The Greatest Trade For Every NFL Team In History
By Erik Lambert
Denver Broncos: The John Elway trade
Sometimes it pays to be in the right place and the right time. The Denver Broncos took advantage of the situation in 1983 when Stanford quarterback John Elway made it clear that he had no intention to play for the Baltimore Colts, who owned the #1 pick. This didn’t stop the Colts from picking him, but it was clear the team either had the choice of holding his rights while he played baseball for the Yankees or trading them to another team. Eventually it was the Broncos who came calling.
They gave up their 1st round pick, guard Chris Hinton, a future 1st round pick and a backup quarterback in the deal. Denver got a legend. Elway became one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He would lead the franchise to five Super Bowl appearances, win two championships, reach nine Pro Bowls and win an MVP award before retiring in 1999. The Colts moved to Indianapolis shortly after the fallout from that deal. If Hinton hadn’t become a perennial Pro Bowler on their offensive line, this trade might be considered the most lopsided ever.
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