Our NFL trade grades: Should Titans have gotten more for Jarvis Brownlee Jr.?

Let's grade trades from the 2025 NFL season. When a deal happens, we often hear the old adage that it will take years to know how well each team did in the deal. To that I say: nonsense. General managers don't get the benefit of hindsight while they are making their decisions, so why should we when evaluating those decisions?

That's a long way of saying I'm a big fan of trade grades, which document our reaction at the moment a deal is made. When grading trades, I evaluate them for each team based on on-field impact, cap implications, draft compensation and effects within the context of a team's overall short- and long-term outlook. I like to think about decisions on two axes:

• How confident are we in knowing if this is a good or bad decision?

• How big is the impact of this decision?

They'll both play a role in our grades, though a low-impact decision can still receive a strong or poor grade. Low-stakes, clear-cut wins or losses still matter.

Let's dive in on in-season deals leading up to NFL trade deadline on Nov. 4.

Titans trade CB Brownlee to Jets

Jets get: CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr., 2026 seventh-round pick
Titans get: 2026 sixth-round pick

Jets grade: A-
Titans grade: C

With free agent signing Brandon Stephens struggling and limited depth behind him, the Jets waded back into the trade market for a young cornerback with experience.

Stephens, who was signed to a surprisingly expensive three-year, $36 million deal this offseason despite having a poor season in Baltimore in 2024, has allowed 1.5 yards per coverage snap thus far this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, well above the 1.1 average for outside cornerbacks. So the Jets brought in Brownlee, a 2024 fifth-round pick who has already started 16 games and who brings decent numbers.

Brownlee has allowed 1.0 yards per coverage snap in his young career, slightly better than average. His 15% target rate is roughly average, and his EPA allowed (+12.6) and completion percentage allowed over expectation (+2%) are positive, though those stats are unstable and unreliable indicators of future performance. Brownlee has also graded very favorably in run stopping, according to Pro Football Focus.

The second-year corner does get flagged quite a bit, as he's recorded a penalty on 1.1% of his defensive snaps since the beginning of last season, 17th most among defensive backs with at least 300 snaps. He's been penalized three times in two games this season. But it's not completely untenable, as his penalty rate lags from behind old teammate L'Jarius Sneed (1.9%) and slightly behind new teammate Sauce Gardner (1.2%).

Brownlee has been a success story considering his draft position. With his experience and nearly three cheap years remaining on his rookie contract, I'm surprised the Jets got him for so little. At worst, he's a good depth option (my colleague Rich Cimini indicated he could provide depth at nickel, as well) with both short- and long-term upside -- especially if Stephens continues to struggle.

I don't get why the Titans would want to deal Brownlee for so little right now. Rebuilding teams should acknowledge who they are and deal veterans for draft capital -- but that's not Brownlee! He is a young starting corner who netted very, very little in return.

Perhaps the Titans got tired of Brownlee's penalties, or maybe there is another factor we aren't seeing. Brownlee missed the Titans' Week 3 game with an ankle injury, but that seems unlikely to be a major consideration.

Either way, this move leaves the Titans with -- according to their new depth chart -- Darrell Baker Jr. as the starting outside cornerback opposite Sneed. Baker has made 15 starts in his career and his nearest defender numbers are solid: a 1.1 yards per coverage snap and a much lower career penalty rate (0.05%). But even if Tennessee felt good about Baker, Brownlee's youth and remaining cheap contract meant they let a lot walk out the door for almost nothing in exchange.

Jaguars trade RB Bigsby to Eagles

Eagles get: RB Tank Bigsby
Jaguars get: 2026 fifth-round pick, 2026 sixth-round pick

Eagles grade: C-
Jaguars grade: A

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman wins more trades than anyone, but he doesn't win 'em all.

In Bigsby, the Eagles acquire a very solid runner. The 2023 third-round pick accumulated an impressive 124 rush yards over expectation last season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, after a disappointing rookie campaign.

But that's all he is, which is his downside. Bigsby offers almost nothing in the receiving game; he has only eight career receptions. He has pass blocked on only 33 snaps in his pro career. And he evidently didn't win the starting job in Jacksonville this season despite not facing particularly stiff competition in Travis Etienne Jr. and fourth-round rookie Bhayshul Tuten.

This trade makes it clear that the Eagles felt they needed running back depth behind Saquon Barkley. They have Will Shipley, who figures to be more of a receiving complement and backup -- very different from Bigsby. But my first reaction was, wow, that's a lot for a backup at a nonpremium position who doesn't catch passes, especially considering how much Philadelphia has already invested at running back with Barkley. Even with Bigsby under control for another rookie contract year in 2026, this is a bit much for my liking.

Bigsby could also partner with Shipley on kick returns after having returned 11 kicks in his career. It's a more important role now than before given the precipitous drop in touchbacks, but it doesn't change that the Eagles gave up a lot for Bigsby.

This is a nice result for Jacksonville, though. It seemed likely that one of Etienne or Bigsby would be dealt after the addition of Tuten in this year's draft. That it happened now is an upset. But in exchange for their second- or third-string running back, the Jaguars are receiving a fifth- and sixth-round pick. That's great value, and it hardly leaves Jacksonville short-handed considering Bigsby didn't start.