EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNFL free agency begins March 9 with the legal negotiating window, but the action has already started. The Jets and Titans made the first big move of the offseason, with New York sending edge rusher Jermaine Johnson to Tennessee for defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat.ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder is grading the biggest signings and trades of the offseason, putting each deal into perspective for teams and players. To determine each grade, Walder is evaluating moves based on 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 it's a good or bad choice? How does this affect a team's chance to win the Super Bowl, either this season or in the future?Follow along as Walder evaluates and grades each move, with the most recent grades at the top. We'll start with the Johnson-Sweat swap.More coverage:Top 50 free agents | Best free agent fitsJump to a notable deal:Johnson-SweatJets trade edge Johnson to Titans for DT SweatJets get: DT T'Vondre SweatTitans get: Edge Jermaine JohnsonJets grade: A-Titans grade: C-For all their faults, the Jets came out of last year's trade deadline with two of the very best deals in that period. While hardly on the same scale, they kicked off the 2026 trade season with another shrewd move in swapping out Johnson for Sweat in a one-for-one swap.The last of the Jets' three 2022 first-round picks, Johnson put together one decent sack season in 2023, with 7.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl nod. That came while playing for current Titans head coach Robert Saleh, which I assume is a critical factor in why this deal was made.But Johnson managed only 5.5 sacks over his other three seasons in New York, though he played just three games in 2024 due to an Achilles injury. Advanced pass-rushing metrics have not been kind to Johnson in his four-year career. His career pass rush win rate is only 8.4% (8.9% last season), while the average for a starting edge in that span is 15.6%.Sweat, a 2024 second-round pick, has been a solid starting nose tackle for Tennessee. He should help the Jets' run defense and provide some pass rush from the nose. While his 6.5% pass rush win rate at defensive tackle is below average for the position, it's not bad considering where he lines up. He'll join a Jets interior group that includes Harrison Phillips and Jowon Briggs.As for Johnson, the Titans need help at edge. But that need doesn't make it worth the cost.Johnson is playing on his fifth-year option and will cost Tennessee $13.4 million, per OverTheCap. By contrast, Sweat has two years left on his rookie deal and will cost the Jets just $1.6 and $2.1 million in each of those years, respectively. Sweat is also younger and, in my view, has a better chance to be a plus-contributor than Johnson. That makes this deal well worth it for New York, especially considering the Jets will get a cheaper player with another year of team control.
