Five of the worst player trades since 2010
The 2022 offseason has seen plenty of blockbuster trades. And in time, it’s possible that a few may go down negatively in history.
With Deshaun Watson attracting headlines for all the wrong reasons since his move from the Texans to the Browns this spring, what are the worst trades for players that we’ve seen since 2010?
In this piece, we have picked out five deals that truly shocked the league. We haven’t included draft trade ups here. So the likes of the Bears trading up for Mitch Tribusky, or Washington doing the same for Robert Griffin III, are safe from this list.
There are plenty of questionable deals for us to choose from. Here’s a look at the worst trades for players from the last twelve years:
Honourable mentions: Bills trade for Kelvin Benjamin from Panthers (2017), Panthers trade for Sam Darnold from Jets (2021), Bears trade Greg Olsen to the Panthers (2011)
5. Bills trade Marshawn Lynch to Seahawks (2010)
Despite a good start to his career for the Bills, running back Marshawn Lynch was traded to the Seahawks after four seasons in Buffalo.
The 12th overall selection from 2007 left for just a fourth-round pick in 2010. How bad that value looks for the Bills now over a decade on.
Yes, issues with management were a major cause for the trade. But in footballing specific terms, Lynch would go on to have a more successful decade than what Buffalo would achieve. He was a star born in Seattle.
Lynch would go on to win All-Pro honours in 2012, a Super Bowl victory in 2013 and ultimately end up in the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
A legend of the league, but the less said about his deal from the Bills the better for Buffalo.
4. Colts trade for Trent Richardson from Browns (2013)
Just a year out from being taken third overall by the Browns, Trent Richardson was acquired by the Colts in 2013 for a first-round draft pick.
The former Alabama running back, taken third overall in 2012, had a solid rookie year in Cleveland before his trade. He totalled 1,317 scrimmage years (more than 900 rushing) and 12 total touchdowns (11 rushing) for the Browns.
His first carry as a Colt, a one-yard touchdown run against the 49ers, was as good as it got in Indianapolis. Richardson lasted just two seasons, with under 1,000 rushing yards combined over the two years, and an average of just 3.1 yards per carry for seven touchdowns.
Richardson was cut after the 2014 season and never returned to an NFL game. He might go down as one of the worst draft dusts in NFL history.
Certainly a trade that the Colts will want to forget about.
3. Raiders trade for Antonio Brown from Steelers (2019)
Oh AB. One of the league’s most dynamic yet controversial figures. But without a doubt, Antonio was the best receiver in football during the mid-to-late 2010s.
After the 2018 season where Brown scored a career high 15 receiving touchdowns, the Raiders sent a third and fifth to the Steelers for the All-Pro receiver. On paper, it looked an incredibly cheap deal for the then 30-year-old receiver.
However, Brown arrived in Oakland, missed the Raiders training camp and refused to adopt new NFL helmet requirements. It was the start of a torrid marriage, ending with an alternation with Raiders GM Mike Mayock and one of the most outrageous promotional videos ever made. Brown was soon cut without taking an NFL snap in Oakland.
After another dramatic departure from the Buccaneers, have we seen the last of Brown? Probably.
A brilliant player on his day. But one of football’s characters remembered more for the wrong reasons.
2. Seahawks trade for Jamal Adams from Jets (2020)
The Seahawks are on the receiving end for this dismal trade. And boy did they lose a lot.
Seattle gave up a treasure chest for Jets’ safety Jamal Adams in 2020. First and third round selections for the 2021 NFL draft left Seattle, as well as first in 2022 and safety Bradley McDougald.
That’s a lot for any non-quarterback position, even for a player who was a such a big defensive playmaker at the time.
And for a safety, it’s unheard of. What makes the Adams trade looks so bad is the overspend, which Seattle have faced the consequences ever since.
The Seahawks made Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL in terms of annual value, despite growing injury concerns, average coverage play and a poor rate of turnovers. Generally, he has not hit the heights of his days in New York.
Adams hopefully still has a lengthy career ahead of the in the league. He could get back to his best over the next couple of years.
But for the Seahawks, with little draft capital as a result of the trade coupled with a poor couple of seasons, they seemed forced into trading Russel Wilson to the Broncos in 2022. A full rebuild is now in place and it’s going to be a difficult few years for their fans.
What or who is to blame? A culmination of things. But the Adams trade was certainly a turning point in the demise of the golden era for the Seahawks.
1. Texans trade DeAndre Hopkins to Cardinals (2020)
A deal which truly shocked the league. The Houston Texans dealt All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for just a second-round pick, a swap of fourths and David Johnson.
Reception was highly critical at the time. Head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien had allowed their best offensive playmaker to walk for such a low price. A couple of years on, many are calling the transaction one of the worst in history from the Texans perspective.
This trade was a disaster from the get-go for Houston. The Cardinals gave away little, yet Texans lost so much. It left so many scratching their heads as to why it happened.
Yes, Hopkins is now suspended in the NF. And yes the Texans successfully used the second-round pick to acquire Brandin Cooks, one of the most underrated receivers in the league.
But Hopkins’ departure catalysed the collapse of the Texans in the AFC, for which they are yet to recover.
