The 2024 NFL trade deadline is rapidly approaching. Even though teams still have time to make moves, the league has been very aggressive in getting players prior to the deadline. The earlier the teams get these players, the more games those players will play. 

The wide receiver market has been booming. DeAndre Hopkins was the latest to get traded, following the deals of Amari Cooper and Davante Adams a week prior. More trades certainly will be on the way in the coming days. 

Below we will break down every trade that took place before the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline on Nov. 5. 

Ravens get former Pro Bowl wideout 

The Former Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl wideout is making his return to the AFC North. Speaking of the Steelers, the Ravens may have been compelled to acquire Johnson after watching Pittsburgh move a full game ahead of them in the AFC North standings following Monday night’s win over the New York Giants. 

In Johnson, Baltimore is getting a 28-year-old wideout who has the experience of being a team’s No. 1 wideout. While he does drop the occasional pass, Johnson has proven to be a productive player who can help open things up for an offense. Baltimore is surely banking on Johnson to do that while playing alongside Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and fellow receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. 

Johnson is entering the final year of an extension that he signed during his time in Pittsburgh. Carolina clearly didn’t plan to extend him, so they decided to get something (albeit a small return) now instead of losing him and getting nothing in return this offseason. The Panthers were so determined to part with Johnson that they will reportedly pay down most of Johnson’s remaining salary. 

Grades: Ravens, A; Panthers, D (For full trade grades story, click here) 

Chiefs get an edge rusher

The Kansas City Chiefs are all in on becoming the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to three-peat as NFL champions. They have a specific defensive weakness — converting quarterback pressures into sacks — and they addressed it. Their 38.9% quarterback pressure is the sixth most in the NFL, but their 15.0 team sacks this season are tied for the seventh fewest in the NFL since their 6.1% sack rate is the 11th worst in the league.

Uche’s 20.5 sacks since entering the NFL in 2020 stand as the second most in New England behind former Patriot Matt Judon’s 32.0 in that time. He broke out with a career-high 11.5 in 2022, but he has since failed to register more than three sacks in any other year of his five-year career. Uche is up to two already this season. His two sacks now rank as tied for the fourth most in Kansas City while his 13 quarterback pressures stand alone as the fourth most along the Chiefs pass rush. Uche, the Patriots’ 2020 second-round pick, is a rental, playing out a one-year, $3 million contract, but a sixth-round pick is a low price to pay for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions.    

At 2-6, the New England Patriots need all the picks they can get as their rebuild around 2024 third overall pick quarterback Drake Maye. It would’ve been nice for them to get a higher round selection, but it’s ideal that they’re getting anything for Uche since he wouldn’t have been on the team next year regardless. 

Grades: Chiefs, B; Patriots, C+  (For full trade grades story, click here)

• Chiefs acquire: Deandre Hopkins
• Titans acquire: 2025 conditional 2025 fifth-round pick (can become a fourth-round pick)

Kansas City was in desperate need of adding a wide receiver in the aftermath of losing both Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice for the year. Hopkins comes in and gives Patrick Mahomes a No. 1 wide receiver with Rice out and Brown returning at some point this year. 

The deal makes sense from a Tennessee standpoint as they are 1-5 on the season at the time of the trade and Hopkins was in the final year of his deal. With the 32-year-old not on the team’s timeline for its current rebuild, it was a logical move to gain some assets for him before he left in free agency.

Grades: Chiefs, B+; Titans, C+ (For full trade grades story, click here)

Titans, Seahawks swap linebackers

The Titans and Seahawks have been active this deadline, as evidenced by the multiple trades they made. Seattle paid a steep price for Jones, as the Seahawks are hoping he’ll provide more production than Baker did. 

The Jones trade yielded Tennessee another future mid-round pick in addition to getting a productive linebacker in Baker, who like Jones is also still in his prime. 

Grades: Seahawks, A-; Titans, B (For full trade grades story, click here)

• Jets acquire: Davante Adams 
• Raiders acquire: 2025 conditional third-round pick (can become a second-round pick based on performance)

The return to his hometown didn’t work out the way Adams had hoped, and so the former All-Pro wide receiver is reunited with Rodgers in New York. The Jets are desperate to win, as Adams is part of their “all-in” strategy. 

The Raiders are in a rebuilding stage, and don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback. This was best for the Raiders and Adams. 

Grades: Jets, B-; Raiders, A- (For full trade grades story, click here)

Bills get a No. 1 WR

• Bills acquire: Amari Cooper, 2025 sixth-round pick
• Browns acquire: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 seventh-round pick

The Bills offense was proficient without Cooper, but it was clear Josh Allen needed a No. 1 wide receiver in order to reach the Super Bowl. Cooper will be more of a threat with Buffalo as their top option on the outside, as the Bills are hoping he’ll make the same midseason impact as he did with the Cowboys in 2018. 

The Browns appear to be a lost cause in 2024, especially since Cooper reworked his contract and will be a free agent after this year. Better to get something for Cooper than nothing. 

Grades: Bills, A-; Browns, B (For full trade grades story, click here)

The first teal of the trade deadline season was minor, but a hint the Jaguars were sellers. Robertson-Harris was in his third season with the Jaguars, and actually signed a three-year, $30 million extension last year after recording a career-high 3.5 sacks from the interior in 2023. 

Robinson-Harris adds needed depth at defensive tackle for Seattle, and can move to the outside of the line. The Jaguars shedded salary. 

Grades: Seahawks, B-: Jaguars, C+ (For full trade grades story, click here)