Hyperbole time... the Hopkins trade is not the worst NFL trade ever, the worst is...

Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio.

Sam McDowell for Gaylord Perry (that one truly hurt a 9yr old Giants fan)

 

I weep for the reading comprehension level of SJ.com.

 

1975 Giant trade their 1st and 2nd round draft picks for 32year old Craig Morton who was moved out for Roger Staubach. Morto didn’t start a game in 1972 or 1973 or 1974 for the Cowboys.

Cowboys used the Giants 2nd pick in the draft to get Randy White, HOF. Morton lasted 2 1/2 seasons with Giants before going to Denver and being a SB starting QB, in a loss.

 

Limiting it to JUST football seemed boring - there aren't a ton of trades. It's probably that Trent Richardson one, because he was worthless at the time of the trade and worthless after, and by that point most teams in the league were aware of how valuable a first round pick. It's not an especially sexy answer though, because the Browns made the trade and then just pissed away the pick through their usual coaching and management shuffle. A second round pick for Matt Cassell wasn't great either, but at least it's for a position of scarcity, since any young QB that shows promise usually goes for something.

The Walker one would probably be my answer, because his production in Minnesota wasn't great, and the package given up for him was huge.

 

If OOP does not like this post in a few hours, I’m going to start to get worried.

 

Come on, we are better than this.

Steve Young for a second and a 4th?

Largent for an 8th?

 

The Hershel trade is the worst, but the Ricky Williams trade has to get some merit. Williams hated New Orleans and never played to his potential. Washington got all of those picks and one was used on Champ Bailey, but the team itself never did much for the next few years.

 

I forget who I debated this with. Whoever it was thought the Colts got the steal of the century. Probably Devil, sounds like something he would say

 

Sorry I jumped to the discussion.

 

The Saints' entire 1999 draft for Ricky Williams?
That one's made even worse by the fact the Redskins didn't do jack shit with the eight picks they got from the Saints. They did get Champ Bailey (who eventually became Clinton Portis), but certainly did not restore the franchise to its glory years like they had the golden opportunity to do.

 

There was also the saga of the 250th pick in the 2018 Draft, which the Seahawks, Eagles and Patriots traded six times amongst themselves. That one included the Eagles trading their pick, getting it back, and then trading it again.
It might be the greatest pointless trade in NFL history since none of the dozen or so players involved in it and its various spinoff trades have amounted to anything.
I traced it all back on the 2018 draft thread.

2018 NFL Draft

 

Nah. I briefly had the same thought, but realized threads always take on lives of their own. Some people just decided to expand it beyond football.