Trade Grades: Evaluating blockbuster deals for Moore, Crosby, McDuffie

Offseason business can't officially start until next week, but teams have already given us a taste of the action with a trio of blockbuster trades.

Let's take a look back at the major deals that were struck over the last few days and evaluate the return for each side.

Maxx Crosby ➡️ Ravens

Ravens

How's this for a splash?

A disappointing 2025 season led to sweeping changes in Baltimore, with rookie head coach Jesse Minter tabbed to replace John Harbaugh after an outstanding 18-year run. The start of this new era was never going to trigger any sort of rebuild, though - the Ravens had a clear path to getting right back into Super Bowl contention if they could firmly address their most obvious needs. A blockbuster deal for Maxx Crosby checks one such box in the most emphatic way possible.

Giving up a pair of first-round picks for a non-quarterback will always raise eyebrows in the football world. That's especially true for the Ravens, a dedicated draft-and-develop team that had never traded a single Day 1 selection for a veteran player before Friday. And in this particular case, skeptics can point to the fact that Crosby turns 29 in August. There will be an argument made that Baltimore should have held onto its picks and signed a top edge rusher in free agency.

The problem with that logic? Nobody available on the open market - Trey Hendrickson included - can provide anything close to the impact Crosby will have on the Ravens' defense. Not only is the five-time Pro Bowler one of the NFL's most disruptive pass-rushers off the edge - a position that's long been a source of frustration in Baltimore - but he might also be the single best run defender in the game, regardless of position. His 133 tackles for loss since being drafted in 2019 are five clear of Myles Garrett for the league lead over that stretch.

Don't sleep on the value he provides beyond statistical production, either. A tireless worker who sets the tone for his entire defense, Crosby is the rare modern defensive lineman who doesn't rotate off the field. And you'd never know it based on the motor he demonstrates on every single snap. He's in a class of his own in that regard.

Simply put, there's nothing the Ravens could have done with the No. 14 overall pick and next year's first-rounder that would have matched Crosby's impact as they pursue a Super Bowl in the near term. With an elite edge defender joining the likes of Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, and others on a Minter-run defense, the Ravens could finally have the perfect complement for their two-time MVP quarterback.

Grade: A

Raiders

Moving on from Crosby couldn't have been an easy decision for the Raiders. The former fourth-round pick was a homegrown superstar who stayed fiercely loyal to an organization that, frankly, never really did much to earn it. And yet this was absolutely the right thing to do.

The prevailing narrative will be that this trade was the inevitable result of Crosby not taking well to the team shutting him down for the last two games of the 2025 season. And sure, that drama may have been the catalyst for the two sides beginning to wonder about the future.

But the Raiders, seemingly having learned their lesson from the failures of the abbreviated Pete Carroll era, are finally trying to rebuild the right way. Even if expected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza pans out, that process is going to require some patience. Crosby would be well into his 30s by the time the Raiders are realistically ready to compete. The timelines simply weren't matching up anymore.

Las Vegas will have to hit on these extra picks to make it all worthwhile. Consistent issues on that front have been the driving force for the team's 23-year run without a playoff win. Time will tell whether the current leadership structure is the one to turn the tide. The process is sound, though, and fans should be encouraged by the fact that second-year GM John Spytek was able to extract maximum value for a 29-year-old defender who the public saw as a disgruntled player forcing his way out.

Even being in the same ballpark as the package the Cowboys received for a 26-year-old Micah Parsons last year is a major victory for the Raiders as they begin work on a pivotal offseason.

Grade: A

DJ Moore ➡️ Bills

Bills

Remember back in January when we were all confused as to how Brandon Beane survived the coaching change? Well, this is why.

Yes, the Bills GM deserves some level of credit for finally making a move to address a major need at receiver. It's about time. Moore, easily the best wideout on the roster, can both stretch the field and make plays after the catch. When initial reports characterized the return as a mid-round pick, it seemed like a reasonable move to make. But then we got word that Buffalo would be surrendering a second-round selection.

That's simply an unacceptable price to pay for a soon-to-be 29-year-old receiver who had clearly been surpassed by a collection of younger Bears receivers. Chicago was going to take anything it could get to move off the last four years of this contract.

Beane was content to give up a premium pick to inherit the $98 million remaining on Moore's deal, even guaranteeing $15.5 million of his 2028 base salary as part of the swap. Why? Great question. This sure seems like an example of a general manager feeling the pressure of consistent failures at the position.

Again, Moore is a fine player. And he's a meaningful upgrade for a Bills receiving corps that needed one in the worst way. But he shouldn't be confused for a true No. 1 wideout at this stage of his career. If Buffalo had this much financial flexibility, why not save the pick and go after one of the many free-agent receivers who could have provided a similar boost? This was bad process from Beane and his staff. The overly ambitious allocation of assets, both as it pertains to draft capital and financial flexibility, could prove costly.

Grade: D

Bears

Ryan Poles has had his share of blunders over the years. This deal is a reminder that general managers can grow into their jobs, too.

The Bears need to overhaul their defense the same way they did their offense last offseason, and that requires significant cap flexibility. With Rome Odunze and Luther Burden primed for more significant roles at the position, and Colston Loveland a top receiver in his own right at tight end, it was only a matter of time before DJ Moore was traded away. After a 682-yard season, though, it seemed like Chicago might be hard-pressed to get anything of value.

A second-round pick is an excellent return for a declining secondary receiver who still had a significant amount of money remaining on his contract. This deal, along with the move to release Tremaine Edmunds, gives Chicago plenty of wiggle room under the cap. That could clear the way for a series of key additions in free agency before the scouting staff gets to work with four picks in the top 90.

The added flexibility on both fronts could also allow for some aggressive moves on the trade market. Either way, this deal sets the stage for a busy offseason in Chicago. Poles couldn't possibly have done any better.

Grade: A+

Trent McDuffie ➡️ Rams

Rams

It wasn't difficult to see this one coming. The Rams swinging a deal for McDuffie was actually one of my 10 offseason trade ideas from a few weeks back, and I'm sure I wasn't alone in identifying the potential match. Although Sean McVay and Les Snead had successfully pivoted away from the "F them picks" philosophy in recent years, finally starting to draft and develop stars of their own, this offseason was always going to require a taste of that old vision.

With Matthew Stafford back, but no lock to return for 2027, this is the time to go all-in. A patchwork cornerback room may have cost the Rams another Lombardi Trophy this year, so that spot made for an obvious place to start. McDuffie, an elite cover man who can either play on the boundary or work out of the slot, is a dream addition to upgrade the roster's most glaring weakness.

The price is steep, with the No. 29 overall pick and three other selections going to Kansas City, but it's certainly no overpay for one of the most talented young stars in the game. Crucially, the Rams still have the No. 13 overall pick, acquired from a trade down with a desperate Falcons team last year. That still gives Snead and McVay an opportunity to add a premium talent in this draft. Or, if they really want to get crazy, that pick could be shopped for another instant-impact veteran. Either way, this is a home-run start to the offseason and gives L.A. an even stronger case to be the way-too-early Super Bowl favorite.

Grade: A

Chiefs

You may be wondering: if McDuffie is such a great player, why wouldn't Kansas City simply pay up to extend him? Indeed, that probably should have been the move here. As it turns out, even a 25-year-old superstar at one of the most valuable positions in the sport isn't enough to get the organization to change its ways. The Chiefs still haven't extended one of their own draft picks at defensive back since Eric Berry. That deal came back in 2017 after the former first-rounder earned first-team All-Pro honors while playing on the franchise tag.

In all fairness to general manager Brett Veach, the volume of picks acquired alongside a first-round selection is a pretty substantial return for a player who will likely require a monster extension as part of the trade. The Jets' return for Sauce Gardner included multiple first-rounders because he was already under contract through 2030. The sheer number of selections coming back in this deal, highlighted by a late Day 1 pick, should give the Chiefs plenty of opportunities to fill holes throughout their roster. And given their track record of drafting and developing defensive backs, they may well be quick to find a suitable replacement for McDuffie.

But the pressure's on. Last season's failures proved that Patrick Mahomes can only be asked to do so much in dragging this team to Super Bowls. Even the best quarterbacks need some semblance of help. In addition to bolstering Mahomes' cast of playmakers, the front office is also now tasked with replacing one of the best defensive backs in football. And he may not be the only one leaving a void in the secondary, as both Jaylen Watson and Bryan Cook are headed for free agency next week. We'll see what the rest of the offseason brings, but the road back to Super Bowl contention just got a little more daunting.

Grade: C+

Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.