Trade History: Jets acquire top Quarterbacks, including a Franchise Icon
On July 25, the Jets acquired two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jamal Adams and a 2020 fourth-round pick from the Seahawks for safety Bradley McDougald and three picks, including first-rounders in 2020 and ’21. The trade is another example of New York making a trade involving a star player being acquired for draft picks, and several others will be explored in this list.
One trade that did not make the list was the 1993 deal in which the Jets acquired former Pro Bowl running back Johnny Johnson while swapping picks with the Cardinals. New York drafted Florida State linebacker Marvin Jones fourth overall and, despite missing the 1998 season with a knee injury, he started 129 games in 11 years. With the third pick, Arizona selected Georgia running back Garrison Hearst, who was a two-time Pro Bowler in 10 NFL seasons, but missed two years after suffering a broken ankle. The injury was made worse when circulation issues caused him to lose a bone in his foot.
For more information on the top trades in Jets history, click here.
1. November 27, 1964:
Jets acquired: The first overall pick in the 1965 AFL Draft
Houston Oilers acquired: QB Jerry Rhome
The 1965 AFL Draft was loaded with top players, such as Fred Biletnikoff (Raiders), Gale Sayers (Chiefs) and Dick Butkus (Broncos), although both Sayers and Butkus chose to play with the Bears, after being selected among the top five picks in the NFL Draft. However, the player the Jets selected changed the course of the franchise. The movement began earlier in the day. The Oilers and Broncos made a trade that sent defensive tackle Bud McFadin and the first pick in the draft to Houston and gave Denver the rights to quarterback Jacky Lee for two years before he would go back to Houston (known as the “lend-lease” deal). The Oilers now owned the top two picks, but sent the recently-acquired first selection to the Jets later in the day. New York used the pick on Alabama quarterback Joe Namath, who was also selected 12th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NFL draft. Namath asked the Cardinals for a $200,000 annual salary and a Lincoln Continental, which St. Louis was willing to give … in exchange for Namath foregoing a chance to play in the Orange Bowl game. Instead, the quarterback played with the Crimson Tide and signed with New York.
Namath led the Jets to their only championship, complete with a guarantee of victory against the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, despite the Jets being an 18-point underdog with the oddsmakers. He also was named game MVP after throwing for 206 yards. “Broadway Joe” was a five-time AFL All-Star/Pro Bowler, was a two-time AFL Player of the Year, earned All-Pro honors in 1968, and was a league-leader in passing yards three times. Namath is the Jets’ all-time leader with 27,057 yards, 170 touchdowns, and 215 interceptions over 12 seasons in New York. He signed with the Rams in 1977, but started just four games and retired after the season. Namath transitioned to acting and advertising, but the 1985 Pro Football Hall of Famer also has struggled with alcoholism.
Rhome was the 1964 Sammy Baugh Trophy winner at Tulsa and he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting that year to Notre Dame quarterback John Huarte. Rhome was drafted by the Jets in the 25th round later that year, but instead chose to sign with the Cowboys, who selected him in the 13th round of the NFL Draft. He was mostly a reserve during his seven seasons, amassing 1,629 yards, seven touchdowns, and 14 interceptions with the Cowboys, Browns, Oilers, and Rams. Rhome played part of the 1972 season with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes before retiring in December. He then embarked on a 30-year coaching career, beginning as an assistant with his alma mater and ending as a consultant with the Vikings in 2005. Rhome rose to the level of offensive coordinator, a role he held with the Seahawks, Chargers, Cardinals, Oilers, and Rams. He won his only championship when he was the Redskins’ offensive coordinator in 1987 and Washington defeated Denver in Super Bowl XXII.
Assessment: Rhome was a very good college player, but spent most of his time as a backup in the NFL. Namath took a team that was in the middle of the pack in the AFL and turned them into a Super Bowl contender. He is the team’s all-time leader in many passing categories and is still the face of the franchise 50 years after his playing days. JETS
2. (Part One) February 1, 1980:
Jets acquired: QB Craig Penrose, plus first- and second-round picks in the 1980 NFL Draft
Broncos acquired: QB Matt Robinson
(Part Two) April 29, 1980 Jets acquired:
The second overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: Two first-round picks in 1980
The Jets were busy in the 1980 NFL Draft, making two trades that allowed them to obtain the second overall pick. The first trade in February brought in two picks along with quarterback Craig Penrose, a San Diego State product who spent four years as Craig Morton’s backup with the Broncos. He was with the Jets for one season after the trade, but never got onto the field with Richard Todd playing every snap. Penrose resurfaced with the Morton-coached Denver Gold of the United States Football League, playing two seasons before retiring in 1984. The first-round pick acquired from Denver was later sent to San Francisco. New York used the second-rounder on Ralph Clayton, who popularized the “wingback” position (a running back who often spread outside as a receiver) at Michigan. Clayton missed his entire rookie season after suffering a stress fracture in his left fibula during the preseason and the Jets released him. He retired after playing seven games with the Cardinals in 1981.
Originally, New York was going to select USC standout offensive tackle Anthony Munoz with the second pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, but Munoz failed a physical because of reconstructive knee surgery. Instead, the Jets took Johnny “Lam” Jones, who was a track star and a two-time All-Southwest Conference wide receiver at Texas. Jones possessed elite speed, but not elite hands, and he had trouble with dropped passes in the NFL. He missed time with a broken collarbone, as well as finger and hamstring injuries during his time in New York before the Jets traded him to the 49ers. He was released by San Francisco in the preseason and crossed the picket line during the strike in 1987 with the Cowboys. Jones never played with Dallas and retired after the season. He finished with 138 catches for 2,322 yards and 13 touchdowns in five years with the Jets. Jones struggled with drug and alcohol addiction during and after his playing career, but he beat his demons through rehab. He was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in 2005 and passed away from the condition in 2019.
Robinson was a former Georgia quarterback who amassed a 6-7 record in three years with the Jets and started 11 games in 1978. After the trade, Robinson filled in for an injured Morton during his only season in Denver. He was the backup to Joe Ferguson in Buffalo for two years, then moved on to the USFL. Robinson retired in 1986 after one season each with the Jacksonville Bulls and Portland Breakers. He is now involved with the NFL Players Association helping retired players transition to life after football.
The 49ers used the two first-round picks from the Jets to select Earl Cooper and Jim Stuckey. Cooper was a Rice University tight end and fullback who was a part of two title teams in San Francisco, and caught a touchdown pass from Joe Montana in a Super Bowl XVI win against the Bengals. He also finished second in the NFL with 83 receptions as a rookie in 1980 (San Diego’s Kellen Winslow led the league with 89). After six years with the 49ers, Cooper finished off his career with the Raiders in 1986. Stuckey was an All-American defensive tackle at Clemson in 1979 and joined Cooper in winning two titles with San Francisco. He had 7½ sacks in the regular season and three more in the playoffs, including one in Super Bowl XVI. Stuckey was released by the 49ers and signed with the Jets in 1986 and retired after the season. Although the 1980 NFC Championship Game was known for “The Catch,” which was corralled by Stuckey’s former college teammate, Dwight Clark, Stuckey sealed the victory over the Cowboys when he recovered a Danny White fumble with 28 seconds left.
Assessment: This is one of those rare trades where a team not even involved turned out to be the biggest winner. Penrose and Clayton both did nothing for New York and Jones had a problem with drops even before injuries derailed his career. Robinson played just one season in Denver. Cooper and Stuckey had their moments with San Francisco, but both were basically role players. Munoz recovered from his knee surgery and ended up earning 11 Pro Bowl and nine All-Pro selections during his 13 seasons with Cincinnati. BENGALS
3. February 18, 1984:
Jets acquired: A first-round pick in the 1984 NFL Draft
Saints acquired; QB Richard Todd
The Jets used the pick to select former Arkansas defensive end Ron Faurot 15th overall. Faurot played just 20 games and registered two sacks before a knee injury ended his career five games into the 1985 season. New York released him the following year and he never played again. Faurot now owns a sports bar in his hometown of Hurst, Texas.
Todd was a proficient passer during his time with Alabama. After being selected sixth overall in 1976, he went on to amass 18,241 yards, 110 touchdowns, and 138 interceptions with the Jets. He led New York to a 42-51-1 record in 94 starts over eight seasons. Todd helped the Jets reach the 1982 AFC Championship Game before the Dolphins defense sacked him four times and forced five interceptions in a 14-0 loss. After the trade, Todd was inconsistent as a starter in 1984 and was replaced by USFL product Bobby Hebert the following year. He returned to the Jets as a free agent in 1986, but he was released in October and retired after the season.
Assessment: Faurot lost his potential best playing years due to a knee injury, while Todd was an inconsistent passer after the trade. PUSH
4. (Part One) February 11, 1997:
Jets acquired: The rights to head coach Bill Parcells
Patriots acquired: Third- and fourth-round picks in the 1997 NFL Draft, plus a second-round pick in 1998 and a first-rounder in 1999
By 1997, Parcells had just finished his 15th year in the NFL and had spent another 15 in college football before that starting in 1964. He led the Giants to a pair of titles and took the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Packers. Parcells had issues with the team after New England owner Robert Kraft did not let him have input on draft picks despite Parcells also functioning as the team’s general manager. Although Parcells left New England, his contract stated he could not coach anywhere else. The Jets tried to get around that clause by hiring Bill Belichick as head coach and hiring Parcells as an “advisor.” The Patriots threatened legal action, but NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue worked out a deal between the teams.
Parcells coached three years with the Jets, amassing a 29-19 record and leading the team to the 1998 AFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Broncos. Parcells retired after the 1999 season and the Jets were involved in a similar coaching faux pas involving Belichick. Parcells came back to coach the Cowboys from 2003-06, then was the Executive Vice President of football operations with the Dolphins from 2008-10. He has served as a Courtesy Consultant with the Browns since 2014. Parcells has a “coaching tree” of those who have served under him that includes Belichick, Saints coach Sean Payton, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn and longtime Jaguars and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin.
New England acquired four picks for Parcells and used the 1997 selections on Sedrick Shaw and Damon Denson. Shaw was a running back from Iowa who had just 258 rushing yards in three NFL seasons with the Patriots, Bengals, and Browns. He signed with the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and had success in his two seasons there before retiring in 2003. Denson converted from defensive tackle to guard at Michigan and played just 14 games in three seasons with New England before retiring and becoming a minister.
The 1998 second-round pick was Wisconsin wide receiver Tony Simmons, who became the epitome of the word “journeyman.” Simmons had 981 yards and six touchdowns in five NFL seasons spent with four teams. He also played in NFL Europe and the CFL before embarking on a coaching career that started in 2010 and took him all around Europe, as well as India, Brazil, and back to the United States for a stint with Bluefield College (Virginia) in 2015. The 1999 pick was the most well-known of the bunch, with New England selecting Andy Katzenmoyer, a former high school, and college All-American who also won the Butkus and Lambert awards as the best linebacker with Ohio State. Katzenmoyer was a member of the NFL’s All-Rookie Team after posting 3½ sacks and 79 tackles, and also returning an interception 57 yards for a touchdown. However, he suffered a neck injury that forced him to retire in 2002. Katzenmoyer now owns a fitness and performance center in Ohio.
(Part Two) April 17, 1997:
Jets acquired: First-, third-, fourth- and seventh-round picks in the 1997 NFL Draft
Rams acquired: The first overall pick in 1997
The 1997 NFL Draft was quite busy for the Jets in terms of trades. They held the first overall pick after going 1-15 in 1996 but traded it to the Rams. The first-round selection from St. Louis was then sent to the Buccaneers (more on that later) and the third-rounder was moved to the Broncos (who selected Texas guard Dan Neil) for picks that became Dedric Ward, Chuck Clements, Jason Ferguson, and Dustin Johnson. Ward was a two-time Division I-AA All-American at Northern Iowa. He had 2,307 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight seasons, and he won a title with the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Clements was a University of Houston product who played one year as the third-stringer in New York behind Neil O’Donnell. Clements also played games in NFL Europe, the XFL, and the CFL before retiring in 2002. Ferguson was a Georgia defensive lineman who spent 12 seasons in the NFL. He amassed 20½ sacks and 374 tackles in 101 games with the Jets. Ferguson retired in 2010 after getting his second failed drug test for steroids. Johnson never appeared with the Jets and played just one game with the Seahawks in 1999.
New York selected former Mississippi State defensive lineman Terry Day in the fourth round. Day played just one game in 1997 before retiring. The seventh-rounder was moved to the Eagles, who used their acquired pick to select quarterback Koy Detmer. The trade brought in Ronnie Dixon, a defensive tackle who played just five games in his lone season with New York. He finished his five-year career with 43 games and retired after spending 1998 with Kansas City.
The top pick in 1997 was Orlando Pace, a high school All-American and a two-time honoree in college at Ohio State. Pace was a two-time Lombardi Award winner (best all-around player), and he also won the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman), earned the Big Ten MVP award, and was a Heisman Trophy finalist (won by Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel). In the NFL, he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro who played in two championship games (including a Rams win over the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV). Pace missed half of the 2006 season with a torn triceps and almost all of the following year with a shoulder injury. After 12 seasons with the Rams, he ended his career with the Bears in 2009. Pace was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.
(Part Three) April 17, 1997:
Jets acquired: First-and fourth-round picks in the 1997 NFL Draft
Buccaneers acquired: A first-round pick in 1997
In exchange for the sixth pick, the Jets received two selections that they turned into James Farrior and Leon Johnson. Farrior was a star linebacker at Virginia who had 355 tackles in five seasons with New York. He signed with the Steelers in 2002, earning two Pro Bowl selections and an All-Pro nod over 10 seasons. The two-time champion ranks first in Pittsburgh team history with 1,085 tackles, and he also produced 20 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and eight interceptions. Farrior retired in 2011 and was inducted into the Steelers’ Hall of Honor in 2020. Johnson starred at North Carolina in the mid-1990s under future Texas head coach Mack Brown. He had his greatest success in the NFL as a return man, leading the NFL with 619 punt return yards as a rookie with the Jets in 1997 and posting a career-high 1,151 kick return yards with the Chargers in his final season in 2003. Johnson totaled 799 rushing and 489 receiving yards in seven years.
Tampa Bay moved the pick to Seattle, and the Seahawks selected future Hall of Famer, nine-time Pro Bowler, and four-time All-Pro Walter Jones. The Buccaneers used the first- and third-round picks on Warrick Dunn and Frank Middleton. Dunn was a running back who was a member of Florida State’s National Championship Team as a freshman in 1993. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1997 after posting 978 rushing and 462 receiving yards to go along with seven total touchdowns. Dunn split his career evenly between Tampa Bay and Atlanta, earning a Pro Bowl selection for each of his two 1,000-yard seasons with the Buccaneers. He also played in the 1999 NFC Championship Game loss to the Rams. With the Falcons, he was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2004 and earned his only Pro Bowl selection with Atlanta the following season. Dunn retired in 2008 and now runs the Homes for the Holidays charity, which helps out new struggling homeowners. Middleton was a former Arizona guard who, like Dunn, was a member of the 1997 NFL All-Rookie team. He split his eight-year career between the Buccaneers and Raiders, starting 50 games in four years with Tampa Bay, then facing his former team with Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII. Middleton retired after the 2004 season.
Assessment: Parcells was only the coach for three years, but he led the Jets to the 1998 AFC Championship Game. New England might have actually won the first trade if not for Katzenmoyer’s injury, but the edge goes to New York in that one. Ferguson was a solid player with the Jets, but he had steroid issues. The Rams easily win the second trade, thanks to Pace’s Hall of Fame career. Farrior was a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker, but his greatest moments came in Pittsburgh. Dunn’s 10,967 rushing yards and three Pro Bowls give Tampa Bay the edge in that deal. In terms of picking one overall winner, Pace narrowly edges Dunn thanks to his Hall of Fame selection. RAMS
5. (Part One) March 25, 1998:
Jets acquired: RB Curtis Martin
Patriots acquired: First- and third-round picks in the 1998 NFL Draft
(Part Two) April 7, 1998:
Jets received: A 1998 third-round pick
Cardinals received: RB Adrian Murrell and a seventh-round pick in the 1998 Draft
The trading continued into the 1998 NFL Draft for the Jets, although Part One wasn’t technically considered a swap. Curtis Martin was selected by New England out of the University of Pittsburgh in the third round in 1995. He played just three years with the Patriots, but already had attained Offensive Player of the Year honors, earned two Pro Bowl selections, and produced three 1,000-yard seasons. Martin totaled 3,799 yards and 32 touchdowns, and the Jets snagged him as a restricted free agent. However, the Patriots filed a tampering claim after New York tried to sneak a clause into his new contract that would have made him a free agent in one year and cost an additional $3.3 million roster bonus for matching the offer. New England let Martin go and New York lost first- and third-round picks.
Martin added seven more 1,000-yard campaigns, including a league-leading 1,697 in 2004, when he earned his only All-Pro selection. He was also a three-time Pro Bowler with the Jets and his 10,302 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns are both team records. Martin tore knee cartilage late in his career and, after missing all of the 2006 season, he retired the following year. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
The Jets traded the 1998 third-round pick (University of Tennessee defensive end Leonard Little) for two picks that were used on Scott Frost and Lawrence Hart. Frost was a former Nebraska quarterback who never threw a pass in the NFL. He played three seasons with the Jets and spent a year each in Cleveland, Green Bay, and Tampa Bay before retiring in 2003. Frost is in his third season as the Cornhuskers’ head coach. Hart was a Southern University tight end who never played for the Jets, instead of spending 2000 with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe and the following year with the XFL’s Orlando Rage. He played in one game with the Cardinals in 2001 before retiring.
The two picks New England received after the Jets signed Martin were Robert Edwards and Chris Floyd. Edwards was a standout running back at Georgia who made the All-Rookie Team after running for 1,115 yards and a touchdown in 1998. However, he tore all three ligaments in his knee and sliced an artery in his leg while playing in a rookie flag football game during Pro Bowl week. Although he avoided needing his leg amputated below the knee, he would not play again until 2002 with the Dolphins. Edwards starred in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes in 2005 and ’06, but retired after splitting the following season between Montreal and Toronto. Floyd was a former Michigan running back who had just 33 rushing and 43 receiving yards in four NFL seasons before retiring in 2000.
Murrell was coming off a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season in 1997 and started off strong with 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year with Arizona. He only ran for 553 yards in 1999 but added 335 yards receiving. However, he did not reach the end zone that season or the next after he signed with Washington. Murrell took a two-year break and came back to play three games with the Cowboys in 2003 before retiring. The seventh-round pick was Florida A&M defensive end Jomo Cousins, who never appeared in an NFL game. He played with the NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder in 1999 and the original XFL’s San Francisco Demons in 2001.
Assessment: Murrell had a decent career and Edwards was on his way to becoming a star before his injury. However, the best running back in this deal was Martin, who holds New York rushing records and is in the Hall of Fame. JETS
6. (Part One) April 12, 2000:
Jets acquired: A first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft
To 49ers: First- and second-round picks in 2000
(Part Two) April 12, 2000:
Jets acquired: Two first-round picks in the 2000 NFL Draft
Buccaneers acquired: WR Keyshawn Johnson
Thanks to these two trades, the Jets ended up with four picks in the first round in 2000, which is the first time that happened in the modern draft era (beginning in 1967). New York sent an extra second-round pick to San Francisco to move up four spots and select Shaun Ellis, a defensive end from the University of Tennessee. Ellis’ 72½ sacks are the second-most in team history (behind Mark Gastineau’s 74), and the total includes 12½ in 2003 and 11 more the following season. The two-time Pro Bowler also had 574 tackles and 13 forced fumbles in 11 years with the Jets. He played in back-to-back AFC Championship Games with New York, then went to New England for one final season in 2011 and played in Super Bowl XLVI (a loss to the Giants) before retiring.
The Jets traded away Johnson, their star receiver, for two first-round picks that they used to select John Abraham and Anthony Becht. Abraham is third on the all-time franchise list with 53½ sacks, and he also ranks second with 19 forced fumbles. He went to three Pro Bowls with the Jets and was an All-Pro in 2001 after posting 13 sacks. Abraham was traded to the Falcons in 2006 and amassed four more double-digit sack seasons. He earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors with Atlanta in 2010 and was also selected to the Pro Bowl with Arizona in 2013. He suffered a concussion the following year and retired shortly afterward. Becht was a former West Virginia tight end who spent 11 years in the NFL. The 2000 All-Rookie Team member had 1,164 yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons with the Jets, and he also spent time with four other teams before retiring in 2011. He was a tight ends coach for the San Diego Fleet of the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019.
San Francisco used the 16th pick on Michigan State linebacker Julian Peterson, who played 11 seasons in the NFL. Peterson had 402 tackles and 21 sacks in six years with the 49ers, earning an All-Pro nod in 2003 and two Pro Bowl nominations. He signed with Seattle in 2006 and made the Pro Bowl all three seasons with the Seahawks, including his first year there, when he posted a career-high 10 sacks. He was traded to Detroit in 2009 and retired after two seasons with the Lions. The second-rounder was Jason Webster, a Texas A&M cornerback who had 11 career interceptions, including seven in four seasons with the 49ers. He also played for the Falcons and Bills and spent one season with the Patriots before he retired after the 2008 season. Webster suffered knee and groin injuries, as well as a broken arm in 2007, when he was with Buffalo.
Johnson was a cocky wide receiver who was an All-American at USC in 1995. During his four-year stay in New York, he had 305 receptions, 4,108 yards, and 31 touchdowns. He had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons (1998-99) that both resulted in Pro Bowl selections, and he helped the Jets reach the 1998 AFC Championship Game (a loss to the Broncos). Johnson hit the 1,000-yard mark twice during his four-year stay in Tampa Bay, and he had six catches for 69 yards in a win over the Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII. He spent two seasons in Dallas and one in Carolina before retiring in 2006. Johnson is now an NFL analyst for ESPN.
Assessment: None of these players are Hall of Famers, so we have to look at individual accolades. Peterson was a tackle machine who earned two Pro Bowl selections with San Francisco. Johnson was a Pro Bowler and helped Tampa Bay reach a Super Bowl. However, the edge goes to Ellis and Abraham, two pass rushers who rank high on New York’s all-time list of sacks. JETS
7. (Part One) April 28, 2007:
Jets acquired: First- and sixth-round picks in the 2007 NFL Draft
Panthers acquired: First-, second- and fifth-round picks in 2007
(Part Two) April 22, 2013: J
ets acquired: A first-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and a fourth-rounder in 2014
Buccaneers acquired: CB Darrelle Revis
New York selected the University of Pittsburgh cornerback Darrelle Revis at pick 14 in 2007. With the Jets, Revis earned five Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections, and he was the league’s top cornerback for several years. He earned the nickname “Revis Island” for his ability to take on the other team’s best receiver. Revis spent eight seasons with the Jets and helped them reach back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009-10. His 112 passes defensed are the most in franchise history and his 25 interceptions rank third. The sixth-round pick was packaged with two others, allowing the Jets to move back up into the second round and select Michigan linebacker David Harris, who played 10 years in New York and started in two AFC title games. Harris had 35 sacks and 1,088 tackles, including seven seasons with 100 or more. He signed with the Patriots for one final season in 2017 before retiring.
The Jets traded Revis away in 2013 and used the two picks from the Buccaneers to select Sheldon Richardson and Jalen Saunders. Richardson was a star defensive tackle at Missouri, and he posted 78 tackles and 3½ sacks to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He made his lone Pro Bowl the following season after amassing a career-high eight sacks. Richardson played his first four seasons with the Jets before being traded to Seattle in 2017. He spent one year each with the Seahawks and Vikings, and he is in his second season with the Browns in 2020. Saunders was a wide receiver from Oklahoma who has bounced around football ever since he was drafted in the fourth round. He was used solely as a kick and punt returner in his lone NFL season. Saunders spent three games with the Jets and also appeared with the Cardinals, Seahawks, and Saints. He spent 2015 on practice squads with the Patriots and Bears and went unsigned the following year after a 10-game substance abuse policy suspension. Saunders played two seasons with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He also had stints with the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks and Ottawa Redblacks, but both leagues were forced to suspend play due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Carolina drafted University of Miami linebacker Jon Beason, who went on to earn three Pro Bowl selections, as well as an All-Pro in 2008, when he led the NFL with 110 solo tackles. He had 572 total stops, as well as nine interceptions and four sacks in seven seasons with the Panthers before he was traded to the Giants in 2013. He appeared in 21 games with New York before injuring his knee and retiring in 2016. In the second round, Carolina selected Ryan Kalil, a 2006 All-American at center at USC. Kalil was a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro who started 145 games over 12 seasons with the Panthers. He appeared in Carolina’s loss to Denver in Super Bowl 50 and retired in 2018.
Kalil came back to play with the Jets last season, but he suffered a knee injury and was placed on injured reserve. The Panthers’ third pick was Tim Shaw, a linebacker from Penn State. Shaw played 14 games with Carolina as a rookie, then spent one season each with the Jaguars and Bears and three with the Titans before he retired in 2013. The following year, he announced he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease), which causes neurons to break down and voluntary muscles to shut down. Shaw is now helping to create an artificial intelligence application that could help people with ALS to clearly communicate.
Revis spent just one season with the Buccaneers after the trade, but he made the Pro Bowl. He signed with the Patriots the following year and won a title with New England in Super Bowl XLIX while also earning All-Pro honors. Revis returned to the Jets for two years and spent one with the Chiefs before he retired in 2018.
Assessment: If you only factor in the Panthers trade, Carolina comes out on top, but when you factor in Richardson, things are too close to call. PUSH
8. August 6, 2008:
Jets acquired: QB Brett Favre
Packers acquired: A third-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
Favre had down just about everything in there was to do by this point in his career. He won a title with the Packers and his individual honors included three MVP Awards, Offensive Player of the Year in 1995, two Bert Bell Player of the Year awards, along with nine Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections. Favre was also the all-time leader with 61,655 passing yards and 442 touchdowns when he left Green Bay. He earned Pro Bowl honors in his lone season with the Jets, despite tossing an NFL-high 22 interceptions. Favre had a rebound season after signing with the Vikings in 2009, throwing 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions and making his 11th Pro Bowl. He played one more season in Minnesota before retiring in 2010.
The pick was originally conditional and involved scenarios that included what percentage of snaps Favre played, whether or not the Jets made the playoffs or the Super Bowl, and of course, if Favre retired after the 2008 season. In the end, Favre played all but five snaps, but despite going 9-7 the Jets did not make the playoffs, making the pick a third-rounder. Green Bay traded the selection to New England along with two others for first- and fifth-round selections.
At pick 26, the Packers drafted Clay Matthews, a linebacker who was a member of three Pac-10 championship squads at USC. Matthews made the All-Rookie Team and the Pro Bowl after recording 10 sacks in 2009. He spent 10 years in Green Bay, earning six Pro Bowl bids and amassing a franchise record 83½ sacks. Matthews also had three tackles in a win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. He signed with the Rams in 2019 and had eight sacks in 13 games before suffering a broken jaw. He has not signed after Los Angeles released him in March. The fifth-round pick was used on Jamon Meredith, a former offensive tackle at South Carolina who played 67 games for eight teams in seven NFL seasons before retiring in 2015.
Assessment: Favre played just one season in New York while Green Bay turned the pick into Matthews, who was an elite pass rusher for a decade. PACKERS
9. March 26, 2012:
Jets acquired: QB Tim Tebow and a seventh-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
Broncos acquired: Fourth- and sixth-round picks in 2012
Tebow was a two-time All-American, a two-time Maxwell Award winner (best all-around player in college football), and the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida. Despite all those accolades, he spent just three seasons on an active roster in the NFL. Tebow was the backup behind Kyle Orton as a rookie, but he scored six rushing touchdowns when Denver increased its use of the Wildcat formation. He started 11 games in place of the inconsistent Orton the following year and made the most of his chance, scoring several comeback victories and leading the Broncos into the playoffs. Despite completing just 10 of 23 passes in the Wild Card game against the Steelers, Tebow threw an 80-yard strike to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime to give Denver the victory. After the Broncos got trounced by the Patriots in the Division round, Denver signed Peyton Manning and sent Tebow to the Jets, where he was used primarily on special teams and in the Wildcat formation. He had failed tryouts with the Patriots and Eagles and retired from the NFL in 2015. Tebow is currently playing baseball in the New York Mets’ organization and is an analyst on the SEC Network.
The seventh-round pick was packaged with two others and moved to the Seahawks, allowing the Jets to move up in the second round in 2012. New York selected Stephen Hill, a wide receiver from Georgia Tech who totaled 594 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons with the Jets, but suffered knee injuries both years. He signed with the Panthers in 2014, but tore his ACL and never played for Carolina. Hill played one season with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and had a tryout with the Alliance of American Football’s Atlanta Legends, but did not make the team.
Denver used the fourth-round pick on Baylor center Philip Blake, who never appeared in an NFL game. He spent 2012 with the Broncos and 2013 in Arizona, mostly on the practice squad. Blake played with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes from 2015-17 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2018-19. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts in February 2020 but the league canceled its season due to COVID-19. The sixth-rounder became Danny Trevathan, a linebacker from Kentucky. Trevathan played in 50 games over four years with the Broncos, but missed most of the 2014 season with a fractured leg bone and a dislocated patellar tendon. He made 12 tackles in a loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII, and had eight stops, and recovered two fumbles in a Super Bowl 50 victory over the Panthers. Trevathan signed with the Bears in 2016 and agreed to a three-year extension with Chicago in March 2020.
Assessment: Tebow (accuracy) and Hill (injury) were draft busts for different reasons and Blake never played in the NFL. Trevathan’s role in two Super Bowl appearances gives Denver the edge. BRONCOS
10. March 17, 2018:
Jets acquired: The third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft
Colts acquired: First- and two second-round picks in 2018 and a second-rounder in 2019
The Jets turned heads with this deal, sending four picks to the Colts to move up into the third spot. They used the selection on Sam Darnold, an All-Pac-12 honoree who led USC to a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State in 2017. Darnold has been saddled with a stunningly poor team and has amassed just an 11-19 record so far in his career, despite throwing for 6,681 yards, 39 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions in 30 games. He has four 300-yard games and three comeback victories, and he just returned to action after spraining the AC joint in his shoulder.
Indianapolis dropped to the sixth pick, but found a star in guard Quenton Nelson, who was an All-American both in high school and at Notre Dame. The big offensive lineman has started every game in his young NFL career, was a member of the All-Rookie Team, and has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors twice. On the other side of the Colts’ offensive line is Braden Smith, another former high school All-American who was taken early in the second round. Smith joined Nelson on the All-Rookie Team and has started 35 games with Indianapolis. The other second-rounder (tight end Dallas Goedert) was sent to the Eagles for two picks that became Kemoko Turay and Jordan Wilkins. Turay had 5½ sacks in two seasons with the Colts, but he hasn’t played since suffering a broken ankle early in the 2019 campaign. Wilkins is a former Mississippi running back who has amassed 737 rushing and 150 receiving yards as a reserve with Indianapolis. In 2019, the Colts took Temple cornerback Rock Ya-Sin in the second round. Ya-Sin started 13 games as a rookie, posting 62 tackles and one interception.
Assessment: Darnold is hampered by his surrounding cast, which does not include a star player at any other skill position. Indianapolis turned this trade into a pair of starting offensive linemen (including a two-time All-Pro), a starting cornerback, and two quality reserves. COLTS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of profootballreference.com
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Writer
-By: Kevin Rakas