Seth Walder
Let's grade trades from the 2025 NFL season. When a deal occurs, we regularly hear the outdated adage that it's going to take years to understand how effectively every workforce did within the deal. To that I say: nonsense. Basic managers do not get the advantage of hindsight whereas they're making their choices, so why ought to we when evaluating these choices?
That is a great distance of claiming I am an enormous fan of commerce grades, which doc our response in the intervening time a deal is made. When grading trades, I consider them for every workforce based mostly on on-field affect, cap implications, draft compensation and results inside the context of a workforce's total short- and long-term outlook. I like to consider choices on two axes:
They're going to each play a task in our grades, although a low-impact determination can nonetheless obtain a powerful or poor grade. Low-stakes, clear-cut wins or losses nonetheless matter.
Let's dive in on in-season offers main as much as NFL commerce deadline on Nov. 4. We'll begin with the Eagles buying working again Tank Bigsby from the Jaguars.
Eagles get: RB Tank Bigsby
Jaguars get: 2026 fifth-round choose, 2026 sixth-round choose
Eagles grade: C-
Jaguars grade: A
Eagles basic supervisor Howie Roseman wins extra trades than anybody, however he would not win 'em all.
In Bigsby, the Eagles purchase a really strong runner. The 2023 third-round choose collected a formidable 124 rush yards over expectation final season, per NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, after a disappointing rookie marketing campaign.
However that is all he's, which is his draw back. Bigsby provides virtually nothing within the receiving recreation; he has solely eight profession receptions. He has go blocked on solely 33 snaps in his professional profession. And he evidently did not win the beginning job in Jacksonville this season regardless of not dealing with significantly stiff competitors in Travis Etienne Jr. and fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten.
This commerce makes it clear that the Eagles felt they wanted working again depth behind Saquon Barkley. They've Will Shipley, who figures to be extra of a receiving complement and backup — very totally different from Bigsby. However my first response was wow, that is loads for a backup at a non-premium place who would not catch passes, particularly contemplating how a lot Philadelphia has already invested at working again with Barkley. Even with Bigsby below management for an additional rookie contract yr in 2026, it is a bit a lot for my liking.
It is a good consequence for Jacksonville, although. It appeared doubtless that one among Etienne or Bigsby could be dealt after the addition of Tuten on this yr's draft. That it occurred now could be an upset. However in alternate for his or her second- or third-string working again the Jaguars are receiving a fifth- and sixth-round choose. That is nice worth, and it hardly leaves Jacksonville short-handed contemplating Bigsby did not begin.
