NFL Trade Deadline: 30 greatest trades in NFL history

18. Saints pull off massive trade to land Ricky Williams

During his time at Texas, Ricky Williams was the kind of player that seemed to get better with experience. Seeing how his production got better each year will back that statement up in a big way.

Just look at the 4,017 rushing yards to go along with 52 touchdowns recorded by Williams over his final two seasons with the Longhorns. It’s easy to understand why the running back was considered a top prospect during the 1999 NFL Draft.

No matter what it took, the New Orleans Saints were determined to figure out a way to get into the top-five of the first round that year so Mike Ditka and company could select Williams. It took a little bit of work negotiating after reaching out to a few teams, but the Saints finally got the Washington Redskins to take the bait in a deal that would have been foolish to turn down.

By allowing New Orleans to move up to No. 5 so they could select Williams, Washington received a total of eight draft picks, including the No. 12 pick in the first round from 1999. Even if most of these selections were from the middle rounds, the Redskins obtaining a future first rounder in 2000. They would use that pick on linebacker LaVar Arrington, who would be an incredible player for Washington for a few years.

How exactly did this work out for the Saints? Unfortunately, Williams struggled as a rookie. He dealt with some injuries after finishing his first NFL season with just 884 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 12 games.

Even more frustrating, Williams would only last three years in New Orleans before joining the Miami Dolphins. At least Washington made out well from this massive deal in 1999.