NFL trade grades: Evaluating every deal made ahead of the 2026 deadline
By Google News Sports ·
With the 2026 NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10, NFL.com's Kevin Patra breaks down every trade made since the start of the regular season. Jaguars go all-in with trade for veteran safety Date of trade: Nov. 9 JACKSONVILLE RECEIVES: S Jessie Bates GRADE: B+ ATLANTA RECEIVES: 2027 second-round draft pick 2028 fifth-round draft pick GRADE: A- The Jags went all-in.
Following the season-ending elbow injury to Eric Murray, the back end of Anthony Campanile’s defense needed aid. Like a heat-seeking missile, Jessie Bates comes flying into Duval. I absolutely love the fit in Jacksonville. Bates is a ballhawk who fits into this scheme next to Antonio Johnson like a glove.
The 29-year-old plays the back end with aplomb, rarely getting out of position, and has the range to make up ground. He’s also a speeding bullet when he reads the run or a quick screen. When he arrives, he can dish out punishment and attacks the ball (three forced fumbles this season). The price is high for a player slated for free agency.
It’s high enough that I wonder, despite next year's cap concerns, whether Jags general manager James Gladstone has eyes on signing Bates to an extension, similar to last year's trade for Jakobi Meyers, which helped stabilize the receiver room for the 2025 playoff run. At worst, Bates walks in the offseason, and the cap-strapped Jags get a fourth- or fifth-round compensatory pick.
Given the market for veteran safeties ahead of the trade deadline, the cost for a playmaker like Bates probably increased. Credit Gladstone for not shying away from improving his team. The Jags are in a win-now mode. They have a window to not just re-capture the AFC South and become a cute national story. They can make a legit Super Bowl run with this squad.
The offense is clicking under Liam Coen, and the defense has been stingy. Injuries to Murray and DT DaVon Hamilton threatened to limit the defense's upside. Jacksonville needed to make a move to ensure that didn’t happen. My grade reflects that guts. Yes, the price is high. For a shot at a ring? Worth it. I’m crediting the Falcons for seeing the truth.
Just because they’re a half-game back from the top of the division in a grotesque NFC South, they’re still in last place. Even a run to the postseason doesn’t make them championship contenders. That’s just a recipe for a later-draft pick.
I’m not suggesting the Falcons should go into full-on tank mode, but it’s a good sign that the current front office understands that getting a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder in 2028 for a free-agent safety who turns 30 in February is excellent business. ATL isn’t a safety away from contending for a Lombardi. He’s worth more to teams like the Jags, Bills or Bengals.
The Falcons also couldn’t count on a comp pick coming back their way if they let the season play out and watched Bates walk. With the most cap space next year, Atlanta is expected to be heavily involved in free agency, which would have negated any compensatory selection. Trading Bates for the balance of the season not only ensures they get picks, but the reward is much better than any comp pick.
Dealing Bates hurts the Falcons' chances of taking the division down the stretch, but it sets them up better to be actual contenders later. Jaguars make second deal for defensive help Date of trade: Nov. 9 JACKSONVILLE RECEIVES: DT Davon Godchaux GRADE: B- NEW ORLEANS RECEIVES: 2028 conditional sixth-round draft pick GRADE: B+ The Jags are replacing a DaVon with a Davon…
Originally published by Google News Sports
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