Herschel has found some rivals...

[SixtiesFan]

It seemed like after the Herschel trade, no one in the NFL made another trade for like 25 years because they were too scared.

Here are some older trades that I recall being one sided:

*Browns trading Doug Atkins and Ken Gorgal to Bears for 3rd and 6th round picks

*Browns trading Henry Jordan to Packers for 4th round pick

*Browns trading Willie Davis to Packers for AD Williams

*Niners trade YA Tittle to Giants for Lou Cordelieone ("Me? Just me?")

*Eagles trade Jurgensen (& a DB) to Skins for Snead (& a DB)

*Bills trade Lamonica/Bass to Raiders for Flores/Powell

*Any trade involving Gary Cuozzo

*Any trade involving Billy Newsome

In his 1979 autobiography, Paul Brown indicated he gave Henry Jordan and Willie Davis to his friend Vince Lombardi out of generosity. Brown inferred he didn't need Jordan and Davis and wanted to help Vinny out.

[Brian wolf]

Good call Jackson ...

George Allen would get in trouble for trading draft picks he never had.

I agree with Bryan on Gary Cuozzo ... the guy cost a lot with little in return.

Paul Brown gave up alot of good players, but Lombardi fleeced him.

The trading of Buddy Dial to Dallas in 1964 was disastrous for Pittsburgh. The Chiefs trading Abner Haynes to Denver was dumb as well, though Mack Lee Hill replaced him before dying on an operating table.

The Raiders trading Rich Jackson and Raymond Chester haunted them for years. Chester was like a huge wide receiver but the team thought Bubba Smith could help them despite his injury running into a steel yard marker.

[JameisBrownston]

In his 1979 autobiography, Paul Brown indicated he gave Henry Jordan and Willie Davis to his friend Vince Lombardi out of generosity. Brown inferred he didn't need Jordan and Davis and wanted to help Vinny out.

Wait that's illegal

[conace21]

In his 1979 autobiography, Paul Brown indicated he gave Henry Jordan and Willie Davis to his friend Vince Lombardi out of generosity. Brown inferred he didn't need Jordan and Davis and wanted to help Vinny out.

Wait that's illegal

How so?

[JameisBrownston]

In his 1979 autobiography, Paul Brown indicated he gave Henry Jordan and Willie Davis to his friend Vince Lombardi out of generosity. Brown inferred he didn't need Jordan and Davis and wanted to help Vinny out.

Wait that's illegal

How so?

Has to be some kind of collusion/competitive balance violation. There's zero chance a GM wouldn't get banned indefinitely from the league today for this.

[conace21]

Wait that's illegal

How so?

Has to be some kind of collusion/competitive balance violation. There's zero chance a GM wouldn't get banned indefinitely from the league today for this.

You might want to look up the definition of collusion: "secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others." There are different definitions, of course, but the key word is cooperation. Who did Brown cooperate with? Lombardi? Lombardi didn't do anything illegal - he was just friends with Brown (and numerous others around the league.) Did he bribe or blackmail Brown to make the trade?

With regards to a GM getting fired if he did that today, there was buzz that the Buffalo Bills did that just today. They traded former 2nd round DE Boogie Basham to the Giants for a swap of 2025 late round draft picks. Giants GM Joe Schoen worked for the Bills under Brandon Beane, until he took the Giants job last year.

There's zero chance that there will be repercussions from the NFL, just like there were zero repercussions for Paul Brown. Brown didn't properly forecast what kind of players he had in Jordan and Davis (or in Jim Marshall.) He didn't think they would contribute to the Browns, so he traded them away, instead of cutting them and getting zero return.

[7DnBrnc53]

Oilers trading Ken Houston for several players who never turned out.

Sid Gillman was making some stupid trades around that time. There was that trade, and then the one where he sent the 1974 #1 pick and a third-rounder for Billy Parks and Tody Smith. Also, he traded a 1974 second-rounder to Buffalo for Al Cowlings.

[Brian wolf]

Brown didnt properly forcast alot of players, who were motivated to prove him wrong with other teams. Not just Jordan, Quinlan or Davis but Parilli for GB, Howton, Clarke for Dallas, Mitchell for Washington, Plum for Detroit, Dawson for KC, Marshall for Minn, Donovan, Rechichar and Shula for Baltimore, Bergey to Philly, Atkins to Chicago, Speedie to Canada and on and on!

[JameisBrownston]

With regards to a GM getting fired if he did that today, there was buzz that the Buffalo Bills did that just today. They traded former 2nd round DE Boogie Basham to the Giants for a swap of 2025 late round draft picks. Giants GM Joe Schoen worked for the Bills under Brandon Beane, until he took the Giants job last year.

Oh, this reminds me - Isaiah Simmons, a recent top-10 pick and strong defensive starter for Arizona, was just traded to... who else, the Giants... for a seventh-round pick. Unless there is something going on behind the scenes with Simmons (is he about to get arrested or something?!), this might be the stupidest trade from the outset I've ever seen. If I were Roger Goodell, I would be wondering what the heck Schoen is up to lately. At least do the equivalent of an NYSE trading halt on the Giants.

There's zero chance that there will be repercussions from the NFL, just like there were zero repercussions for Paul Brown. Brown didn't properly forecast what kind of players he had in Jordan and Davis (or in Jim Marshall.) He didn't think they would contribute to the Browns, so he traded them away, instead of cutting them and getting zero return.

Ah, didn't realize he was doing it before they hit their stride. Far more explicable. Paul Brown did do this a lot; Plum was mentioned in the OP, and Len Dawson is another famous example. Also pretty amazing that Pittsburgh somehow whiffed on both Dawson and Unitas, while they were starting... who exactly?! and regularly finishing near last in offense.

[Brian wolf]

Simmons is another example of the possible tank job going on in Arizona, who might start a rookie QB against the Redskins/Commanders ...