Trades involving actual players are pretty rare when it comes to NFL Draft weekend, but last year produced a total of four. How did they work out?
Last year’s NFL Draft was a bit of anomaly compared to the previous four installments. The three-day event is always filled with myriad trades as teams look to move up or down based on their draft boards and the number of assets they want to bring home. But when it comes to actual players traded during the draft, draft weekend is typically silent save for a single move or two.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots landed their starting left tackle for a Super Bowl run by dropping from the third to the fifth round. The Oakland Raiders paid more than that for the joy of wasting it on Steelers wide receiver. (Here’s hoping their second such import works out a bit better.) The Cowboys surrendered a sixth round choice to see if Tavon Austin needed a change of scenery, and the Jets flipped the 235th pick in the draft (yes, there are that many) for a pass rusher who put up seven sacks in 2018.
Whether they worked out in the end or not, there was a lot more movement in the 2018 NFL Draft than previous years. In fact, it was the most players traded during the long weekend since the 2013 draft, when another four players were traded for picks in the midst of the draft frenzy. Is this a sign that teams are more open to wheeling and dealing? It could certainly signal as much.
There are a significant number of key players reportedly on the trade block this time of year. With the draft only days away, it will be interesting to see whether Josh Rosen will be shipped out of Arizona or Gerald McCoy out of Tampa. Other names to watch include pass rushers saddled with the franchise tag like Jadeveon Clowney and Frank Clark, running back Duke Johnson, Reshad Jones, Jalen Ramsey, Xavier Rhodes, and Trae Waynes.
Some of these players could be traded in the next several hours. Plenty of pre-draft trades have taken place over the years involving significant players. Darrelle Revis was shipped to the Bucs back in 2013 before he signed a deal that paid him more than any other NFL defender. Dashon Goldson was flipped to the Washington Redskins for a bit of extra draft capital before the 2015 draft. The same can be said of Terrelle Pryor (2014), Ryan Clady (2016), and Marshawn Lynch (2018). Last year, a few weeks prior to the draft, Brandin Cooks brought back a first round choice to the Patriots from the Rams.
In terms of actual player movement during the draft, what should we expect in 2019? Given the trade history of most years, the majority of franchises are undoubtedly focused on movements within the confines of the draft. Players who are available will likely be just as available a day after the draft, and the three-day event actually moves quickly given that the front offices of 32 teams are all jostling for position in each round. For the consumer, the draft takes some time to ingest, but it’s complete chaos on the inside.
Let’s take a look at last year’s draft to see how actual player trades ended up working out.
The Martavis Bryant deal
Terms: Steelers send Bryant to Raiders for 3rd round pick (79) DL Rasheem Green
A dumpster fire. Martavis Bryant was facing a potential suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy but the Raiders went ahead and shipped a third round choice (a top 80 pick!) for the mercurial wide receiver. Murphy’s Law took effect and the Raiders released Bryant before the season began, then re-signed him, then played him sparingly. The end result was 19 receptions for 266 receiving yards and zero touchdowns for a guy who should be a threat to take it all the way on most catches.
As for the Steelers, they shipped the pick to the Seattle Seahawks who grabbed defensive lineman Rasheem Green. The Steelers did so to move up and take quarterback Mason Rudolph at No. 76 overall in the same round, and the grade there is incomplete, of course. For the Steelers, it’s important to have resources on hand for Big Ben’s annual “Will He or Won’t He Retire?” party.
Grade: F for Raiders only because lower letter choices are not available; B- for Steelers
The Trent Brown deal
Terms: 49ers send Brown & 5th round pick (143) to Patriots for 3rd round pick (95)
This is a masterclass in how to work the draft. The Patriots deserve serious credit for doing their homework not only on the actual draft class but on potential players who could be had from opponents’ rosters. Trent Brown was a developmental tackle taken in the 7th round in 2015 who had growth with good coaching to become an impressive stopgap starter at tackle for the Niners. When San Fran decided to go ahead and select Mike McGlinchey in the first round, the Pats knew that Brown would become a swing tackle behind the rookie and Joe Staley and nothing more.
For the Pats’ willingness to move down 50-ish spots in the draft, they were able to import Brown who became a strong performer at left tackle for another Super Bowl run for New England. Brown would leverage that experience for a $66 million deal from the Oakland Raiders in free agency, and the Pats will eventually get back their third round pick as a comp pick in next year’s draft. It might have been a one-year rental but the price was minimal at the time, will reap further rewards and brought in a prime player at a key position for a championship trophy. Amazing.
As for the Niners, they moved up to take safety Tarvarius Moore, a safety who played 16 games last year and started two. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly impressed with his rookie reps, but his athletic skill set and versatility should earn him plenty more time to earn a chance to start in the Bay. He’s got the raw goods to make the asked transition from safety to cornerback in the pros, so the jury is still out here.
As for the Pats draft choice, they grabbed Ja’Whaun Bentley from Purdue and he made an instant impact in the preseason by showing strong as an all-around linebacker before a torn biceps knocked him out after a few short weeks into the regular season. Given veteran departures this offseason from the Pats, Bentley should have plenty of chances to earn PT in his sophomore season.
Grade: A for Patriots; C- for Niners (with room to grow, obviously)
The Henry Anderson deal
Terms: Colts send Anderson to Jets for 7th round pick (235) LB Zaire Franklin
The Henry Anderson trade is a perfect example of how being patient as a GM can pay off in spades. When the Colts made the shift to Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, a number of players suddenly became odd fits, including Anderson, a former third round pick just three years prior. The Colts were likely glad to get something for Anderson when they were ready to move on for nothing.
For the Jets, the 235th pick in the draft was worth the flyer on a player who had finished two seasons on injured reserve, a knee injury in 2015 and a laryngeal fracture in 2017. Anderson had always flashed potential to get after the passer (despite only 3 career sacks) through three seasons in Indy, but injuries took a toll and Chris Ballard decided it was time to move on. The Jets were rewarded with a healthy season as a rotational lineman and the final results were impressive: 16 quarterback hits, 7 sacks, 4 passes defended.
How much of Anderson’s performance was motivated by a potential payday? Remains to be seen, but the Jets coughed up for a $25 million extension this offseason anyway. As for the Colts, they are left with linebacker Zaire Franklin, a special teams performer, as the return.
Grade: A for Jets; D for Colts for selling low
Next: Best NFL player from each state
The Tavon Austin deal
Terms: Rams send Austin to Cowboys for 6th round pick (192) OT Jamil Demby
The Dallas Cowboys were intent on a complete overhaul at wide receiver in 2018 in their hopes to surround Dak Prescott with a reliable set of weapons. Dez Bryant was released and ryan switzer trade. While the biggest addition of all wouldn’t come for several months (Amari Cooper), the Cowboys drafted Michael Gallup in the draft and then pulled the trigger on Austin—a Swiss army knife of sorts to add complexity to a vanilla offense along with special teams experience.
For the Rams, Austin was living under his own draft shadow ever since a previous regime selected him No. 8 overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. While there’s something to be said for that entire draft class, Austin never blossomed into a fearsome offensive weapon—unless a Dexter McCluster type of career is what the Rams envisioned with a top 10 pick. Instead he averaged 585 yards from scrimmage over five seasons and eventually fell so far down the Rams depth chart that he was flipped to Dallas.
In one season with Dallas, Austin tore his groin and missed the bulk of the regular season, so the jury is still out. He had only 14 total touches on offense, but he did put up a career high 13.9 yards when given the ball. If the Cowboys use him sparingly in mismatched scenarios, he could be become efficient for the first time in his career.
Grade: Incomplete for Cowboys; C+ for Rams for their ability to get anyone to take Austin