extending him next year. And in return, they get a defensive tackle that is an excellent run stuffer, but isn’t very good at getting after the passer. He’s a very one-dimensional player who will be in on obvious rushing situations, but you don’t want him on the field on passing downs. He does cost less than $2.2 million over the next two seasons, though.

The Jets get a cheap run stuffer, while the Titans have to pay $13 million to a defensive end that hasn’t been all that efficient since his Achilles tear. The Titans are betting that Johnson can get back to playing how he did before his Achilles injury, which is a pretty risky bet. I think there’s a clear winner here.

Titans: A-

Jets: C

David Montgomery to Houston

Houston Received: RB David Montgomery

Detroit Received: IOL Juice Scruggs, 2026 4th-round pick, 2027 7th-round pick

Over the past two seasons, David Montgomery has been a big part of one of the best RB duos in the league. He and Jahmyr Gibbs complemented each other beautifully, but the 28-year-old carried an $8 million cap hit in 2026, and the Lions felt it was time to part with Montgomery, shipping him off to Houston in exchange for IOL Juice Scruggs, a 2026 4th-round pick, and a 2026 7th-round pick.

As much as this move hurts for Lions fans, it’s probably for the best. The Lions have the third-fewest cap space in the league, and they were going to have to pay Montgomery and Gibbs in the coming years. They just couldn’t afford to have two running backs making over $9 million per season, especially when one of them is turning 29 years old before the start of the season.

For Houston, this move makes a lot of sense. If they had a better offense, they would’ve had a real shot to win the Super Bowl last season. They’ve kept their defensive core intact, so they had to find ways to improve their offense this offseason, and step one was addressing the run game. Woody Marks is an exciting young talent, but he needs someone like Montgomery next to him to help shoulder the load.

The Lions get Montgomery off their books, and the Texans get the compliment they need to Marks. I do think Houston paid a pretty steep price for what is essentially a one-year rental.

Texans: C

Lions: B+

Tytus Howard to Cleveland

Cleveland Received: OT Tytus Howard

Houston Received: 2026 5th-round pick

The Cleveland Browns are going to completely revamp their offensive line this offseason. With six pending free agents up front, they could be looking at an entirely new unit up front, and the first piece they’ve added to it is Tytus Howard.

Howard mainly played right tackle in Houston, but he’s also moved inside to guard. His flexibility will be an asset to the Browns, as they can just sign and draft the best players available and not have to worry about overlapping positions.

Howard has been a really good pass protector in his career, giving up an average of two sacks per season during his seven-year career, but he hasn’t been a great run blocker. He’s never posted higher than a 64.5 run blocking grade on PFF, but if he can keep Shedeur Sanders (or whoever their starter ends up being) upright, that’s all that really matters.

I don’t see Howard being a long-term solution, but he can step in for a couple of years and be a solid offensive lineman. And he only cost Cleveland a 5th-round pick.

Browns: B+

Texans: C+