There were 22 trades this past August — one more than the 21 we got last year even if we didn’t get a blockbuster on the same level as the Micah Parsons deal. Most of the swaps were of the “five pennies for a nickel” variety, but every now and again, a team stumbles onto a rare coin that has some unexpected value. 

Odds are a couple of these deals will pay off down the road. Which ones? We’ll take some educated guesses down below, recapping each trade and assigning a grade. 

• 2026 NFL Trades Tracker

Patriots/Vikings

NE gets: OT Walter Rouse, 2027 7th (PHI)

MIN gets: 2027 6th (MIN)

Grade: B for both sides

Rouse was going to be hard-pressed to hang on the roster in Minnesota after they invested significantly in overhauling their tackle depth. New England’s depth is much less secure, hence the trade. Rouse looks like OT4 for the Patriots (aka the backup to the top backup swing tackle). He checks some important boxes for the position at 6-6 and 330 pounds, though. 

Panthers/Chargers

CAR gets: DT TeRah Edwards

LAC gets: 2028 6th 

Grade: B for LAC, C for CAR

Even though 2028 picks are still being devalued in talks at this time, giving up a straight sixth-round pick speaks to either how much the Panthers like Edwards or how desperate they feel for defensive line depth (perhaps a little bit of both). He hasn’t played except for in the preseason the past two years, but put up some interesting tape. It’s a gamble for the Panthers, albeit one that they’re not risking much on. Meanwhile, the Chargers continue to show an ability to win on the margins with their personnel department. 

49ers/Texans

SF gets: C Jarrett Patterson

HOU gets: 2027 7th 

Grade: B- for SF, B for HOU

This is a solid example of a win-win trade. Patterson has 21 starts over the past three seasons under his belt, making him a credible option for a 49ers team that is shallow at center and elsewhere on the interior. He has just one year remaining on his rookie contract but a seventh in 2027 would be far from a lock to make the roster. For Houston, this trade has to be viewed in conjunction with the next one…

Texans/Cowboys

HOU gets: OT Nathan Thomas

DAL gets: 2027 7th (NE)

Grade: C+ for DAL, B for HOU

Effectively, the Texans swapped Patterson for Thomas here, laundering a seventh-round pick to make it happen. Thomas isn’t as proven a commodity but if you factor in the positional value of a tackle compared to an interior lineman and the fact Thomas still has three years remaining on his rookie contract, it’s a good swap. The Cowboys spent a seventh on Thomas just last year, so they essentially come out even. He had a shot to win the starting left tackle job in camp but was outpaced by former first-rounder Tyler Guyton. 

Jets/Raiders

NYJ gets: C Jordan Meredith, 2029 7th

LV gets: 2028 6th (KC, conditional)

Grade: B for Jets, C+ for Raiders

The Raiders initially retained Meredith on a restricted free agent tender worth around $3.6 million, but the performance of other depth options made him superfluous, so they can save the cash and move a draft pick up a round and a year. For the Jets, they’re getting a depth upgrade who can play all three interior offensive line spots. They didn’t keep any other interior linemen on the active roster who were with them in camp, so it’s just Meredith for now. He’s started 19 games the past two years, and he actually had a really strong PFF rating in 2024 before falling off at center this past season. 

Packers/Rams

GB gets: TE Mark Redman

LAR gets: 2028 7th

Grade: B for GB, B+ for LAR

Redman flashed a little bit in the preseason this year as a blocker, and the Packers weren’t the only ones who noticed. Their tight end depth chart was in tough shape, prompting not only this trade but the signing of veteran Jonnu Smith. It’s tough to quantify the impact of a blocking tight end but it’s probably worth a future seventh if Redman can stick. Meanwhile, the Rams already kept five tight ends on the roster through cuts, so there quite literally was no more room. Flipping an undrafted free agent for a draft pick after just one year is a decent profit for Los Angeles. 

Packers/Steelers

GB gets: RB Kaleb Johnson

PIT gets: 2028 6th

Grade: C+ for PIT, C for GB

Obviously the fact that the Steelers gave away a third-rounder after just one season is a massive indictment of the pick itself. As far as the actual trade, the Steelers salvaged something respectable considering a lot of people expected them to end up releasing Johnson. It’s tough to trade running backs with how much talent there generally is around the league. The Packers are in a pickle with RB Josh Jacobs’ legal situation, so they needed to make some kind of move. Johnson was decently well thought of as a prospect just a year ago, so perhaps a change of scenery and scheme helps unlock that. However, the odds are decent that they just lit a pick on fire. 

Seahawks/Chargers

SEA gets: CB Avery Smith

LAC gets: 2027 6th

Grade: C+ for SEA, B+ for LAC

It’s rare to see rookie free agents traded considering they’re huge unknowns and don’t usually have a lot of pedigree. Every UDFA was passed on multiple times by every team just four months ago. Yet there were a couple of those deals this year, including Smith. He had a great preseason and camp for the Chargers, who run a similar defense as Seattle. The Seahawks also used a seventh-rounder on Smith’s Toledo teammate CB Andre Fuller, who was cut and signed to the practice squad, so they clearly were already super familiar with Smith. Maybe they should have drafted him instead of Fuller, as they ended up spending an earlier pick in what’s viewed as a better class to bring him in. 

The Chargers are playing the percentages here, as they have a good history the last few years of developing unheralded defensive backs. Trading a rookie UDFA for a future pick is probably good process. 

Cardinals/Jaguars

ARI gets: TE Hunter Long, 2028 7th

JAX gets: 2028 6th

Grade: D+ for ARI, B for JAX

I’m not sure it makes a ton of sense for a rebuilding Cardinals team to trade draft capital for a journeyman tight end who was viewed as unlikely to make the roster for the Jaguars. But he does know the system and the Cardinals didn’t give up all that much in the grand scheme of things (the picks being in 2028 allays concern about an effective two-round drop given where both teams project in 2026). I don’t have any qualms for the Jaguars’ side of things. Getting anything for Long at this stage is a nice win. 

Packers/Dolphins

GB gets: 2028 6th (JAX)

MIA gets: QB Kyle McCord

Grade: A- for GB, C for MIA

The Packers signed McCord to a futures deal in January. Eight months later, they flipped him for a future draft pick, continuing a long organizational history of developing quarterbacks. I don’t have an exact number but I would hazard a guess that 90 percent of futures contracts end up as fodder for cuts and practice squads. So turning a futures deal into a draft pick is a nice move for the Packers. For the Dolphins’ side of things, I’m not sure they got the best value even though they did need a developmental passer. The market for backups was flooded this summer. This trade shows that they zeroed in on McCord in particular, though, ahead of other options. 

Bears/Falcons

CHI gets: 2027 5th, CB Clark Phillips

ATL gets: DT Gervon Dexter

Grade: C for CHI, B for ATL

On the surface, the Bears letting a young defensive tackle with 11 sacks over the past two seasons out the door for just a fifth-rounder doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. It could still end up backfiring, as there’s not a lot of proven production remaining on the Bears’ depth chart and their defensive line is a weak spot. Chicago just never seemed that enamored with Dexter after the current coaching staff was hired, and his 55.6 overall PFF grade (77th out of 127) might provide some context. 

For the Falcons, though, they get to add an intriguing pass rusher in a contract year who should be extra motivated to put things together. PFF gave Dexter a solid pass-rushing grade even if he was subpar in other areas, and interior pass-rushing production is highly sought after by NFL teams. Phillips is a throw-in here, as he was on the wrong side of the roster bubble, but a fifth is a real concession here by the Falcons. If they get another five or six sacks and end up signing Dexter to a long-term deal, it will have been well worth it, though. 

Colts/Bills

IND gets: C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, 2027 7th

BUF gets: 2027 6th

Grade: C+ for IND, B for BUF

This year’s preseason demonstrated the Colts didn’t have a viable backup center on the roster. This trade fixes that, and even if Van Pran-Granger still hasn’t quite found his footing as an NFL player, he has two years remaining on his rookie contract. The Bills had a ton of offensive line depth and found a way to parlay some value from a player on the roster bubble. 

Jaguars/Dolphins

JAX gets: QB Quinn Ewers

MIA gets: 2028 6th

Grade: C+ for JAX, C+ for MIA

Remember when the Dolphins were talking about how they would have been just fine going into this year with Ewers as the starter in certain scenarios? It’s always worth adding a handful of salt any time a team talks up a young quarterback who wasn’t an early-round pick. Miami swept clean essentially the entire room behind QB Malik Willis, showing what they thought. Ewers had a rough preseason but he has some interesting developmental traits for a team like the Jaguars that was weak at backup quarterback, and they have three more years on his rookie contract to work on them. 

Chiefs/Ravens

KC gets: OT Diego Pounds

BAL gets: 2028 6th (conditional)

Grade: C for KC, B for BAL

The second rookie free agent to be traded this summer, Pounds is someone we highlighted in our 2026 UDFA watch list back in May. He was widely expected to be drafted given he had NFL-level athletic traits at 6-6 and 330 pounds. Finding players who check those boxes is half the battle for NFL teams; teaching them how to block the freaks of nature rushing the passer on defense is the other half and the reason most teams don’t feel like they have enough tackle depth. For whatever reason, though, he slid out of the draft and landed with Baltimore before the Chiefs flipped a late-rounder to address what’s suddenly become a shaky position for them. Kansas City is a bad break or so from starting two undrafted rookies at tackle between Pounds and Kahlil Benson. 

I’m not crazy about the Ravens parting with a young tackle who showed some promise, either, but their depth at tackle is okay and turning a UDFA into a pick after just a few months is a nice return. 

Cowboys/Steelers

DAL gets: OT Broderick Jones, 2027 4th

PIT gets: 2027 3rd, 2027 6th

Grade: C+ for DAL, B+ for PIT

This is a fascinating trade with both real risk and real upside for both parties. Let’s start with the Cowboys’ side. The team has expressed some concern about the situation at tackle. Guyton fended off Thomas earlier in camp but HC Brian Schottenheimer recently said longtime RT Terence Steele needed to play better, then followed it up with this trade that directly threatens Steele’s starting role. Jones is a former first-round pick who has flashed but has not been able to stack consistency, partially because Pittsburgh kept flip-flopping which side of the line he played. 

He has more upside long-term than Steele, but that’s capped somewhat because he’s in the final year of his rookie contract. If he takes over and has a big season, the Cowboys have exclusive negotiating rights until March, but there’s not really anything they can do to stop him from testing the market short of the franchise tag, and they might need that for WR George Pickens. Steele also is under contract for a guaranteed $9 million in 2027 still after reworking his contract this offseason. 

Swapping from the third round down to the fourth lessens the cost of this trade significantly, as the Cowboys only lose a round of value rather than a full Day 2 pick. Still, that third-rounder is a valuable chip that they just burned. Perhaps it gives them security at tackle, or perhaps Jones continues his inconsistency and is playing somewhere else next year. 

The Steelers had already drafted over Jones and declined his fifth-year option, so he wasn’t in their long-term plans. This trade leaves them shallow at tackle, however, and is a big bet on first-round OT Max Iheanachor being ready if needed. Iheanachor has great traits but was viewed as a developmental prospect who could benefit from some time. If Steelers RT Dylan Cook gets hurt, Pittsburgh doesn’t have that luxury anymore. 

Still, the draw of adding another Day 2 pick in a vaunted 2027 class was too much for Steelers GM Omar Khan to resist. That gives the team a lot of flexibility, whether it’s trading up for a rookie passer or building around whoever’s under center for Pittsburgh next year when Aaron Rodgers retires. 

Patriots/Cardinals

NE gets: RB Corey Kiner

ARI gets: 2028 7th (NO)

Grade: C for NE, B for ARI

The Patriots threw a whole bunch of darts this offseason at trying to get a No. 3 running back they were happy with and ultimately struck out for various reasons. So they took the seventh they got in the Boutte trade and flipped it to the Cardinals for Kiner. He runs hard and can contribute on special teams, so he should check the major boxes for the Patriots. There’s a decent chance they could have gotten him on waivers, though. For Arizona, flipping a depth running back for a pick is a no-brainer. 

Giants/Ravens

NYG gets: DT CJ Okoye

BAL gets: 2028 7th

Grade: C for NYG, B for BAL

At one point this offseason, the Giants had 13 of their 91 roster spots dedicated to defensive tackles. They pared that down all the way to five for the 53-man roster, but it’s fair to expect a lot of churn here as they cast about for a replacement for Dexter Lawrence. Okoye has been a practice squad/futures type, but he’s someone the coaching staff is familiar with, which earned him a look. I’d have liked this deal more for the Giants if they had done a swap rather than straight giving up a pick. Conversely, I like it more for the Ravens for that reason.  

Rams/Dolphins

LAR gets: WR Tutu Atwell

MIA gets: RB Jarquez Hunter

Grade: B for both

The Rams look like a super team but one of the few potential weaknesses looming over the 2026 season is their depth, especially at receiver. They are painfully thin behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Atwell won’t be a true replacement for either player if they’re hurt, but he is familiar with the system and has shown proficiency in a clearly defined (and limited) role. It’s a fair trade for a back in Hunter who was otherwise buried on the depth chart. He has a clearer path to a role in Miami, even if he was waived and stashed on the practice squad. 

Chiefs/Giants

KC gets: OL Joshua Ezeudu

NYG gets: 2028 7th

Grade: C+ for KC, B for NYG

Kansas City clearly felt it needed to improve its offensive line depth this summer, and Ezeudu should help on the interior. The former third-round pick hasn’t done much so far but he’s also been miscast as a swing tackle because of the Giants’ failure to find proper depth. In his limited reps at guard, Ezeudu has looked much more comfortable. From New York’s perspective, they salvage a pick for a player that they easily could have cut, as their offensive line depth is a strength for once heading into this season. 

Patriots/Texans

NE gets: S Jaylen Reed, 2028 7th (NO)

HOU gets: WR Kayshon Boutte

Grade: C for NE, A for HOU

This feels like a light return for Boutte, but I do think if the Patriots had a better offer on the table, they would have taken it. They’ve been dangling him on the block all offseason and the fact that it took until mid-August for a trade to develop suggests there probably wasn’t much of a market. Reed was a sixth-round pick in 2025, so this is effectively two late-rounders. He gives New England another body at safety, a position they felt weak at. 

This is much more positive for Houston, landing them a receiver who has flashed starting-level talent and is still just 24 years old. Boutte topped 500 receiving yards each of the past two seasons, scoring six touchdowns in 2025. He can play multiple receiver spots and brings a needed deep threat element to the offense, too. Boutte’s history of maturity concerns may have depressed his stock around the league, but he handled a tough situation with the Patriots this offseason admirably. There’s a ton of upside and very little downside for the Texans, especially after losing WR Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL. 

49ers/Saints

SF gets: LB Deion Jones

NO gets: RB Zamir White

Grade: ??

I have been covering the NFL in depth since 2019 and I can’t recall a trade like this. Jones and White signed with New Orleans and San Francisco, respectively, in early August as street free agents. They were in town for two weeks, give or take, before trading places, then both were released during roster cutdowns. Both were veterans and didn’t have to go through the waiver wire. New Orleans brought White back on the practice squad, while Jones is still in limbo. A major motivation for this trade seems to be the 49ers needing enough bodies to get through training camp practices. 

Dolphins/Patriots

MIA gets: OL Caedan Wallace, 2029 7th

NE gets: 2028 6th

Grades: C for MIA, C+ for NE

It’s tough to get a whole lot lower in terms of trade compensation than this. The Patriots were clearly ready to move on from Wallace and had no concerns about trading him to a division opponent. They didn’t get much but they did get a little more ammunition for future swaps. Odds are the Dolphins might have been able to get Wallace on waivers but they paid up a little extra to do the deal before roster cuts and have the certainty of having him on the roster.