The 2020s have featured more quarterback movement compared to the 2010s, and a number of QB trades involving early-round picks have commenced. Excluding trade-up or trade-down maneuvers during the draft — which shifted from a two-day event to a three-day process in 2010 — here are the 21st century’s trades for quarterbacks involving first-, second- or third-round picks.
2024
- Seahawks acquire Sam Howell, 2024 fourth-, sixth-round picks from Commanders for 2024 third-, fifth-rounders
- Eagles obtain Kenny Pickett, No. 120 from Steelers for No. 98, two 2025 seventh-round picks
2023
- Jets acquire Aaron Rodgers, Nos. 15, 170 overall from Packers for Nos. 13, 42, 207, 2024 second-round pick (No. 41)
2022
- Colts trade 2022 third-round pick to Falcons for Matt Ryan
- Browns trade three first-round picks, 2023 third-rounder, along with 2022, ’24 fourths to Texans for Deshaun Watson, 2024 sixth
- Commanders send third-round picks in 2022 and 2023 to Colts for Carson Wentz, 2022 seventh-rounder; teams swap 2022 second-round selections
- Broncos send two first-round picks, two second-rounders, 2022 fifth, TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris and QB Drew Lock to Seahawks for Russell Wilson
2021
- Panthers acquire Sam Darnold from Jets for 2022 second-, fourth-round picks, along with 2021 sixth-rounder
- Eagles deal Carson Wentz to Colts for 2021 third-round pick, 2022 first-round choice
- Rams send Lions 2022, 2023 first-round picks, 2021 third-rounder and Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford
2019
- Dolphins obtain Josh Rosen from Cardinals for 2019 second-round pick, 2020 fifth-rounder
2018
- Saints acquire Teddy Bridgewater, 2019 sixth-round pick from Jets for 2019 third-rounder
- Washington lands Alex Smith from Chiefs for CB Kendall Fuller, 2018 third-rounder
- Browns send Bills 2018 third-rounder for Tyrod Taylor
2017
- Patriots acquire 2018 second-round pick from 49ers for Jimmy Garoppolo
- Browns obtain 2018 second-round pick, 2017 sixth-round choice and Brock Osweiler from Texans for 2017 fourth-rounder
2016
- Vikings acquire Sam Bradford from Eagles for 2017 first-round pick, 2018 fourth-round choice
2015
- Eagles acquire Bradford, 2016 second-round pick, 2015 fourth-rounder from Rams for Nick Foles, 2015 fifth
2013
- Chiefs land Alex Smith from 49ers for 2013 and 2014 second-round selections
2011
- Raiders obtain Carson Palmer from Bengals for 2012 first-round pick, 2013 second-rounder
- Eagles send Kevin Kolb to Cardinals for 2012 second-round pick, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
2010
- Washington acquires Donovan McNabb from Eagles for 2010 second-, fourth-round picks
2009
- Bears acquire Jay Cutler, 2009 fifth-round pick from Broncos for 2009, 2010 first-rounders, 2009 third and Kyle Orton
- In tag-and-trade transaction, Chiefs land Matt Cassel, LB Mike Vrabel from Patriots for 2009 second-round pick
2008
- Jets obtain Brett Favre from Packers for 2009 third-round pick
2007
- Texans add Matt Schaub, 2007 first-round pick from Falcons for 2007 first-rounder, along with 2007, 2008 second-round choices
2006
- Dolphins land Daunte Culpepper from Vikings for 2006 second-round choice
2004
- Texans add Drew Henson from Cowboys for 2005 third-round pick
- Dolphins acquire A.J. Feeley from Eagles for 2004 second-round pick
- Washington obtains Mark Brunell from Jaguars for 2004 third-round pick
2002
- Bills obtain Drew Bledsoe from Patriots for 2003 first-round pick
2001
- Chiefs acquire Trent Green, 2001 fifth-round pick from Rams for 2001 first-rounder
- Seahawks add Matt Hasselbeck, 2001 first-round pick from Packers for 2001 first-, third-round picks
Since 2010, Foles, Trey Lance, Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill, Tim Tebow and Jason Campbell have also been dealt in trades involving fourth-round picks.
The thing that jumps out at me about 95% of those trades is just how BADLY they all turned out. You’d think someone would get a clue.
True that. How did Bradford pass a physical with no knees?
If you came up with a list of teams that went into a season without some kind of assertive plan at starting QB, you would find a ton of fired coaches and GMs. Many of these were stupid trades the moment they were made, but many of them were made in desperate or hot seat situations. Some of these were also trades for guys who had shown promise but hadn’t played enough to expose themselves, which is a gamble a bit like drafting a QB. There will be a high failure rate, but one success is worth a lot of failures.
The Bradford trade was clearly an example of a desperation situation as the Vikings lost Teddy Bridgewater to injury a week before the season began.
Same logic could be applied to picking a QB in the first round. One hit outweighs a lot of misses. 5 in top 15 two years ago and only Lawrence is a likely hit. That’s only 20%.
Yep, although Fields is looking pretty good when you consider how little he had to work with around him. But your point stands. QB is hands down the hardest position to evaluate and coach, but it’s also the most important. Misses hurt (trust me, I’m a Jets fan), but one hit at QB is worth more than hitting a few other positions combined.
I don’t know, Fields looks good as a runner and as a leader. I wouldn’t be exactly comfortable just yet.
However, I wouldn’t say that most of these ended poorly. The Eagles got Bradford for what ended up being relatively cheap for a starter, and then flipped him a year later for good picks. The Texansgot several productive years out of Schaub, who is likely their best QB in their short history. Seattle got a franchise QB who took them to a Super Bowl. The Bears gave up a lot, but got a franchise QB in Cutler. Teddy Bridgewater filled in admirably for a year in New Orleans, and Alex Smith had his best years in KC. We all know what Jimmy G brings-or brought-to San Fran.
Of course some didn’t work out, and a few (Looking at you, Russell Wilson) failed very badly. What list should tell you is that quarterbacks are expensive, and it’s hard to find one, and even harder to develop him further.
Thanks. If that’s what you’ve got for successes, Then you made my point.
So, three to four or more years of starting quarterback play is not a success? Flipping a player for better picks is not a success? What exactly is the definition, then?
Playoffs and Playoff wins for me.
Well, a lot of those quarterbacks made the playoffs with their new teams (Cutler, Smith, Garappolo, Schaub, Hasselbeck) and all of those guys won at least one playoff game. Hasselbeck and Garappolo even went to the Super Bowl. None of them cost what, say, Wilson did, either.
The list doesn’t mention them, but Brett Favre and Drew Brees also got traded to the teams where they would make their names. John Elway, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning did too, though their circumstances were obviously different. I don’t think those teams regretted doing that. I also don’t think this means that trading for a player is automatically good, but it’s also not automatically bad.
Every GM should read this post before they consider trading for a QB, and then NOT make the trade.
Just don’t answer calls coming from Philly…
It would be nice to know what those drafts picks turned into. Then you can judge if they were lousy. If the players drafted became stars then they really suck. If those players drafted were also a bust then it probably evens out a bit
Personally, I think it’s safer to judge pick value on its own terms, because otherwise you’re lumping a bunch of decisions together. Here’s a doozy of an example:
Trading Josh Rosen for a second round pick when the Cardinals were definitely ready to move on from him was great value, right? They salvaged a second rounder for dumping a disaster when they already had their next QB. BUT they used that pick on Andy Isabella, who was a bust. So they didn’t actually recoup much value from Rosen. BUT the next 14 picks included DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson, and Terry McLaurin. If they had chosen any of those guys instead of Isabella, it would have been a huge win.
That’s an example of why I would avoid conflating the value of draft picks with individual selections and outcomes too much. Steve Keim making a good trade is a separate issue from making a bad draft pick (or two, if you include Rosen in the first place).
I agree entirely with your point, though I would posit that Isabella and Rosen were only so disastrous due to the Cardinals’ mismanagement. True, they may have never measured up to much independently of that, but I believe fully that the ineptitude in Arizona contributed heavily to their failures. After all, it’s not like they were the only ones.
In short, handing another team those picks may have had a better impact than it did with the Cardinals.
Wow the Eagles have been amazing at accumulating good draft picks for bum/washed up QBs.
Andy Reid is the best coach in the NFL at tailoring a system to a QB. AJ Feeley, Kevin Kolb, Donovan McNabb, Alex Smith, and less directly Nick Foles are all on this list and byproducts of Reid’s coaching.