So much for a quiet NFL trade deadline.

In the lead-up to Tuesday, there seemed to be a serious shortage of superstar players on the trade block, with the likes of Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby seemingly off limits. But a flurry of action gave way to a truly stunning deal with a little more than three hours remaining to the cutoff, as the Indianapolis Colts agreed to acquire two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets in exchange for two first-round draft picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell, according to multiple reports.

The swap sends one of the league's most accomplished young defenders from the bottom of the AFC to the top of the conference. It also single-handedly reshaped each team's outlook for both the short and long term.

Who won the deal? Here are our grades.

Colts trade grade: C-

Where did this version of Chris Ballard come from?

Getting uncharacteristically bold has served the Colts general manager extremely well in the past few months, as his more aggressive moves helped set the table for Indianapolis' resurgence. This, however, is the kind of move that Ballard might have laughed off as pure fantasy or speculation in previous years. Now, it's his reality.

There's strong incentive for Indianapolis to try to fully capitalize on what it has this season. And at 25, Gardner can be an asset for years to come. But this was an exorbitant price to pay for a player already due a massive sum.

If Gardner had lived up to his first two seasons in which he quickly established himself as one of the league's premier cover men, there would be no pushback. But he's surrendered a 118.8 passer rating when targeted this season, according to Next Gen Stats. Indianapolis is clearly buying that any issues are the product of the Jets' wider defensive shortcomings. That might be at least partially true, but it's a substantial gamble to make.

Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has done impressive work to revitalize what had been a static unit, and getting more reliable coverage on the back end could make Indianapolis a much more legitimate threat in the AFC. Yet cornerback play is inherently volatile, which typically means heavy investments there can quickly prove regrettable. If this leads to a deep playoff run, Ballard will be celebrated. But if he doesn't, he'll be hearing for quite a while that he got lost in the Sauce.

Jets trade grade: A

Moving on from Gardner less than six months after making him the league's highest-paid cornerback seems like an almost unfathomable outcome for the Jets, even amid what's shaping up to be an expansive rebuild. But with this return, there's little question that it was the right decision.

The Jets' problems are far bigger than any one player, and there's no ending the league's longest playoff drought without substantial upheaval. The new regime clearly thought Gardner would be a cornerstone, but maybe something changed along the way in the first half of the season. Regardless, the list of players who are worth at least two first-round picks is extremely short, and it's hard to say that Gardner belongs on it given the nature of his position and how he's fared as of late.

Amid plenty of unrest with a 1-7 start, Gang Green now truly can preach patience. The Jets can target their quarterback of the future early this year while still using a premium pick elsewhere to boost the roster. And New York will also be able to allot much of the money and cap space that was set to go to Gardner in the coming years elsewhere.

Getting Mitchell, a talented wideout who needed a change of scenery after his regrettable goal-line fumble earlier this season, is icing on the cake.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sauce Gardner trade grades: Who won blockbuster deal between Colts, Jets?

Reporting by Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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