NFL free agency, trade grades 2024: Baker Mayfield, Russell Wilson - ESPN

ESPN NFL analysts are grading every big 2024 NFL signing and trade of the offseason, putting each deal into perspective for teams and players.

To determine each grade, our experts are evaluating moves based on multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, draft compensation, player's age and what they add, and the context of a team's short-term and long-term outlook. How large is the effect of this decision, and how sure are we 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?

Our experts also tell you how the biggest signings and trades impact April's NFL draft. What do the top deals mean for that team's first-round outlook, and how do they impact where the top prospects might be selected? Taking into account team needs, positional value on draft boards and what they're hearing from around the NFL, they break down what it all means.

Follow along as our experts evaluate and grade each move, with the most recent grades at the top.

Jump to an interesting move:
Mike Evans | Jerry Jeudy
Mac Jones | Baker Mayfield

coverage:
Top 100 free agents | Latest buzz
Barnwell's free agency tiers

The deal: One year, $1.2 million
Grade: A

Yes, you read that right. One year, $1.2 million. That's the veteran minimum, and Wilson will play on that for the Steelers while collecting $38 million from the Broncos to not play for them next season. That's an immediate win for Pittsburgh, and a little revenge from Wilson on Denver for the way his exit went down.

Now let's evaluate this on the football field. Wilson is 35 years old. He's a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, a nine-time Pro Bowler and the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year. But he has also struggled