Trade History: Crazy deal for Ricky Williams tops Saints’ list
When it comes to team success, the New Orleans Saints are a little less accomplished than many NFL teams. The Saints started to play in 1967, but made the playoffs just six times in their first 40 years of existence and did not win their first playoff game until 2000.
New Orleans has played in three NFC Championship Games (a win against the Vikings in 2009, along with losses to the Bears in 2006 and the Rams in 2018). The Saints won their only title in Super Bowl XLVI, when game MVP Drew Brees threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-17 win over the Colts.
Although they have been known recently for their offensive skill players (such as Brees and wide receiver Michael Thomas), some of the Saints’ most successful players have slaved away in the trenches. The stars on this trade list include Hall of Fame tackle Willie Roaf, along with Rickey Jackson and Pat Swilling, two members of the “Dome Patrol,” a fantastic group of linebackers that operated during the late 1980s and early ’90s.
One trade not on the list is a 2006 deal that moved defensive tackle Hollis Thomas to New Orleans, with the Saints and Eagles swapping fourth-round picks. Thomas played just three seasons in New Orleans, but the pick was Jahri Evans, a guard who earned six Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections in 11 years with the Saints. The Eagles also selected an offensive lineman, but Max Jean-Gilles played just four years in the NFL.
In addition to my breakdown, all of the trades on this list can be found here, and this other site focuses particularly on the deals in the 1970s and ’80s.
1. September 25, 1973:
Saints acquired: Fourth- and fifth-round picks in the 1974 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: WR Danny Abramowicz
The Saints acquired two selections from the 49ers, and the first was a fourth-rounder that was used to select Rod McNeill, a former USC running back. McNeill spent two years with New Orleans, totaling 296 rushing, 276 kick return, and 202 receiving yards, along with five total touchdowns. He spent 1976 as the primary kick returner for the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, posting 384 yards in his lone season there before retiring. The fifth-round pick became Joel Parker, a Florida wide receiver, who missed half of the 1975 season and all of the following year after suffering a knee injury. Parker totaled just 51 catches, 585 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons before he retired in 1977.
Abramowicz was a former star receiver at Xavier who spent his first six seasons with New Orleans after he was drafted in the 17th round in 1967. He was the main weapon in the first few years of the Saints franchise, and he was an All-Pro in 1969 after posting career highs with 1,015 yards and a league-leading 73 catches. Abramowicz ranks fifth in team history with 4,875 yards, sixth with 37 touchdowns, and eighth with 309 receptions. He was traded two games into the 1973 season and had just 60 catches for 811 yards and two scores in two years with San Francisco. Abramowicz tried out for the Redskins in 1975 but did not make the roster and retired. His biggest accomplishment was catching a pass in a then-record 105 straight games (Jerry Rice holds the mark now with a catch in 274 consecutive contests from 1985-2004). After his playing days, Abramowicz went into coaching, leading the Bears’ special teams unit from 1992-96 and serving as offensive coordinator with the Saints from 1997-99. He is also a devout Roman Catholic and hosts a show on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) called Crossing the Goal, which talks about issues involving men and their faith.
Assessment: McNeill and Parker only played a combined five seasons with the Saints, but Abramowicz could not replicate his New Orleans production with San Francisco. PUSH
2. October 7, 1980:
Saints acquired: The second overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft
Chargers acquired: RB Chuck Muncie
New Orleans drafted someone in the second round who was already used to playing at an extremely high level. Defensive end Rickey Jackson was on a University of Pittsburgh team that also featured several future NFL players, including quarterback Dan Marino, offensive linemen Russ Grimm, Mark May, and Jim Covert, defensive tackle Bill Maas, and fellow defensive end Hugh Green, a three-time All-American who earned two Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections in the early 1980s with the Buccaneers. Jackson became an even more successful professional player after the Saints switched him to outside linebacker. Over 13 seasons with New Orleans, Jackson made the Pro Bowl six times, led the league in forced fumbles four times and fumble recoveries once (with seven in 1990). The most feared member of the “Dome Patrol” is the team’s all-time leader with 115 sacks (including six seasons with a double-digit total and a high of 13½ in 1992), 1,104 tackles (with five campaigns of at least 100), as well as 38 forced fumbles and 27 fumble recoveries. Jackson signed with San Francisco in 1994 and he won his only title that season when the 49ers defeated the Chargers, 49-26, in Super Bowl XXIX. He retired in 1995 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, with the announcement coming one day before the Saints beat the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV for their first championship.
The Saints made this trade during the 1980 season, but filled the hole left from trading Muncie by selecting former South Carolina rusher and 1980 Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers with the first overall pick in 1981. Muncie was a Pac-8 Player of the Year in 1975 and he was selected third in the NFL Draft the following year. Muncie and bruising fullback Tony Galbreath became “Thunder and Lightning” for the Saints, with Muncie earning a Pro Bowl selection in 1979 after posting a career-high 1,198 yards along with 11 touchdowns. Muncie had two Pro Bowl selections in five years with the Chargers. His best campaign was 1981, when he totaled 1,144 yards and a career-high and league-leading 19 scores for the “Air Coryell” offense in San Diego. Muncie played in back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 1980-81, but the Chargers could not reach the Super Bowl. He was traded to the Dolphins after the 1984 season, but the deal was voided and he was suspended indefinitely after testing positive for cocaine, which he said in later interviews that he used since college. His drug issues led to an arrest for intent to sell in 1989, but he turned his life around while in prison. After his 18-month sentence, Muncie started a foundation, mentored at-risk youth, and ran a recruiting service for high school football players. He died of a heart attack in 2013.
Assessment: Both Muncie and Jackson were fantastic players, but Muncie’s career was derailed by drug issues while Jackson put together a Hall of Fame resume with New Orleans. SAINTS
3. September 17, 1982:
Saints acquired: T Leon Gray
Houston Oilers acquired: QB Archie Manning
Gray was a Jackson State product who was drafted by the Dolphins, but was cut and signed by the Patriots. Gray, along with guard John Hannah, gave New England a formidable left side of the offensive line throughout the 1970s, with Gray earning two Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro nod. He was traded to the Oilers before the 1979 season and was a two-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro in three years with Houston. Gray played 18 games as a reserve in two seasons with the Saints before retiring in 1983. He died in 2001 and his family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL stemming from his concussion issues.
Manning was an All-American and the SEC Player of the Year with Mississippi in 1969. He was selected second overall in 1971 (the Patriots selected Stanford quarterback Jim Plunkett first) and earned two Pro Bowl selections in 10 full seasons with the Saints. Manning started all 16 games three times and in each of those campaigns, he passed for 3,000 yards, including 1980, when he posted career highs with 3,716 yards and 23 scores. At the time of the trade, Manning held franchise records with 21,734 yards, 115 touchdowns and 156 interceptions (he is now second to Drew Brees in yards and interceptions and third behind Brees and Aaron Brooks in touchdown passes). Despite his statistical success, Manning never led the Saints to the playoffs and only had a 35-91-3 record with the club. After the trade, Manning played just nine games with the Oilers while posting an 0-8 record. Houston traded him to Minnesota during the 1983 season and he played eight games with the Vikings before retiring in 1984. After his career, Manning was a radio and television analyst and was a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, but his most famous role was football father for Super Bowl-winning sons, Peyton and Eli.
Assessment: Manning was the most-recognized player in the early days of pro football in New Orleans and Gray was a Patriots Hall of Fame member. Both players, as well as their teams, had no success after the trade. PUSH
4. (Part One) October 9, 1984:
Saints acquired: RB Earl Campbell
Houston Oilers acquired: A first-round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft
(Part Two) April 26, 1985:
Saints acquired: A first-round pick in the 1985 NFL Draft
Redskins acquired: RB George Rogers, plus fifth-, 10th- and 11th-round picks in 1985
The 1985 NFL Draft was known for the crazy wheeling and dealing at the top. After the Bills selected Jim Kelly, the next three picks were involved in trades and there was also a league hearing on the status of Bernie Kosar, who opted to enter the Supplemental Draft. The Saints got in on the action, acquiring Campbell from the Oilers for the 10th pick. Campbell was a two-time All-American and the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner at Texas. The “Tyler Rose” began his NFL career in a dynamic fashion, leading the league in rushing his first three seasons. In addition to Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections all three years, Campbell was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1978 and earned Offensive Player of the Year honors the following three seasons. He was NFL MVP in 1979 after leading the league with 1,697 yards and 19 touchdowns, and he followed that up with NFL-high totals of 1,934 yards and 13 scores in 1980. Campbell added two more 1,300-yard seasons that resulted in Pro Bowl selections before the trade. With the Saints, he ran for 833 yards in 24 games before retiring in 1986. Despite suffering from several injuries associated with his career, Campbell ran a meat company after his playing days and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991.
The Saints replaced the first-round pick they sent to the Oilers by acquiring one from the Redskins, which they used to select Alvin Toles, a University of Tennessee running back who missed most of the 1984 season with a broken ankle. New Orleans converted Toles to linebacker, where he started 17 games over four seasons. He suffered a serious knee injury in 1988 and was on injured reserve for two seasons before he was released and retired in 1990. His son, Andrew, played baseball for the Dodgers but has not appeared in a game since 2018 due to issues with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
In exchange for Campbell, the Oilers used the acquired pick to select Richard Johnson, an All-American cornerback with Wisconsin in 1984. Johnson spent his entire eight-year NFL career with Houston, amassing 15 interceptions, including eight in 1990.
Rogers was a former All-American and Heisman Trophy winner from South Carolina who was taken with the top pick of the 1981 NFL Draft. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and rushed for 1,000 yards twice in four seasons with the Saints. Rogers had his best season in 1981, when he earned All-Pro honors and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year after rushing for 13 touchdowns and an NFL-high 1,674 yards. After the trade, Rogers had two more 1,000-yard campaigns, including 1986, when he posted 1,203 yards and a league-leading 18 scores. He played sparingly in Super Bowl XXII, but won a title in his last game after the Redskins defeated the Broncos, 42-10. Rogers struggled with drug addiction after his career, which included a possession arrest in 1990.
Washington used the fifth-round pick on Raphel Cherry, a safety from Hawaii. Cherry played one season with the Redskins and two with the Lions, amassing five interceptions before retiring in 1988. He was convicted of first-degree murder in the strangulation death of his wife in 1999. The 10th-rounder became Terry Orr, a Texas tight end who won two Super Bowls with the Redskins. Orr spent seven full seasons as Washington’s backup tight end, amassing 52 catches, 939 yards and 10 touchdowns during his stay in the Nation’s Capital. He played nine games with the Chargers in 1990, but had no receptions and one kickoff return. Orr was convicted of defrauding three former teammates and a Georgia businessman in a failed shoe company venture. Despite being taken with pick 290 in the 11th round, Raleigh McKenzie was the best player Washington drafted from this trade. McKenzie and his twin brother, Reggie, both played linebacker at the University of Tennessee until Raleigh converted to center as a sophomore. He also played guard in the NFL and won two titles during his 10-year stay in Washington. McKenzie played two years each with the Eagles, Chargers and Packers before retiring in 2000. After spending several years as a high school coach in Virginia, in 2012, McKenzie joined his brother, who had just become the general manager in Oakland. Reggie McKenzie was fired in 2018 and Raleigh spent one year under new GM Mike Mayock before he was let go as well.
Assessment: Johnson was a solid part-time starter and Campbell was slowed by injuries after the trade to New Orleans. The second trade was almost a wash, with Toles succumbing to injury while Cherry and Orr struggled to find the field and found trouble with the law after their careers ended. The clincher for both trades is McKenzie, who wasn’t a flashy star but did start in two Super Bowl victories. REDSKINS
5. (Part One) April 25, 1993:
Saints acquired: First- and fourth-round picks in the 1993 NFL Draft
Lions acquired: LB Pat Swilling
(Part Two) March 27, 2002:
Saints acquired: A third-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft
Chiefs acquired: T Willie Roaf
The Saints found a gem in Willie Roaf, a 1992 All-American tackle from Louisiana Tech who was taken eighth overall. Roaf became a stalwart in New Orleans, starting 131 games in nine seasons while earning seven Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections. The 1993 All-Rookie Team member also started three postseason games, including a 31-28 Wild Card victory over the Rams in 2000 that was the first playoff win in franchise history. The fourth-round pick was used on Lorenzo Neal, who was not only a two-time All-Big West fullback at Fresno State, but an All-American wrestler as well. Neal was the quintessential journeyman NFL fullback. He started his career playing 50 games in four seasons with New Orleans. From there, Neal played a year each with the Jets and Buccaneers, and two apiece with the Titans and Bengals, earning a Pro Bowl selection with Cincinnati in 2002. He was at his best with the Chargers, earning three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro nominations during his five-year stay with San Diego. Neal spent 2008 with the Ravens and retired after failing to make the Raiders the following year. Although he was used sparingly as a runner or pass catcher on offense, Neal was one of the best blocking fullbacks in the NFL during his 16-year career.
New Orleans traded away the 2003 third-rounder from the Chiefs, sending the pick to the Patriots for Tebucky Jones, a former Syracuse safety who was drafted by New England in the first round in 1998. Jones played 72 games in five years with the Patriots, and he registered four tackles in a 20-17 win over the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game, he returned an interception of Kurt Warner 97 yards, but the score was negated by a holding penalty. Jones started for two years with the Saints and played one season with the Dolphins. He signed back with the Patriots in 2006, but suffered a leg injury in the preseason that ended his playing career and led to a lawsuit against the team. After his playing career, Jones coached his alma mater New Britain High School for nine years before he retired in January 2020.
Swilling was an All-American linebacker at Georgia Tech in 1985, and the Saints selected him early in the third round the following year. In seven seasons with New Orleans, Swilling was selected to four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. His 76½ sacks rank fourth in team history and include 16½ in 1990 and a league-leading 17 two years later, when he was named Defensive Player of the Year. Another member of the “Dome Patrol,” Swilling also 24 forced fumbles (second in Saints history) and made 354 tackles. He made the Pro Bowl for his fifth and final time in his first season with the Lions. After two years with Detroit, Swilling signed with the Raiders and posted 13 sacks in 1995. He retired in 1997, but came back for one more year with Oakland before leaving for good in 1999. Swilling has one dubious distinction in his otherwise great career. He lost all six career playoff games, the most ever in a career without a win.
Roaf played four more years with Kansas City after the trade, earning Pro Bowl selections in each of those years and also being named an All-Pro twice. He retired after the 2005 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Assessment: Roaf had several great seasons with Kansas City, but he is the first player who spent the majority of his career with New Orleans to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Neal and Jones only played a few years in the Big Easy, but Swilling was not nearly as productive after leaving New Orleans. SAINTS
6. April 24: 1994:
Saints acquired: First- and fifth-round picks in the 1994 NFL Draft
Jets acquired: A first-round pick in 1994
The Saints and Jets swapped spots midway through the first round, with New Orleans acquiring an additional fifth-round pick. At 13, the Saints were able to grab Joe Johnson, a defensive end from Louisville. Johnson played eight seasons with New Orleans and ranks seventh in team history with 50½ sacks. After making his first Pro Bowl in 1999, Johnson suffered a serious knee injury the following year that many thought would force him to retire. Johnson not only returned to the field in 2000, he posted a career-high 12 sacks, which got him a second Pro Bowl selection and earned him Comeback Player of the Year honors. He spent one more year with the Saints before signing a six-year, $33 million deal with the Packers in 2002. Johnson played just 11 games over two seasons before Green Bay released him. He retired in 2004. The fifth-rounder was Craig Novitsky, a former UCLA guard who played 41 games in three seasons with the Saints before retiring in 1996. Novitsky is now the financial services manager at a Lexus dealership in Virginia.
New York used the 12th pick on Aaron Glenn, a cornerback who was an All-American in 1993 at Texas A&M. Glenn spent his first eight seasons with the Jets, amassing 24 interceptions (tied for fourth in team history). The two-time Pro Bowler in New York also made one tackle in a loss to the Broncos in the 1998 AFC Championship Game. Glenn was chosen by the Texans in the 2002 Expansion Draft and earned his third Pro Bowl selection while posting five interceptions. After three years in Houston, Glenn played two in Dallas and one each with Jacksonville and New Orleans before he retired after the 2008 season. He spent two years (2012-13) as a scout with the Jets and two (2014-15) as a defensive backs assistant with the Browns. Glenn has been the defensive backs coach with the Saints since 2016.
Assessment: Johnson and Glenn had similar individual careers, but New York’s appearance in the AFC Championship Game gives Glenn’s side the edge. JETS
7. April 17, 1999
: Saint acquired: The fifth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft
Redskins acquired: First-, third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round picks in 1999, plus first- and third-rounders in 2000
In order to draft Williams fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft, the Saints gave up quite a bit, but the former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas only lasted three years in New Orleans. He ran for 3,129 yards, including 1,245 in 2001, to go along with 16 touchdowns, but he was not selected to the Pro Bowl with the Saints. That honor (along with an All-Pro selection) came in his first season with the Dolphins, when Williams rushed for a league-leading 1,853 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2002. Williams ran for 1,372 yards and nine scores the following season but decided to retire in 2004 rather than get suspended for a third positive marijuana test in less than a year. He returned to the Dolphins and served a four-game suspension in 2005 to start the season, but a fourth positive test led to a ban that lasted the entire 2006 campaign. Williams spent his lost NFL season with the Toronto Argonauts, but after the stunt, the CFL adopted a new rule that banned players suspended by the NFL from signing with the league. Williams was reinstated late in 2007 and spent four more years with Miami. He had a resurgence in 2009 when he ran for 1,121 yards and 11 scores, and he totaled 6,436 yards and 48 touchdowns in seven years with the Dolphins. Williams signed with the Ravens in 2011 and helped his team reach the AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Patriots. He finished his 11-year NFL career with 10,009 rushing yards and 68 touchdowns. Williams retired in 2012 and has since become a yoga instructor and medical cannabis advocate.
Washington acquired New Orleans’ entire cavalcade of draft picks in 1999, then sent the first- and third-rounders to the Bears to move up from 12 to 7. At that spot, the Redskins drafted Roland “Champ” Bailey, a 1998 All-American cornerback at Georgia. Bailey made the All-Rookie Team after posting five interceptions with Washington and followed that with Pro Bowl selections in each of the next four seasons. He totaled 18 interceptions and 332 tackles in five years with the Redskins before he was traded to the Broncos for Clinton Portis in 2004. Bailey earned eight Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections in 10 seasons with Denver. He signed with the Saints in 2014, but retired after he was released in the final round of training camp cuts. Bailey was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019. The fourth-round pick was used on Georgia Tech linebacker Nate Stimson, who never played in the NFL.
The Redskins made another trade with the Bears, with the fifth-rounder being part of the deal that brought Jon Jansen to Washington. Jansen was an offensive tackle who was a member of Michigan’s National Championship team in 1997. The 1999 All-Rookie Team member spent a decade as the Redskins’ right tackle, starting 123 games. Jansen missed all of the 2004 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon, and he lost all but one game in 2007 with a broken and dislocated ankle. He spent one year as a reserve with the Lions and retired in 2010 after Detroit cut him before the season. Jansen has focused on his media career once his playing days ended. He has been a television and radio analyst, and he has also been the co-host of the Michigan Football Tailgate show.
The story of Washington’s 1999 draft was their trades, and following that trend, the sixth- and seventh-round picks were sent to Denver. The Redskins used the acquired fifth-round selection on Derek Smith, a linebacker from Arizona State. Smith was a starter all four years he was with Washington, and he amassed 376 tackles, five fumble recoveries, and 4½ sacks. He signed with San Francisco in 2001 and made at least 100 tackles in each of his first five seasons with the 49ers and totaled 709 overall. Smith split the 2008 season between the Chargers and Dolphins before retiring.
The 2000 first-round pick turned out to be the second overall selection, and the Redskins did not hesitate when they snapped up LaVar Arrington, a linebacker from Penn State. Arrington was a two-time All-American and, in 1999, won a trio of awards named after NFL greats (the Butkus and Lambert awards are given out by different organizations to the best linebacker and the Bednarik Award honors college football’s best overall defensive player). The accolades piled up in the NFL as well for Arrington, who was a member of the All-Rookie Team in 2000 and earned Pro Bowl selections in each of the next three seasons. He always seemed to be around the ball, amassing 11 sacks in 2002 and leading the league with six forced fumbles the following year. Arrington signed a six-year, $68 million extension in 2004, but the contract was missing bonus clauses totaling $6.5 million, a fact that led to his agent, Carl Poston, getting suspended for two years. Arrington’s later tenure in Washington was marred by a 2004 knee injury and a growing discord with management. He signed a seven-year, $49 million deal with the division-rival Giants in 2006, but played just seven games before suffering an Achilles injury that ended his season and, ultimately, his career. After his 2007 retirement, Arrington has tried several business ventures, including a sports agency, a football training system, and a restaurant. He is now an analyst on the FS1 show, Speak for Yourself. Washington used the 2000 third-round pick on Lloyd Harrison, a former cornerback at North Carolina State. Harrison played just two games with the Redskins in 2000 and 16 overall in three NFL seasons before retiring in 2002.
Assessment: There are so many issues in this one deal, from drugs to attitudes to injuries to agent suspensions. Williams was solid but spent just three years with New Orleans. Bailey had five good years with Washington before having an even better career with Denver. Arrington and Jansen missed parts of seasons with serious injuries, but Washington’s haul did enough to win this trade. REDSKINS
8. April 28, 2011:
Saints acquired: A first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
Patriots acquired: A second-round pick in 2011 and a first-rounder in 2012
The Saints had already taken star Cal defensive end Cameron Jordan at pick 24 in 2011, and then they moved back into the first round, acquiring the 28th selection from the Patriots. New Orleans found a complement to Pierre Thomas with running back Mark Ingram, who was an All-American and the Heisman Trophy winner after rushing for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns in Alabama’s 2009 National Championship season. Ingram started as Thomas’ understudy, but took over as the starter in 2014 and made the Pro Bowl for the first time that season. In eight seasons with the Saints, Ingram went to a pair of Pro Bowls and ran for 1,000 yards twice. Although he was the all-time franchise leader with 50 touchdowns and posted a second-best 6,007 yards, Ingram saw his carries taken by 2017 draft pick Alvin Kamara, and he left New Orleans for Baltimore in 2019. Ingram made his third Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,018 yards and 10 scores in his first season with the Ravens. Ingram has yet to win a title like his father, former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram Sr., who was with the Giants when they won Super Bowl XXV. The younger Ingram played in the 2018 NFC Championship Game, which the Saints lost to the Rams.
New England took Cal running back Shane Vereen with the second-round pick acquired from New Orleans. Vereen was a reserve in the crowded Patriots backfield, but he contributed both as a runner and receiver over four seasons. He went to three straight AFC Championship Games from 2012-14 with New England and caught 11 passes for 64 yards in a 28-24 victory over Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX. Vereen signed with the Giants in 2015, but did not have as big of a role in New York’s offense that he did with New England. He signed with the Saints in 2018, but suffered a finger injury during the preseason. Vereen has not played since New Orleans released him with an injury settlement.
The Patriots traded the 2012 first-round pick, as well as a third-rounder to move up six spots and select Chandler Jones, a two-time All-Big East linebacker with Syracuse. Jones was an immediate contributor to New England’s defense after he was converted to defensive end. The All-Rookie Team member posted 36 sacks in his first four seasons and made the Pro Bowl after posting 12½ in 2015. Jones played in four straight AFC Championship Games with the Patriots and contributed three tackles and a sack during the Super Bowl XLIX win. He was traded to the Cardinals in 2016 for guard Jonathan Cooper and a 2016 second-round pick. Jones has 60 sacks in his first four years, including a league-leading 17 in 2017 and a career-high 19 last year, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in both seasons. Jones is the brother of former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Jon “Bones” Jones, as well as former Ravens defensive lineman and Super Bowl champion, Arthur Jones.
Assessment: Jones was a pass-rushing specialist and Vereen was a multi-purpose back during New England’s successful seasons over the past decade. On the other side, Ingram became an NFL star and is at the top of the list in most New Orleans rushing statistics. PUSH
9. March 10, 2015:
Saints acquired: C Max Unger and a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft
Seahawks acquired: TE Jimmy Graham and a fourth-round pick in 2015
This trade between the Saints and Seahawks six weeks before the 2015 NFL Draft involved two big-name players and two draft picks. New Orleans acquired Unger, an All-American at Oregon who was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro in 2012 with Seattle. Unger was a starter in back-to-back title games, including a 43-8 Seahawks win over the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. After the trade, he spent four seasons with the Saints, playing in 63 games and making the Pro Bowl in 2018. Unger started for New Orleans in a 2018 NFC Championship Game loss to the Rams. He retired in March 2019. New Orleans used the first-round pick on Stephone Anthony, a linebacker who was a high school All-American and played in college at Clemson. Anthony started all 16 games in 2015, and was selected to the All-Rookie Team after making 112 tackles. He was pushed back to a reserve role the following year and has started just four games in the past four seasons. Anthony was traded to the Dolphins and spent two years with Miami. He had tryouts with the Falcons and Jets in 2019 before coming back to the Saints, where he made just one tackle in 12 games. Anthony became a free agent in March and has yet to sign with another team.
The Saints took Graham in the third round in 2010 and he blossomed into one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Graham made three Pro Bowls during his five seasons with New Orleans, and he was named an All-Pro in 2013 after leading the league with 16 touchdowns. He ranks second in team history with 51 touchdowns, fifth with 386 receptions, and sixth with 4,752 yards. Although he has failed to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season since leaving New Orleans (he did it twice with the Saints), Graham made two Pro Bowls in three years with the Seahawks. He signed with the Packers in 2018 and had four catches for 59 yards in the 2019 NFC Championship Game loss to the 49ers. Graham moved to an NFC North rival in 2002, signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Bears in March. The fourth-round pick was among five sent to the Redskins, which allowed the Seahawks to move up in the third round and draft Tyler Lockett, who was a two-time All-American wide receiver at Kansas State. Lockett earned Pro Bowl, All-Pro and All-Rookie Team honors after totaling eight touchdowns to go along with 664 yards receiving, 379 on punt returns, and 852 on kickoff returns. He enjoyed his best season in 2019, scoring eight touchdowns and posting career highs with 82 receptions and 1,057 yards.
Assessment: Unger was solid for New Orleans, but Anthony was a bit of a disappointment. Graham’s time in Seattle did not match his impressive seasons with the Saints, but Lockett is becoming a star. SEAHAWKS
10. April 28, 2017:
Saints acquired: A third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: A seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and a second-rounder in 2018
The pick originally belonged to the Bears, but was sent to the 49ers in the Mitchell Trubisky-Solomon Thomas swap at the top of the draft. The Saints acquired the pick and selected University of Tennessee running back Alvin Kamara in the third round. Kamara paid immediate dividends by winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and making the Pro Bowl in 2017. He proved to be a dual-threat player out of the backfield, totaling 728 yards and eight touchdowns rushing to go along with 81 catches, 826 yards, and five scores receiving. He even had 347 yards on kickoffs, including a 106-yard touchdown return in the final game of the season against the Buccaneers. Kamara has continued his solid play, earning Pro Bowl selections in each of his first three seasons. The Saints rewarded him with a five-year, $75 million contract extension the day before their 2020 season opener.
San Francisco used the 2017 seventh-round pick on Adrian Colbert, a University of Miami safety, who spent his first three years at Texas before transferring. Colbert played 21 games in two seasons with the 49ers but missed nine games in 2018 due to a high ankle sprain. He split 2019 between the Seahawks and Dolphins, and he was claimed off waivers by the Giants in early September. The 2018 second-rounder (running back Derrius Guice) was sent to Washington in a deal that allowed San Francisco to select Dante Pettis and D. J. Reed. Pettis was an All-American at the University of Washington in 2017, and he set the all-time NCAA record by returning nine punts for touchdowns in his collegiate career. He has been a part-time starter, totaling 38 receptions, 576 yards, and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the 49ers. Reed was a Kansas State product who made 54 tackles in two years as a reserve in San Francisco. He was claimed off waivers in early September by the Seahawks, but will miss most of the 2020 season with a torn pectoral muscle.
Assessment: Colbert and Reed are fringe players, while Kamara has become one of the most dynamic multi-purpose players in the NFL. SAINTS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
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