Trade History: The Eagles best moves include quarterbacks, defenders, and T.O.

Like many other teams, the best deals in Eagles history have centered around quarterbacks. Star passers such as Norm Van Brocklin, Sonny Jurgensen, Norm Snead, Ron Jaworski, and Carson Wentz have been acquired through trades, but they are not the only position Philadelphia has solidified by this method. Cornerback Eric Allen, who is tied for the most interceptions in team history, along with linebacker DeMeco Ryans, and pass rushers Trent Cole and Brandon Graham, were Eagles trade additions. Oh, and there is also the strange saga of Terrell Owens.

Two other moves did not make this list. The acquisition of future five-time Pro Bowl tight end Pete Retzlaff in 1956 was most likely a waiver claim by the Eagles (although some sources say it was a trade from the Lions), so it was not included. Also left off the main list was the 2017 trade-in which quarterback Sam Bradford was sent to the Vikings for two picks that became defensive ends Derek Barnett and Josh Sweat.

Here are the 10 most influential trades in Eagles history.  

1. May 26, 1958:

Eagles acquired: QB Norm Van Brocklin

Rams acquired: T Alex “Buck” Lansford, DB Jimmy Harris, and a first-round pick in the 1959 NFL Draft

Van Brocklin served in World War II, then played college football at Oregon. The Rams drafted him in the fourth round in 1949, despite already having a star quarterback in future Hall of Famer Bob Waterfield. Van Brocklin was a reserve in his first four years, but he played sparingly in three NFL Championship Games during that span, including a 24-17 win over the Browns in 1951. Earlier that season, he set the NFL record with 554 yards and tossed five touchdowns in a 54-14 victory over the New York Yanks. He took over starting duties in 1952 and went 6-0 in the regular season before the Rams lost to the Lions in the Division round. Van Brocklin was named to six straight Pro Bowls and led Los Angeles to another title game, losing to Cleveland in 1955.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons with Philadelphia after the trade. In 1960, he was also named an All-Pro and NFL MVP after leading the Eagles to a 10-2 record and posting 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns. Van Brocklin ended his career with 204 yards and a score in a 17-13 win Philadelphia win over Green Bay in the NFL Championship Game. He also has the distinction of being named the first head coach in the history of two franchises, leading the Vikings from 1961-66 and the Saints from 1968-74. “The Dutchman” was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and died from a heart attack in 1983.

Lansford was a former Texas tackle who was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 1955 NFL Draft. He earned a Pro Bowl selection with Philadelphia in 1956 and appeared in 61 games over six seasons with the Eagles and Rams. Harris played with Oklahoma in college, was the quarterback on two National Championship teams, and was a big part of the Sooners’ 47-game winning streak in the 1950s. He converted to defensive back in the NFL and had 11 interceptions in 49 career games. However, he played with a different team in each of his four seasons, spending time with the Eagles, Rams, and the AFL’s Dallas Texans before ending his career with the Cowboys in 1961. Harris passed away from lung cancer in 2011.

The trade brought the Rams the second overall pick in the 1959 NFL Draft, which became Dick Bass, a running back from the University of the Pacific. Bass spent his entire 10-year career with Los Angeles, earning three Pro Bowl selections and posting two 1,000-yard seasons. He ranks fifth in team history with 5,417 rushing yards and sixth with 34 touchdowns. Following his retirement in 1969, Bass worked with the NFL alumni association, was an actor, worked as a radio broadcaster, and was the executive director of the Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce in Connecticut. He died in 2006.

Assessment: Bass had a long career with the Rams and Van Brocklin had his best years in Los Angeles, which included an NFL-record passing game. However, Van Brocklin won an MVP award and led Philadelphia to a title that would be its last for 57 years. PUSH

2. (Part One) March 20, 1964:

Eagles acquired: K/P Sam Baker, G/T Lynn Hoyem, and DT John Meyers

Cowboys acquired: WR Tommy McDonald

(Part Two) March 31, 1964: Eagles acquired: QB Norm Snead and CB Claude Crabb

Redskins acquired: QB Christian “Sonny” Jurgensen and DB Jimmy Carr

McDonald and Jurgensen both played on Philadelphia’s last title team in 1960 (before Super Bowl LII, that is), and McDonald caught a touchdown in the game. However, the Eagles finished in the last place in 1963 and new coach Joe Kuharich decided to trade the team’s veteran pieces and rebuild, including McDonald and Jurgensen being moved 11 days apart.

Baker was a punter, kicker, and running back who played 15 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted by the Rams in 1953, but was traded to the Redskins in July. After his rookie season, Baker missed the next two for military service. He came back and played four seasons with Washington, making the Pro Bowl in 1956. Young was traded to the Browns in 1960 and the Cowboys two years later, earning his second Pro Bowl selection with Dallas in 1963. He spent the final six years of his career with the Eagles, making the Pro Bowl two more times (all four appearances came as a punter). Baker retired in 1970 and passed away from complications of diabetes in 2007.

Hoyem was a former Long Beach State offensive lineman who spent six seasons in the NFL with Dallas and Philadelphia, mostly as a reserve. He became a pilot after retiring in 1967 and died in a plane crash in 1973. Meyers was a defensive tackle at the University of Washington who was traded from the Rams to the Cowboys before his rookie season. He started in 1962 and half of ’63 before he was replaced by future Hall of Famer Bob Lilly. Meyers started the next four seasons with the Eagles after the trade, but he retired after Philadelphia released him in 1968. He passed away in 1998 while awaiting a heart transplant.

Snead was the best of the half-dozen quarterbacks who started for the Eagles during their 17-year playoff drought between Van Brocklin and Ron Jaworski (1961-77). A Wake Forest product, Snead earned two Pro Bowl selections in his first three seasons with Washington, despite leading the NFL with 27 interceptions in 1963. He spent the next seven seasons with Philadelphia, making the Pro Bowl again in 1965 despite amassing a 28-50-4 record overall. When he left the Eagles after the 1970 season, Snead held team records with 15,672 yards and 111 touchdowns, marks that stood for more than a decade before they were broken by Jaworski. Snead spent one year with the Vikings, 1½ with the 49ers, and 3½ with the Giants before retiring in 1976. He made the Pro Bowl for the fourth and final time after leading the league with a 60.3 percent completion rate with New York in 1972.

Crabb chose the Redskins over the Bills, who selected him in the 1962 AFL Draft. He had nine interceptions in his two seasons with Washington, but just one over his final five with the Eagles and Rams. Crabb played 23 games in two seasons with Philadelphia but had his best moment with Los Angeles in 1967. The Rams needed a win over the Packers to stay in the hunt for a division title, but Green Bay led late in the game. Los Angeles blocked a punt and Crabb returned the ball to the five-yard line. Roman Gabriel found Bernie Casey with the game-winning touchdown and the Rams won the division, but the Packers got their revenge in the playoffs en route to a title in Super Bowl II.

McDonald was a two-time All-American wide receiver who was a part of two National Championship Teams with Oklahoma in the mid-1950s. He was named to five Pro Bowls during his seven-year stay in Philadelphia, including 1961, when he led the NFL with 1,144 yards and 13 touchdowns. McDonald ranks second in team history with 66 scores and seventh with 5,499 yards. He lasted just one year with Dallas and bounced around with four teams over his final five seasons, although he made the Pro Bowl after registering 1,036 yards with the Rams in 1965. McDonald retired after spending the 1968 season with the Browns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 and passed away in 2018.

Jurgensen was a Duke product who was Van Brocklin’s backup in the 1960 championship season. He took over the following year and was named a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro after leading the NFL with 3,723 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions. Jurgensen also led the league with 3,261 yards and 26 picks in 1962. After the trade, he led the league in passing yards three more times, earning a Pro Bowl selection in each of those seasons. Despite losing his starting spot to Billy Kilmer in 1971, Jurgensen stayed with Washington four more years until he retired in 1974. He had five career 400-yard passing games and ranks second in Redskins history with 22,585 passing yards and 179 touchdowns. Jurgensen was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and had a nearly 35-year broadcasting career that ended in 2008.

Like McDonald and Jurgensen, Carr was a member of the Eagles’ 1960 NFL Championship team. Carr was a product of Morris Harvey College, a private school in West Virginia which changed its name to the University of Charleston in 1978. He started with the Chicago Cardinals and, after a season in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes, he signed with the Eagles in 1959. Carr totaled 13 interceptions and six fumble recoveries in five seasons with Philadelphia, splitting time between cornerback and safety. After the trade, he moved to linebacker with Washington and started two more seasons before retiring in 1965. Carr spent the next 32 years as a coach in the NFL, the United States Football League, and the World League of American Football. He never had a head coaching job but was a defensive coordinator with the Bears, Eagles, and Lions in the 1970s.

Assessment: Baker and Snead each had a solid stint with the Eagles, and both McDonald and Carr had their best years in the City of Brotherly Love. Jurgensen became one of the NFL’s first great passers in Washington, but Philadelphia’s overall haul was slightly better. EAGLES

3. March 9, 1977:

Eagles acquired: QB Ron Jaworski

Rams acquired: TE Charle Young

The Eagles found yet another great quarterback via this 1977 trade with the Rams. Following in the line of great passers previously mentioned, Jaworski broke Snead’s team records for passing yards (26,963) and touchdowns (175). Jaworski was a second-round pick of the Rams out of Youngstown State and began his career as a backup to James Harris. He became the immediate starter with Philadelphia following the trade, hitting the 3,000-yard mark four times and earning a Pro Bowl selection in 1980 after setting career-highs with 3,529 yards and 27 touchdowns. Jaworski was even given a medal blessed by Pope John Paul II when the Pontiff visited Philadelphia and met the Eagles in 1980. The following year, “Jaws” led his team to Super Bowl XV. He threw for 291 yards but was intercepted three times in a 27-10 Raiders victory.

Jaworski signed with the Dolphins in 1987 and was Dan Marino’s backup for two seasons. He spent one year with the Chiefs before retiring in 1989. Although Jaworski’s passing marks have been broken by Donovan McNabb, there is one mark no one can take from him. On November 10, 1985, Jaworski found Mike Quick with a pass that turned into a 99-yard play, giving the Eagles a 23-17 win against the Falcons. Although the play has happened 13 times in NFL history, Philadelphia’s is the only occurrence that came in overtime. After his playing career, Jaworski was a team owner and president in the Arena Football League, and he spent two years as the league’s Executive Committee Chairman. He also owns and runs several golf courses in New Jersey and was a broadcaster best known for his time on ESPN’s NFL Matchup.

Young was an All-American tight end at USC in 1972. He had his best years with the Eagles, earning Pro Bowl selections in his first three seasons. Young was also named an All-Pro and Offensive Rookie of the Year after posting career-bests with 854 yards and six touchdowns in 1973. He totaled just 36 receptions and three scores in three seasons with the Rams after the trade, although he was a part of the team that reached the 1979 NFC Championship Game. Young played the next three years with the 49ers and earned a ring after a 26-21 San Francisco victory over Cincinnati in Super Bowl XVI. He spent his final three seasons with the Seahawks and caught a touchdown in the 1983 AFC Championship Game loss to the Raiders.

Assessment: Although Young had a 13-year career that included a title and two other conference championship game appearances, Jaworski set Philadelphia (and passing records, led his team to the Super Bowl, and was one of the most well-respected players of his era. EAGLES

4. April 24, 1988:

Eagles acquired: A second-round pick in the 1988 NFL Draft

Buccaneers acquired: Second- and fourth-round picks in 1988

Philadelphia moved up nine spots and drafted Arizona State cornerback Eric Allen with the third pick of the second round. Allen played seven seasons with the Eagles, making the Pro Bowl five times and earning an All-Pro nod in 1989 when he posted a career-high eight interceptions. He registered 34 overall, tied for the most in team history, and his five returned for touchdowns also top the franchise list and include a league-high four in 1993. Allen was best known for a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown against Boomer Esiason of the Jets in October 1993, a play that is arguably the greatest interception return in NFL history (and was named as such by NFL Films president Steve Sabol). Allen signed with the Saints in 1995 and was traded to the Raiders after three seasons in New Orleans. Allen finished his career with Oakland and retired in 2001 with 54 interceptions and eight returned for scores.

The Buccaneers traded the acquired second-round pick (defensive end Pierce Holt) to the 49ers for two selections that became Lars Tate and Monte Robbins. Tate was a former running back and competitive weightlifter at Georgia who totaled 1,056 yards and 15 touchdowns in 1988-89, leading Tampa Bay in rushing both seasons. He retired after gaining just five yards in three games with the Bears in 1990. Robbins was a punter at Michigan who never appeared in an NFL game despite trying out with the Buccaneers, Bears, Redskins, and Patriots. His lone professional experience came with the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football (later known as NFL Europe) in 1992. After he retired, Robbins went into the mortgage banking industry. With the first pick in the fourth round, Tampa Bay took Robert “Pig” Goff, a defensive lineman from Auburn. Goff played two seasons with the Buccaneers, and he also spent six with the Saints and one with the Vikings before he retired in 1996. He finished his nine-year career with 11½ sacks.

Assessment: None of the players made much of an impact with the Buccaneers, with Tate and Goff each playing two years in Tampa Bay and Robbins never suiting up for a game in the NFL. Allen became a perennial Pro Bowler and one of the league’s best cover cornerbacks. He tied for the most interceptions in team history and gave Philadelphia fans a treat with his dynamic touchdown return in 1993. EAGLES

5. (Part One) Three-team deal on March 16, 2004:

Eagles acquired: WR Terrell Owens

Ravens acquired: Second- and fifth-round picks in the 2004 NFL Draft

 49ers acquired: DT Brandon Whiting

(Part Two) March 30, 2004:

Eagles acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft

Redskins acquired: WR James Thrash

Owens signed a seven-year contract with the 49ers in 2000, and the deal included an opt-out clause after four years that would allow him to become a free agent. However, his agent at the time, David Joseph, failed to meet the opt-out deadline, and San Francisco retained his contract. While Owens filed a grievance against the league, the 49ers traded him to the Ravens for a second-round pick. However, the receiver later won his grievance, and Baltimore, Philadelphia, and San Francisco worked out a three-time deal. Owens signed a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Eagles that had most of the money deferred to the later years of the agreement.

Owens’ tenure in Philadelphia lasted just 21 games. He was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 2004 after posting 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. However, he suffered a fractured fibula and a severely sprained ankle in December. Owens went against medical advice and played in Super Bowl XXXIX, totaling nine receptions for 122 yards in a 24-21 Eagles loss to the Patriots. Owens alienated his teammates throughout his career, but arguably his biggest tiff was against Donovan McNabb. His comments against the Philadelphia quarterback earned him a team suspension and deactivation for the final nine games in 2005. Owens was released in early 2006 and spent the next three years with Dallas, then one each with Buffalo and Cincinnati. He officially retired in 2011 and made waves by refusing to attend his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2018, instead hold an event at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  

The Eagles used the pick in the second trade to select Trent Cole, a pass rusher who played in college at Cincinnati. Cole was a two-time Pro Bowler who ranks second in team history with 85½ sacks, including four seasons with a double-digit total. He had three tackles and a sack in a 2008 NFC Championship Game loss to the Cardinals. Cole also registered 569 tackles and 19 forced fumbles in 10 years before signing with the Colts as a free agent in 2015. He played two seasons with Indianapolis, but he missed time with a back injury and retired in 2017.

In the three-team deal, Baltimore got back the second-round pick sent to the 49ers in the original trade involving Owens and used it to select Oregon State defensive tackle Dwan Edwards, who had two sacks in 53 games over five seasons with the Ravens. The Ravens traded the Eagles’ fifth-round pick to the Dolphins and used the acquired selection on Roderick Green, a linebacker from Central Missouri State. Green had two sacks in two seasons with the Ravens and 10 more in three years with the 49ers after signing with them in 2006.

Whiting started his career by playing six seasons as a defensive end in Philadelphia. He amassed 16½ sacks and 10 fumble recoveries in 88 games. Whiting played just five games with San Francisco but tore his ACL and retired after the 2004 season.

Thrash spent the majority of his career with Washington, but he had three of his best seasons with Philadelphia. The Missouri Southern State product combined for 164 receptions, 2,026 yards, and 15 touchdowns in three seasons with the Eagles including 2001, when he posted career-highs with 63 catches, 833 yards, and eight scores. Thrash also played in back-to-back NFC Championship Games with Philadelphia in 2001-02. He spent nine years with the Redskins and retired in 2009 after failing a physical with Washington due to a neck injury.

Assessment: Edwards spent 12 seasons in the NFL, mostly as a reserve, while Green did very little for Baltimore. San Francisco lost Whiting to a career-ending injury after just five games in 2004. Thrash had a long career, but he had better seasons with Philadelphia than with Washington. Owens helped Philadelphia reach Super Bowl XXXIX, but his feud with McNabb almost negates the good. Cole spent a decade with the team and also helped the team reach an NFC Championship Game. EAGLES

6. April 17, 2009:

Eagles acquired: T Jason Peters

Bills acquired: First- and fourth-round picks in the 2009 NFL Draft and a sixth-rounder in 2010

Peters signed as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas in 2004 who earned two Pro Bowl selections in five seasons with the Bills. He is in his 12th season with the Eagles and has started 143 games in that span. Peters has been selected to seven Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams with Philadelphia. He missed all of the 2012 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon during an offseason workout and did not play in the Eagles’ victory in Super Bowl LII in 2017 after tearing his ACL and MCL in late October. “The Bodyguard” was recently taken off injured reserve with a foot injury.

Buffalo used the acquired first-round pick on Eric Wood, a 2005 freshman All-American at Louisville. Wood started his first two seasons at right guard before moving to the center. The 2015 Pro Bowler played in 120 games over nine seasons with Buffalo before retiring in 2018. He is in his second season as a color commentator with the Bills Radio Network. The fourth-round pick was Shawn Nelson, a tight end from Southern Mississippi. Nelson totaled 20 receptions, 181 yards, and a touchdown in two seasons with the Bills, but he missed the first four games in 2010 due to a substance-abuse suspension. Buffalo released him in 2011 and he retired shortly after a failed tryout with the Jets. The 2010 sixth-rounder became Danny Batten, a former South Dakota State linebacker who missed his rookie season with a shoulder injury. He played all 16 games in 2011, registering 25 tackles, a fumble recovery, and half a sack. Batten retired after being released by the Bills in 2012.

Assessment: Wood had a solid career but, despite his injuries, Peters has been a stalwart with Philadelphia for more than a decade. EAGLES

7. April 22, 2010:

Eagles acquired: A first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft

Broncos acquired: A first-round pick and two third-rounders in 2010

Philadelphia jumped up 11 spots and drafted Brandon Graham, a 2009 All-American defensive end at Michigan. Graham spent the first half of his career as a reserve before he moved into the starting lineup in 2015. He has slowly climbed the Eagles’ all-time sack list, and he now sits in fourth place with 57, to go along with 18 forced fumbles and 389 tackles. Graham had two tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in Super Bowl LII, helping the Eagles win their first title in 57 years.

The first-round pick that moved from Philadelphia to Denver was traded three times overall, with each of those deals involving notable names. The Broncos moved the pick to the Patriots along with a fourth-rounder (tight end Aaron Hernandez) in a deal that provided Denver with a top-notch wide receiver in Demaryius Thomas. The former Georgia product was a four-time Pro Bowler who played in two Super Bowls in three years and posted 13 catches, 118 yards, and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVIII loss to the Seahawks. Thomas was traded to the Texans midway through the 2018 season, and he ranks second in Broncos team history with 9,055 yards and 60 scores. The Patriots sent the 24th pick on to the Cowboys, with Dallas ending up with wide receiver Dez Bryant and New England drafting Devin McCourty.

Denver sent the earlier of the third-round picks (tight end Ed Dickson), along with two others, to Baltimore for a first-rounder that became Tim Tebow, 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. Tebow started for an inconsistent Kyle Orton in 2011, leading the team to the playoffs. His 80-yard pass to Thomas on the first play of overtime gave the Broncos a win over the Steelers in the Wild Card game. Tebow was not an accurate passer, however, which led to Denver signing Peyton Manning and the former Florida product getting shipped to the Jets.

The other third-round pick was used on Eric Decker, a wide receiver from Minnesota. Decker totaled 222 catches for 3,070 yards and 33 touchdowns in four years with the Broncos, including two 1,000-yard seasons. He played in Super Bowl XLVIII against the Seahawks, then signed with the Jets in 2014, where he spent the next three years. After one season with the Titans and a tryout with the Patriots, Decker retired in 2018. He married country music singer Jessie James in 2013.

Assessment: Thomas, Tebow, and Decker looked like they had the makings of a solid offense for Denver, but Tebow’s stellar college career did not translate well to the pro level. Graham was an integral part of Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LII victory, but Thomas and Decker both had experience in the NFL’s biggest game and Thomas has a ring from Super Bowl 50. PUSH

8. March 21, 2012:

Eagles acquired: LB DeMeco Ryans and a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft

Texans acquired: Third- and fourth-round picks in 2012

Ryans was an All-American linebacker at Alabama in 2005 and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year, made two Pro Bowls, and had more than 100 tackles in each of his first four seasons with the Texans. When he was traded, Ryans was Houston’s all-time leader with 636 tackles (he now ranks second to Brian Cushing’s 664 stops). He played four seasons with Philadelphia, registering 334 tackles, five sacks, and five interceptions before retiring in 2016. He is now the inside linebacker coach with the 49ers. Philadelphia used the pick on Arizona quarterback Nick Foles, who made the Pro Bowl in 2013, but his biggest accomplishment came during his second stint with the Eagles. He spent one year each with the Rams and Chiefs before returning to Philadelphia in 2017. Foles started the season as a backup to 2016 top pick Carson Wentz, but he was pushed into a starting role after Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14. Foles went 2-1 the regular season then rattled off four straight postseason wins to bring the Eagles their first championship in 57 years. He was named MVP of Super Bowl LII after not only throwing for 373 yards and three touchdowns, but also catching a pass from tight end Trey Burton for a score late in the first half. Foles went 4-1 filling in for an injured Wentz in 2018, earning him a four-year, $88 million contract with the Jaguars last season. He got injured, allowing rookie sensation Gardner Minshew to take over. Jacksonville traded Foles to the Bears in March 2020.

Houston selected Miami of Ohio guard Brandon Brooks in the third round in 2012. Brooks started 44 games in four seasons with the Texans before signing with the Eagles in 2016. He has been selected to three Pro Bowls and started for Philadelphia in the Super Bowl LII victory over the Patriots. Brooks is expected to miss the entire 2020 season due to a torn Achilles. The fourth-round pick was Georgia’s Ben Jones, who started 43 games at center and both guard spots in his four years with the Texans. He signed with the Titans in 2016 and has missed just one game in four years. Jones has also started eight playoff games, including the 2019 AFC Championship Game, which Tennessee lost to Kansas City.

Assessment: Philadelphia got a solid linebacker in Ryans and a quarterback in Foles who came off the bench to lead the team to a championship. Brooks also signed in 2016 and has been a stalwart on the offensive line ever since. EAGLES

9. (Part One) March 10, 2015:

Eagles acquired: LB Kiko Alonso

Bills acquired: RB LeSean McCoy

(Part Two) March 9, 2016:

Eagles acquired: A first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft

Dolphins acquired: LB Kiko Alonso, CB Byron Maxwell, and a first-round pick in 2016

A linebacker from Oregon, Alonso was taken by Buffalo in the second round of the 2013 draft. He made the All-Rookie Team after registering 159 tackles, four interceptions, and two sacks while starting all 16 games for the Bills. Alonso missed all of 2014 after tearing his ACL in the offseason. The Eagles traded away Alonso and cornerback Byron Maxwell, while also swapping spots with the Dolphins, moving them up from 13 to 8 in the 2016 draft. Philadelphia would later move that selection in a deal that led to the selection of Carson Wentz second overall (more on that below).

McCoy spent his first six years with Philadelphia, posting four 1,000-yard seasons while earning three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections. He also led the NFL with 17 touchdowns in 2011 and 1,607 yards in 2013. McCoy is the Eagles’ all-time leader with 6,793 rushing yards and ranks third with 44 scores. After the trade to the Bills, “Shady” added three more Pro Bowls and two more 1,000-yard seasons to his resume. He spent four years in Buffalo and won a title with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. A member of the 2010s All-Decade Team, McCoy signed with the Buccaneers in August 2020.

Alonso started 46 games in three seasons with Miami, totaling 355 tackles, six forced fumbles, and five interceptions. However, he had a penchant for late hits on quarterbacks, including a fine for a hit that gave Baltimore’s Joe Flacco a concussion in 2017 and an ejection after a hit on Buffalo rookie Josh Allen led to an in-game scuffle. Alonso was traded to the Saints in 2019 and played 13 games before suffering another torn ACL during a playoff loss to the Vikings. He has not played since the injury and was recently traded to the 49ers. Maxwell was a former Clemson cornerback who was a sixth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2011. He started two Super Bowls with the “Legion of Boom,” and he made four tackles and forced a fumble in a victory over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII. Maxwell had two interceptions and a career-high 64 tackles in his lone season with the Eagles in 2015. He started 13 games with the Dolphins the following year, but he injured his foot and was released early in the 2017 season. Maxwell signed back with Seattle later in the year and started six games. He has not played since the Seahawks released him with an injury settlement (due to a hip injury) in 2018.

Miami used the first-round pick on Laremy Tunsil, a high school All-American who played tackle at Mississippi. Tunsil turned heads for the wrong way at the draft, when a picture surfaced on Twitter of him wearing a gas mask and using a bong. The All-Rookie Team member started 44 games in three seasons with the Dolphins before he was traded to the Texans, along with wide receiver Kenny Stills, as Miami dumped salary. He started 14 games with the Texans in 2019, earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

Assessment: Buffalo won the first trade, since McCoy was a solid performer while Alonso missed a full season in Philadelphia due to injury. Although Wentz is part of this, his specific trade will be featured next. Maxwell played just one season with Miami, while Alonso and Tunsil had three solid years before the Dolphins decided they no longer needed money to run a football team. In the end, McCoy has had the most successful stint with his post-trade team of any players involved. BILLS

10. April 20, 2016:

Eagles acquired: The second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft

Browns acquired: First-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2016, plus a first-round pick in 2017 and a second-rounder in 2018

Philadelphia practically gave up the farm to move up to the second spot, but I’m sure even Philly fans were happy with the selection. After the Rams selected Cal quarterback Jared Goff at the top spot, the Eagles scooped up Carson Wentz, who had been an unprecedented winner in college. Wentz attended North Dakota State and was a member of FIVE Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) title teams (he redshirted in 2011, was a backup the next two years, and led the Bison to championships as a starter in 2014-15). He started right away with the Eagles, going 7-9 and throwing for 3,782 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2016. Wentz followed that with a Pro Bowl selection after passing for 3,296 yards and 33 scores to just seven interceptions. However, he missed the final three games after suffering a torn ACL. In his stead, Nick Foles rallied the Eagles to a victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Wentz missed the first two games of 2018 while recovering and managed only a 5-6 record before sitting out the final three games with a back injury. Foles led the team to three straight wins to close out the season, but Philadelphia lost to New Orleans in the Division round. Foles was traded to Jacksonville and Wentz responded by starting all 16 games, tossing 27 touchdown passes, and setting a career-high with 4,039 yards. However, he left with a concussion during the Wild Card loss to the Seahawks after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Jadeveon Clowney. Through four full seasons, Wentz posted 14,191 yards and 97 touchdowns to just 35 interceptions.

The Browns sure love to wheel and deal at the draft, especially in recent years. In 2016, Cleveland had its usual high pick at number two, but traded it to Philadelphia for five selections. From there, the Browns proceeded to trade all of those acquired picks, which brought in a total of 12 players over the three-year span from 2016-18.

Cleveland had 14 picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, with half of them coming in the aftermath of trading away the second overall selection. The first-round selection from the Eagles was sent to the Titans (and became tackle Jack Conklin) for two picks that became Corey Coleman and Shon Coleman. Corey Coleman was a 2015 All-American at Baylor who had 718 yards and five touchdowns in two seasons with the Browns, but he broke his hand twice. After failed stints with the Bills and Patriots, he latched on as a kick returner with the Giants, amassing 598 yards in 2018. However, Coleman missed all of the following season after tearing his ACL and New York released him in September 2020. Shon Coleman was a former Auburn tackle who played 16 games in two seasons with Cleveland. He was traded to the 49ers, but he missed all of 2019 after having surgery to repair a fractured fibula and a dislocated ankle. Coleman opted out of the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Browns moved the 2016 third-rounder to the Panthers as part of a five-pick deal that brought in Cody Kessler, Derrick Kindred, and Spencer Drango. Kessler was a high school All-American who became a star quarterback at USC. He started eight games as a rookie with Cleveland while fighting for snaps with Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown. Kessler lost his starting spot to 2017 draft pick DeShone Kizer (more on him in a minute) and was traded to Jacksonville. He started four games with the Jaguars, but he has not played since they released him after the 2019 season, despite having 2020 tryouts with the Eagles and Patriots. Kindred was a TCU safety who had 148 tackles and two interceptions in three seasons with the Browns. Cleveland released him early in 2019 and, despite having stints with the Colts, Jets, and 49ers, he has not stuck on an NFL roster. Drango was a two-time All-American guard at Baylor. After one season at his natural position, the Browns moved him to left tackle after Joe Thomas suffered a torn triceps. Although he played all 32 games in two seasons with Cleveland, he was waived in 2018. Drango spent most of the next two seasons on the Chargers’ practice squad and hasn’t played a regular-season game since leaving the Browns.

Cleveland traded the early fourth-round pick to the Raiders (who drafted quarterback Connor Cook) and received two selections in return that became Ricardo Louis and Jordan Payton. Louis was a former Auburn wideout who totaled 562 receiving and 164 kick return yards in two years with the Browns. He has not played since suffering a neck injury during the 2018 preseason, although he spent more than a year on injured reserve after signing with the Dolphins in 2019. Payton was a former UCLA receiver who caught passes from future NFL players Brett Hundley and Josh Rosen. Payton’s career went nowhere fast, as he caught just one pass as a rookie before getting a four-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drugs policy. He hasn’t played since the Browns released him before the 2017 season.

The Browns acquired two first-round picks from Houston in 2017, but the Texans were definitely on the better end after selecting Deshaun Watson, a high school and college All-American and a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Clemson, who has also been selected to a pair of Pro Bowls so far in the NFL. The first of Cleveland’s selections was Jabrill Peppers, a two-time high school All-American who earned that honor in college with Michigan and was also a Heisman Trophy finalist along with Watson in 2016. With the Browns, Peppers started 29 games over two seasons and amassed 137 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. He was traded to the Giants in the 2019 deal that sent Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns. Peppers has started 16 games so far in New York but missed time last season after suffering a stress fracture in his foot. The final piece of the Titans deal was DeShone Kizer, a former Notre Dame quarterback who went 0-15 as the Browns starter as a rookie and led the league with 22 interceptions. He was traded to the Packers and played three games in 2018. Kizer signed with the Raiders the following year but did not get into a game before he was released early in the 2020 season.

The other part of the trade with the Texans was the fourth overall pick in 2018, which the Browns used to select Denzel Ward, who was an All-American cornerback with Ohio State in 2017. Ward was a Pro Bowler and a member of the All-Rookie team after posting 53 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He returned a pick of Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton 61 yards for a touchdown in 2019 and has six interceptions so far in his young career. Cleveland traded the 2018 second-rounder acquired from the Eagles for two later picks that became Chad Thomas and Antonio Callaway. Thomas was a high school All-American and defensive end at the University of Miami. He had four sacks in 20 games with the Browns before he was released prior to the 2020 season. Thomas is also a music producer and rapper known as MajorNine. Callaway was a star wide receiver and kick returner with Florida. He had 568 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a rookie, but he has been suspended twice for substance abuse policy violations (he is currently in the midst of a 14-game ban). Callaway was cited for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license in 2018, but the drug charges were later dropped. He signed with the Dolphins at the start of the 2020 season.

Assessment: Only two of the 12 players had any impact with the Browns, and Peppers is no longer with Cleveland. That basically brings the trade down to a comparison of Ward and Wentz. Ward has the potential to be one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and he has already been to a Pro Bowl. Wentz has a Pro Bowl selection as well, and he had Philadelphia on the cusp of a title before his injury. Wentz has led his team to more success, therefore the edge goes to the … EAGLES

All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of profootballreference.com

Next: Pittsburgh Steelers

Writer

-By: Kevin Rakas