The main transaction window of the 2026 NFL offseason is over, with free agency and the draft long behind us. But teams are still leaning on trades to improve their rosters between now and Week 1. And we're grading the biggest swaps around the league, putting each deal into perspective for teams.
The post-June 1 deals started with a bang. The Browns are trading edge rusher Myles Garrett to the Rams for multiple draft picks -- including a 2027 first-rounder -- and edge rusher Jared Verse. The Patriots finally made their move to bring in Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, giving up two draft picks. Did the Rams overpay in a massive return for Cleveland? Does Brown complete New England's offense?
To determine each grade, I am looking at multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, compensation, player value/age and the context of a team's short- and long-term outlooks. How large is the effect of this decision, and how sure are we that it's a good or bad choice? How does this affect a team's chance to win the Super Bowl, this season or in the future?
Let's get into our grades, and check back throughout training camp and the preseason for more trade evaluations.
See more: Tracking trades over the summer Grades from earlier in the offseason
Eagles trade WR Brown to the Patriots
Date: June 1
Patriots get: WR A.J. Brown Eagles get: 2027 fifth-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
Patriots grade: B- Eagles grade: A-
The inevitable trade finally happened: Brown is headed to the Patriots. With the Eagles and Brown long headed for a split, the wide receiver is reuniting with his old head coach, Mike Vrabel. The hope is clear that Brown can augment an already-strong passing offense with Drake Maye at the helm to give New England a good shot to get back to the Super Bowl.
I have long been bullish on Brown relative to consensus. Even though he has widely been considered one of the better NFL receivers over the past six seasons, I've always believed that evaluation still underrated his skill.
Brown has only surpassed 1,100 receiving yards twice in his career (2022 and 2023) -- though both times he nearly reached 1,500 yards. Of course, it's important to consider that he has almost exclusively caught passes from Ryan Tannehill and Jalen Hurts. That's not the worst combination, but it's not the best, either. Maye will undoubtedly be the best quarterback Brown has played with in the NFL.