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ESPN- Ben Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst. He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network.
The 2024 NFL preseason concluded Sunday, and every team is trying to finalize its roster before Week 1 of the regular season. For some front offices, that includes making savvy trades to address weaknesses, attack their Super Bowl window or plan for the future.
We've already seen a handful of deals, and ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder and national NFL analyst Ben Solak are grading the biggest moves of August -- starting with the Falcons' acquisition of Matthew Judon from the Patriots after New England couldn't come to an agreement on a new contract for the edge rusher. We then saw the Eagles pick up Jahan Dotson from division rival Washington and the Packers acquire backup quarterback Malik Willis from the Titans, who traded for Rams linebacker Ernest Jones IV on Tuesday.
To determine each grade, Walder and Solak are evaluating moves based on multiple factors, including on-field impact, salary cap implications, draft compensation, the player's age and what he adds, along with the context of a team's short-term and long-term outlook. Let's dig in -- and keep checking back all month as more trade dominoes fall.
Read more:
Trade tracker | Depth charts | Holdout tracker
Rams deal LB Jones to Titans
Titans get: LB Ernest Jones IV, 2026 sixth-round pick
Rams get: 2026 fifth-round pick