The Worst NFL Trade Of All Time

[Cameron Giles]

I felt the Panthers paid up as if there was a generational QB prospect in the 2023 draft class, a Burrow or TLaw, and there wasn't.

Even before the 2023 NFL Draft, most people felt that 2024 would be a much better QB class.

I mean just spending a lot of draft capital on a player, does not make that player any better.
You can't make a player better just by spending more on them.

Yeah, the Panthers trade definitely got more negative reaction than anything. They paid a big price, but that's largely because they were moving up from #9 to #1. The value was not much different from when San Francisco traded up for Lance in 2021.

That said, the Panthers had already skipped out on drafting QBs in the 2021 draft. They took Horn with Fields and Jones on the board. I don't think it's as simple as saying "just wait another year". They were in a horrible spot and needed a long-term answer. They missed on signing Derek Carr, so this was the next route.

[MacDaddy123]

You are showing your age if the Walker trade isn't your pick. That trade single handedly built a dynasty. Also it is way too early to consider the Bryce Young trade in this discussion.

I disagree, as I thought that was a terrible trade by the Panthers before the 2023 NFL Draft even started.
Panthers traded up as if Burrow, TLaw, Caleb, or some elite QB prospect was available in the 2023 draft class.

Stroud may turn out to be a great NFL QB, but that still doesn't mean that he was a top flight QB prospect.
Just as Justin Jefferson turned out to be a top flight WR, but was not a top flight WR prospect in 2020.

I looked at that Panthers trade the same way I would look at a team trading into the mid 1st round to draft a RB in the 2024 class.
No RB has that kind of value this year.

Young can develop into a serviceable NFL QB, but you will always be known as the team that over-paid for him.

I mean I don't care if you love your new 2024 Toyota Corolla, if you paid $75K for it, you did not make a good trade.
That is the way I looked at that Panthers trade at the time. They WAAAAY over-paid for the 1.01 based on the value of the QB prospects in that draft class.

Drafting is like shopping, it's about understanding market value.

[MacDaddy123]

I felt the Panthers paid up as if there was a generational QB prospect in the 2023 draft class, a Burrow or TLaw, and there wasn't.

Even before the 2023 NFL Draft, most people felt that 2024 would be a much better QB class.

I mean just spending a lot of draft capital on a player, does not make that player any better.
You can't make a player better just by spending more on them.

Yeah, the Panthers trade definitely got more negative reaction than anything. They paid a big price, but that's largely because they were moving up from #9 to #1. The value was not much different from when San Francisco traded up for Lance in 2021.

That said, the Panthers had already skipped out on drafting QBs in the 2021 draft. They took Horn with Fields and Jones on the board. I don't think it's as simple as saying "just wait another year". They were in a horrible spot and needed a long-term answer. They missed on signing Derek Carr, so this was the next route.

So they over-paid because they were needy.
You can really make any excuse you want for over-paying.
Fact is that everyone knew it was a huge over-pay the day the trade happened.

Just paying $100K does not turn a Toyota Corolla into a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450.

[Cameron Giles]

I felt the Panthers paid up as if there was a generational QB prospect in the 2023 draft class, a Burrow or TLaw, and there wasn't.

Even before the 2023 NFL Draft, most people felt that 2024 would be a much better QB class.

I mean just spending a lot of draft capital on a player, does not make that player any better.
You can't make a player better just by spending more on them.

Yeah, the Panthers trade definitely got more negative reaction than anything. They paid a big price, but that's largely because they were moving up from #9 to #1. The value was not much different from when San Francisco traded up for Lance in 2021.

That said, the Panthers had already skipped out on drafting QBs in the 2021 draft. They took Horn with Fields and Jones on the board. I don't think it's as simple as saying "just wait another year". They were in a horrible spot and needed a long-term answer. They missed on signing Derek Carr, so this was the next route.

So they over-paid because they were needy.
You can really make any excuse you want for over-paying.
Fact is that everyone knew it was a huge over-pay the day the trade happened.

Just paying $100K does not turn a Toyota Corolla into a Mercedes-Benz GLS 450.

I think my point is that while it was an overpay, like pretty much every QB trade is, there was justified logic in them doing it and there was still room for it to work out for them. If you know you have a franchise QB, then losing all of that isn't a big deal.

They couldn't afford to just not address the long-term of that position for the third straight offseason.

Drafting is like shopping, it's about understanding market value.

Exactly. In the modern era, how many teams have made significant trade ups and not overpaid? These deals are entirely about QB value and the desperation of the buyer.

I don't think the Panthers failed at understanding market value. They failed at other things that have made this trade a loser so far.

Whereas, a deal like Deshaun Watson or Herschel was a clear misunderstanding of the market.

[Oddball456]

Clearly not in the same realm as the other trades noted, but as Bears fan I was pretty disappointed as soon as I heard that they traded up to get Mitch Trubisky.

[Forza_Azzurri]

As a Cowboys fan, the Walker trade was the best trade of all time.

Fixed this:

"Because of the Walker trade, I became a Cowboys fan"

Dude, I’ve been a Cowboys fan for longer than you’ve probably been alive.

[Finfansteve]

Hershel Walker trade

100%

[81-]

Hershal or Williams

[Anteaters]

Herschel Walker is the name that instantly comes to mind for me as well.

This isn't a "worst trade of all time" trade, but it's painful to remember. Moss for Troy Williamson.

Troy who?

[murphysxm]

As a Cowboys fan, the Walker trade was the best trade of all time.

Fixed this:

"Because of the Walker trade, I became a Cowboys fan"

Dude, I’ve been a Cowboys fan for longer than you’ve probably been alive.

Was mostly tongue and cheek. I am old and lived through how many Cowboy fans "emerged" after this trade. Not a dig at you per say, just Cowboy bandwagon fans as a whole!

[Anteaters]

Fixed this:

"Because of the Walker trade, I became a Cowboys fan"

Dude, I’ve been a Cowboys fan for longer than you’ve probably been alive.

Was mostly tongue and cheek. I am old and lived through how many Cowboy fans "emerged" after this trade. Not a dig at you per say, just Cowboy bandwagon fans as a whole!

Everyone with an NFL team closer to them than the Cowboys is a bandwagon fan. The only reason a 10 year old from Georgia or CA chose to be a Dallas fan is because the Cowboys were winning during his NFL youth while teams that were a logical geographical fit were losing.

I can't tell you how many people I know whose favorite professional sports teams are the Cowboys+Yankees+Bulls and whose favorite NCAA FB team is Alabama/NotreDame, favorite NCAA BB team is Duke/UConn.

No real criticism because kids do stuff like that, and no one is going to change their lifelong favorite team when they're 25 years old. Just saying any Cowboys fan not from TX is a bandwagoner.