The New Orleans Saints are not typically known as an overly aggressive franchise when it comes to making major moves. However, they may very well have put together the most absurd trade in NFL history once upon a time.
Following the Green Bay Packers’ stunning move to land Micah Parsons in a blockbuster deal with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox decided to put together a list of the “most shocking” trades the league has ever seen.
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First on the list? The Saints’ inexplicable decision to trade their entire draft class to select running back Ricky Williams with the fifth pick of the 1999 NFL Draft.
“Unlike other teams that traded up for unknown prospects, the Saints gave up an enormous amount of draft capital in exchange for a running back, Ricky Williams, who was proven at the college level but untested in the NFL,” Knox wrote. “Even in 1999, the NFL was a quarterback-driven league. Seeing a team go all-in on a running back, even the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, was stunning. Williams wasn’t even the first RB off the board, either. Edgerrin James was.”
Here’s the worst part: Williams only lasted three years in New Orleans and was rather underwhelming. While he did register a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns, he didn’t make a Pro Bowl and averaged just 3.8 yards per carry.
Then, in March 2022, the Saints dealt Williams to the Miami Dolphins for a package that included a couple of first-round picks.
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Funny enough, Williams went on to lead the NFL with 1,853 rushing yards in 2002, notching the only Pro Bowl appearance of his career. He also punched in 16 touchdowns while logging 4.8 yards per attempt that season.
All things considered, the University of Miami product was a relative disappointment on the professional level, especially from the perspective of a New Orleans squad that surrendered so much to initially acquire him.
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