Any time NFL fans around the water cooler, on social media, or on popular message boards get together and talk about improving their team, one of the suggestions that inevitably comes up is “we should trade for/away that guy!”
While such ideas sound great in theory, some of those ideas could look very bad when judged through the lens of history. Every NFL team has made trades that looked great at the time, only to end up looking really bad when you take a look back.
Here’s our list of the worst trades in every NFL team’s history:
32. Arizona Cardinals – Trading for Kevin Kolb
After they watched Kurt Warner retire as the only quarterback to lead the team to a Super Bowl in franchise history, the Arizona Cardinals spent the 2010 season rotating between Derek Anderson, John Skelton and Max Hall. Rather than go through another season like that, they sent a 2nd round pick plus cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire Kevin Kolb to be the Cardinals’ quarterback of the future.
But Kolb was injured for much of his first season in Arizona, and eventually turned out to be a major flop for the Cardinals, releasing him two years after acquiring him.
Dean Bramberg says
Moving up to get Tebow.? Worse than moving up to get lynch? C’mon Man
Archimedes says
Forget Johnny Manziel. The Browns trading away Paul Warfield for a third round pick in 1970 was far far worse.
Bob says
Jets worst trade is trading up to draft Johnny Lam Jones. Sanchez took them to two AFC championship games. Jones couldn’t run a route straight.
Lou S. says
The Giants worst trades were the Tarkenton trades. Hands down. Gave away a fortune to get him and them gave him away a few years later for nothing. LOL!!
curtis davis says
Dallas needs to work on their techniques from blocking to defending. Jason Garrett needs to put the fear of God into his team. The Eye of the tiger should be the theme for next season. If you need me to talk to the team, I would be honored.
James Adakai says
Someone needs to get through JGarrett’s head about getting his high octane offense to start playing in full throttle. This team is ready to kick s major ass!! Cowboys do need the right coaches at every position. No discipline and fire!!
JAMES WARD says
Packers coach Phil Bengston giving away the future by trading 6 draft picks for John Hadl when he was 40 years old.
Keith Murphy says
It must have been hard to just pick one for Washington, we had so many bad ones
Lol. CB for CP, RG3, Fat Albert, Archuleta, Smith, Desmond Howard, McNabb… need I go on? Lol
Tim Barry says
The Redskins traded three number one traft picks for Archie Griffin. One of the worst trades ever
Roger says
John Elway said he would not play for the colts. Trade me or I will play baseball. So how could they regret that?
JR says
The Champ Bailey trade is not even close to as bad as trading up to select Robert Griffin III…. not even close.
Keith Murphy says
Sorry, I disagree. Premium cornerbacks are a.lot harder to come by. Plus, rg3 hasn’t done much since leaving Washington. Bailey showed what we did wrong for years.
Scooter says
Worse yet, the Ravens let Scott Mitchell wear #19.
Steven Bernier says
I agree with the Mack trade for Oakland. Not many players come through the NFL like him and the raiders cannot draft, just look a the 2018 draft.
charlie says
Until we see what the Raiders do with the draft picks they got for Mack you can’t rate the trade. I agree Mack is a very special player, but if the get to pro bowlers in the draft that trade is worth it.
I’d say the Jay Schroeder for Lachey was a horrible trade, the Randy Moss trade turned out horrible as well.
JIMA says
I agree with Gruden on the Mack trade. The Bears paid around $230 mill in NFL cash to get him He is great, but the Raders have real cash and draft capital to show for it
DC says
The Bills don’t regret trading Marshawn Lynch. They gave him plenty of opportunity to be a franchise back for them and he never was. He was the third best RB on their roster at the time, outplayed for years by Fred Jackson and then by CJ Spiller. How long do you wait for someone to decide he wants to be something more than mediocre ?
Matthew Robinson says
The Herschel Walker trade is always and will always be overblown. It wasn’t a train robbery for the Cowboys. They could have got E. Smith and D. Woodson without this trade. No one else in the trade matters.
BobUSAFret says
Lions have needed a rushing game ever since Barry Sanders left, how long? Stupid gm know and and never correct it.
Justin Willis says
They have Keratin Johnson now and he is going to be dope wait and see