The Rams Trade Is Third-Most Expensive Trade to Get Into Top 3, Behind Only Robert Griffin and Ryan Leaf
By Jason Lisk
The Rams pulled off a stunner, jumping up to the first overall pick. This almost certainly has to be for a quarterback, given the cost and the Rams’ needs (I guess we can’t completely rule out Jeff Fisher wanting yet another defensive lineman).
But assuming that it is for a quarterback, it ranks near the top in most expensive trades. It’s dwarfed by the Griffin trade. It shoots near the top, though, because of the volume of picks surrendered in the first three rounds. It’s funny to see the reversal in attitude. Jeff Fisher trolled Washington by naming all the players acquired in the trade as captains when they played again. Well, now there are six picks lurking out there to be named captain in the future.
After the Griffin trade, I went through every trade for a quarterback in the top 3 of the draft (some were drafted and then traded afterward, before ever signing). That list was chronological, but here’s my recap now, ranking the trades according to how lopsided the value was, from the perspective of the trading team getting rid of the top pick.
To evaluate, I looked at the picks and players traded, and tried to assign a value using Football Perspective’s value charts.
#1 2012: Washington trading three 1st round picks (two future 1st plus 6th overall), and a 2nd round pick to the Rams, for 2nd overall pick to take Robert Griffin
I ranted about how much Washington gave up right after the trade. For one year, it looked like I might be wrong. In the end, Washington gave up a ton of value, and the Griffin era ended worse than we could have imagined.
#2 1998: San Diego trading 3rd overall pick, 33rd overall pick, plus Eric Metcalf and Patrick Sapp to the Cardinals, to move to 2nd overall to take Ryan Leaf
San Diego needed a quarterback. Arizona had drafted Jake Plummer a year earlier. To prevent anyone else from jumping in the top two, the Chargers paid a premium for that one spot. This ranks so highly because of that bonus paid for one spot.
#3 2016: Los Angeles Rams trade 15th overall pick, 43rd overall, 45th overall, 77th overall, and future 1st and 3rd to the Titans, for 1st overall pick, plus 113th and 177th overall picks.
The Rams needed a big splash. They have no quarterback. They paid a premium, and may not even know for sure who they want yet.
#4 2004: Giants trade rights to 4th overall pick Phillip Rivers, next year’s first round pick, 65th overall, and future 5th round pick to Chargers for 1st overall pick Eli Manning.
The Mannings didn’t want to go to San Diego. The Giants swept in, and include the next year’s first (which became Shawne Merriman).
#5 1990: The Indianapolis Colts trade Chris Hinton, 2nd year receiver Andre Rison, next year’s first rounder, and the #121 pick to Atlanta, for the #83 pick and the #1 overall pick to select Jeff George.
Rison was the previous year’s first round pick. Hinton, also part of the Elway trade (see below), was a veteran offensive tackle. Jeff George was viewed as a potential star, but would last only four years in Indianapolis, then go to the team that originally traded away the pick.
#6 1986: The Los Angeles Rams trade Kent Hill and the rights to William Fuller, along with two consecutive first round picks and a future fifth rounder, to Houston for #3 overall pick Jim Everett, who was holding out after being drafted.
Everett was holding out after being drafted by the Oilers, who already had Warren Moon. This trade came after the draft and included future picks only, along with veteran players Fuller and Hill.
#7 1985: Cleveland trades the 7th overall, the 63rd overall, and the next year’s 1st and 6th round picks to Buffalo for the rights to the first pick in the Supplemental Draft, to draft Bernie Kosar.
Bernie Kosar was quite popular in the spring of 1985. There was controversy over whether he should be included in the regular draft or a supplemental draft. The Bills were taking Bruce Smith first overall (they had the rights to Jim Kelly), but there was wrangling for both the 2nd overall pick, and the 1st supplemental pick (owned by Buffalo). The Browns won, giving up a haul for the opportunity.
#8 2001: The Atlanta Falcons trade Tim Dwight, #5 overall, #67 overall, and 2002 second rounder to Chargers for the #1 overall to select Michael Vick.
This trade worked out pretty well for San Diego, who still got LaDainian Tomlinson at 5th overall, and took Drew Brees in the 2nd.
#9 1983: Denver trades the 4th overall pick, offensive tackle Chris Hinton, the next year’s first rounder, and backup QB Mark Hermann to the Colts for the rights to John Elway.
It’s kind of amazing how little Elway commanded. Of course, he was playing hard ball with Baltimore, threatened to play baseball, and wasn’t signing in Baltimore.
#10 1975: Atlanta trades the 3rd overall pick and star offensive tackle George Kunz to the Colts for the 1st overall to select Steve Bartkowski.
In 1975, the Colts already had Bert Jones, and successfully moved the pick for another high pick plus a really good offensive tackle.
#11 1970: Cleveland trades star wide receiver Paul Warfield straight up to the Dolphins for the #3 pick, to select Mike Phipps.
Paul Warfield would be a big part of the Dolphins’ championship teams; Mike Phipps would not be a big part of Browns’ championship teams.
#12 1973: Baltimore trades defensive end Billy Newsome and the 86th pick for the 2nd overall to select Bert Jones.
Bert Jones was a local product out of LSU. However, the Saints already had Archie Manning, who they had drafted two years earlier. That lead to this bad trade. Could you imagine a team getting so little today. I can’t find much on Billy Newsome to find out why he was so highly thought of as to make up the bulk of this trade, but Canal Street Chronicles included him in their bracket of hated Saints, so there’s that.