Name an NFL trade that's worse than Deshaun Watson

[Auggie]

The Browns' gave up first-round draft picks to Houston in 2022, 2023, and 2024, as well as a third-round pick in 2023 and fourth-round picks in 2022 and 2024. Watson was then given a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal.

He was suspended for the first 11 games of the 2022 regular season as a result of his sexual harassment allegations.

Since 2022 Watson has played in 18 games, thrown 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and has an average QB rating of .80.

The team does not have those six draft picks playing for them. Or in reserve.

Additionally, that contract hamstrings the team from acquiring free agents and/or resigning them.

Name an NFL trade worse than this one.

[werdna]

1. It was a very siccessful trade -

- in providing tax write-offs for the Haslam's corporate entities.

[LakeVermilion]

2. I can at least match it.

The Minnesota traded three first-round picks, three second-round picks, and a bunch of other stuff to get running back Herschel Walker. Later Walker would distinguish himself by running for a Georgia US Senate seat.

[Auggie]

5. Pretty close. Walker only played two season for the Vikings ...

but he wasn't paid the same as Watson.

That was a horrible trade. And it helped Dallas win three Super Bowls.

[displacedvermoter]

3. 1989 Herschel Walker trade

Cowboys got 6 draft picks (which they parleyed into Darren Woodson, Russell Maryland, and Emmitt Smith, among others) and became one of the best teams in NFL history

Vikings got Walker and never got close to a Super Bowl.

Not sure if worse, but notably bad.

[underpants]

17. Yep. 3 key players in the Cowboys rebuild

The Herschel Walker trade was the largest player trade in the history of the National Football League (NFL).[1] This deal on October 12, 1989, centered on sending running back Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings. Including Walker and a transaction involving the San Diego Chargers, the trade eventually involved 18 players and draft picks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Walker_trade

[gab13by13]

4. Babe Ruth going to the Yankees

Bad trade for Boston.

[Auggie]

7. NFL, not MLB. But that was bad one for Boston.

[Diamond_Dog]

6. Guess we'll have to count on the Guardians to bring honor to Cleveland ...... the Dawgs sure won't.

[Auggie]

10. Guardians have good ownership and a good front office ... doing more with less.

Filters from the top down, you know?

[Diamond_Dog]

13. Yes. Haslams don't seem to be as astute as the Dolans and Antonetti.

[Auggie]

15. Dee Haslam took credit for vetting Watson ...

who was very soon suspended for six game, later extended to eleven.

Dee Haslam.

[Diamond_Dog]

16. .....

[we can do it]

27. Browns getting what they deserve by constantly hiring sexual predators.

Go Guards!

[Botany]

8. Paul Warfield for Mike Phipps.

Paul Warfield for Mike Phipps. It took Don Shula about a heartbeat to take that
deal.

Warfield:
2× Super Bowl champion (VII, VIII)
NFL champion (1964)
2× First-team All-Pro (1971, 1973)
3× Second-team All-Pro (1968, 1970, 1972)
8× Pro Bowl (1964, 1968–1974)
2× NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1968, 1971)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor
Miami Dolphins Honor Roll
Dolphins Walk of Fame (2011)
National champion (1961)
First-team All-American (1963)
2× First-team All-Big Ten (1962, 1963)
Hall of Fame

Don Shula the most career wins in NFL history & Hall of Fame.

[Auggie]

11. I remember the sting of that ...

but still, factor in Watson's guaranteed contract and suspension.

[-misanthroptimist]

19. You forgot to list Phipp's accomplishments!

Oh, right. Sorry.

[TheFarseer]

9. Probably wasn't worse but

The Ricky Williams trade was bad. The Saints traded their 1st round (12th overall) their 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th, their 1st and 3rd next year for the 5th overall, which they used to select Ricky Williams, who let’s just say did not have the kind of career that warranted that trade.

[Auggie]

12. Ditka bragged that after the deal his day was done and headed for the golf course

[Marcuse]

28. Champ Bailey was the only good player out of all those traded draft picks, so it was kind of a wash.

[MontanaFarmer]

14. Ricky williams and herschel walker

are the 2 but Watson's fully guaranteed 5 years is hard to top. The browns may, may be able to get out of it if they trade him along with their first rounder to a team who can cut him and only take 90M in dead money instead of 170+. The one that hurt me the most was the bears going up from 3 to 2 to draft mitch trubisky with Patrick mahomes on the board. Such a bears move. But not on this order of magnitude.

[genxlib]

18. What's crazy about the Herschel Walker and Rick Williams trade...

Both were seen as such high value that teams would throw in multiple first rounders and beyond for a running back.

And yet now, running backs are so devalued that they barely even rate a single first round pick anymore. Part of it is the emphasis on the passing game. Part of it is the realization that the shelf life of a RB is relatively short.

The game has changed. Which partly explains the insanity of the Watson deal. Just desperately trying to find the missing piece in the passing game. But it is lunacy to bet the farm on any single player. Especially one with so much baggage that has not played in a long time.

Even if you could justify the draft picks, the value of the contract and the fact that it was fully guaranteed is managerial malpractice. Any big bet needs a hedge but they are stick in that one for a long time. It will probably effect the quality of that team for at least a decade.

[Auggie]

22. " It will probably affect the quality of that team for at least a decade."

[Marcuse]

29. As an additional cost of the trade, Denver now leads the NFL in dead money on the payroll.

[Wiz Imp]

20. Probably not quite as bad, but still pretty terrible - Russell Wilson

Denver Broncos traded two first-round picks (2022 -- No. 9 overall -- and 2023), two second-round picks (2022 & 2023) and a 2022 fifth-round pick along with quarterback Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant & defensive lineman Shelby Harris to the Seahawks for Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick.

I would say the Herschel Walker trade was worse than the Deshaun Watson trade though and the Ricky Williams trade was at least close.

[displacedvermoter]

23. I didn't realize about the Wilson trade being so costly

So when they cut him, that was quite the admission of an organizational screw up!

[True Dough]

24. I guess

Deshaun Watson isn't very good, huh?

[Bristlecone]

26. Russel Wilson to Denver fits the bill

[Angleae]

30. Panthers trading up to take Bryce Young last year.

Panthers get: #1 overall (Bryce Young, who's already been benched)

Bears get: 2023 1st & 2nd, 2024 1st(#1 overall-Caleb Williams), 2025 2nd, WR DJ Moore

[Auggie]

31. Amazing how one dumb trade can kill one team and totally build another

Thanks for sharing

[Morbius]

34. Yup.

Ryan Poles walks on water in Chicago these days for pulling off this trade, most lopsided in the NFL in decades. As a result, it looks like the Bears will challenge for the playoffs this year (they're in a brutally tough division, so we'll see) and the Panthers - who need a new QB, a host of defensive players and serious help on the offensive line - might have the worst record in the NFL again.

[True Dough]

32. And Stefanski still refuses to move off of Watson as the starter

I'm sure he's getting direction from the front office/ownership on that front after all the money they invested in Watson. But it's a matter of flushing money and flushing the season down the drain.

Jameis Winston is waiting on the sidelines. His track record isn't the best, but he'd surely be a step up from Watson.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41794330/kevin-stefanski-deshaun-watson-browns-best-chance-win

[Brother Buzz]

33. Goff for Stafford?

In September 2024, Jared Goff was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford.

[caraher]

35. That was a good trade for both teams

It was March 2021

Hard to argue with winning a Super Bowl, and the Lions have been most un-Lion-like the past two seasons. Would the Rams have won with Goff rather than Stafford? Maybe.

And here's what it looked like for the Lions:

Lions lost:

QB Matthew Stafford
2022 34th overall pick (second round)
2022 66th overall pick (third round)
2023 81st overall pick (third round)
2023 122nd overall pick (fourth round)
2023 139th overall pick (fifth round)

Lions gained:

QB Jared Goff
WR Jameson Williams (first round, 12th overall)
RB Jahmyr Gibbs (first round, 12th overall)
TE Sam LaPorta (second round, 34th overall)
DL Josh Paschal (second round, 46th overall)
DT Brodric Martin (third round, 96th overall)
DB Ifeatu Melifonwu (third round, 101st overall)

[Brother Buzz]

36. Goff just delivered another exciting come from behind victory! - Against the Vikings!

The Lions and the Vikings are now tied for first in their division.

Meanwhile, the Rams are bouncing around the cellar in their division

[True Dough]

37. Watson was carted off the field today

and the home crowd was cheering!

Link to tweet

[Auggie]

38. He's not the first, that's for sure