Oct 11, 2023 - 14:29
By espn.com

Updated 2022 NFL trade grades: McCaffrey, Claypool, Chubb - ESPN

One year later, let's regrade the 2022 NFL trade deadline, which included deals for running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Calvin Ridley, edge rusher Bradley Chubb and more.

I'm a big believer that if we're going to be in the prediction and evaluation business, we should be updating our calls and tracking our results. We judge general managers on their results — there is plenty of that below — so it seems only fair to see how our initial trade grades look 12 months later, updating how the moves have affected (and will affect) the teams involved.

To be clear, I am judging each team's results thus far and the updated expectation for the future. This is different from judging the process. For example, I still believe the Eagles' trade for pass-rusher Robert Quinn made a lot of sense, and if I went back in time, I'd recommend doing it again. It didn't work out, though, and that's the part I'm writing about below.

Let's check in on 12 of the biggest trades from last season, starting with my mea culpa on a blockbuster deal. We'll go in order of position, grouping together the handful of running backs and wide receivers who were dealt:

San Francisco 49ers got: McCaffrey
Carolina Panthers got: 2023 second-round pick, 2023 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick
Trade date: Oct. 20

Original grade for the 49ers: C-
New grade for the 49ers: A-

Let's not bury the lead: I'm taking a huge L here. 49ers fans on Twitter/X have been kind enough to remind me of that fact pretty much every day since the deal came out. And do you know what? They were right.

In 19 games as a 49er, including the