The Bull Pen

With word out that the Islanders offered the Blue Jackets all their draft picks in an effort to move up to number two overall, I immediately thought of Mike Ditka and Ricky Williams.

In 1999, Ditka, then with the New Orleans Saints, coughed up all his picks to grab Williams.  Who won the deal?  It's not easy to say, given that it wound up involving more than just the Saints and Washington Redskins.  It's neatly summarized here.

Remember the Herschel Walker trade in 1990?  It didn't happen at the draft, but involved high picks spread over four seasons.  In retrospect, it seems like the Minnesota Vikings thought that Walker would not only boost their running game, but also their defensive line, punting, coaching, and food preparation.  The swap helped Dallas acquire Emmitt Smith.

In the CFL, the largest trade ever involved our very own Eskimos.  It was with Toronto before the 1993 season.  Enjoy the TSN coverage of the 16 player swap here.  The Esks would go on to win the Grey Cup while the Argos bumbled to 3-15. (jrw)