What are the 5 worst Washington trades in franchise history? What constitutes a bad trade? Are there any Commanders deals that rival stinky Redskins deals of days gone by? Marshon Lattimore had some fans singing that tune.
We look back at them today for our #FlashbackFriday.
There have been some real groaners over the years. From mortgaging multiple first-round picks for a quarterback whose promising career was derailed by injuries, to practically giving away one of the greatest left tackles in NFL history for a couple of meh selections, Washington’s front office has made some truly notable mistakes at the negotiating table.
Truthfully, every NFL franchise has trades they’d like to forget. Washington is no different – whether in the Redskins era or the Commanders era.
Here are some trades that continue to haunt the burgundy and gold faithful.
Trent Williams For A 3rd And 5th
In 2020, the then Washington Redskins made what many consider to be the biggest gaffe in franchise trade history. The Redskins traded Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers for a 5th Round pick in 2020 and a third round pick in 2021. For a perennial Pro Bowler who will inevitably one day be in the Hall of Fame.
Granted, there was a lot to unpack in this particular situation. The trade was a long-awaited resolution to Williams’ long-standing dispute with Washington, during which he sat out the entire 2019 season. In April 2019, the big left tackle had a surgical procedure done to remove a growth from his head. Williams has since revealed that he noticed the growth in 2013. Much of the dispute was Williams’ frustration with the medical staff for not dealing with the situation better. So following the surgery, he did not report to the team’s mandatory mini-camp, and reportedly demanded to be released or traded.
It was a mess. There was no way around trading him.
But for a fifth and a delayed third?
Puh-lease.
Washington inducted Trent into their Ring of Honor in 2022. He still plays for the 49ers of course. He is in his seventh season in San Francisco, after nine in Washington. He is a first ballot Hall-of-Famer.
Paul Krause For Marlin McKeever And a 7th
In the 1968 trade for Paul Krause, the Washington Redskins received linebacker Marlin McKeever and a seventh-round draft pick in the 1968 NFL draft from the Minnesota Vikings.
Krause played 12 more seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and set the NFL career interception record with 81 interceptions, a record that still stands today.
Marlin McKeever, the main player Washington received in return, played only three seasons for the Redskins, starting just 15 games and recording zero interceptions.
The seventh-round pick Washington received was used to select linebacker Bob Kuziel, who never ended up playing a single regular-season game for the franchise.
Head coach Otto Graham traded Krause away due to a personal clash and a belief that he was a defensive liability against the run. Krause went to eight Pro Bowls with the Vikings, played in four Super Bowls, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Ouch.
RGIII for Three
Remember the buzz? Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck were both at the top of everyone’s draft charts in 2012 – including the Washington Redskins. Dan Snyder realllly wanted a new toy. So much so that he gave up three first round draft picks, and a second, to move up to the number two slot. Their goal? To land the bona fide superstar quarterback out of Baylor.
Some may see this as an unfair selection, as obviously RGIII’s injuries were not completely predictable. He also provided one of the absolute best years of Washington football for fans since their last Super Bowl victory.
Still… three firsts? It’s soooo much to give up and it didn’t end up being worth the haul. Especially given that Kirk Cousins was picked in the fourth round that year. Cousins made 57 starts with a 28-33-1 record for Washington, while RGIII made 35 regular-season starts with a 14-21 record.
Champ Bailey for Clinton Portis
In 2004, Washington traded a future Hall of Fame cornerback in Champ Bailey to the Denver Broncos for running back Clinton Portis.
Portis was productive, but giving up an elite, shutdown corner at the peak of his career—and forcing Washington to pay Portis a massive extension—made it a painful roster swap.
Bailey ended up in the Hall of Fame. Portis ended up being a decent back, but didn’t have nearly the stature of Champ’s career.
Bailey made twelve Pro Bowls. Twelve.
To make things worse, Washington also threw in a 2004 second-round draft pick to the Broncos in exchange for Portis. Denver capitalized beautifully on that extra draft capital, and selected running back Tatum Bell with the 41st overall pick. He went on to have a productive stint in Denver, rushing for 900 yards in 2005 and over 1,000 yards in 2006.
Some might argue that this is an unfair selection, as at the time, it seemed Bailey was looking to leave due to a contract issue. Many things have been said from both sides over the years, so the truth is murky.
But the trade still sucked.
McNabb For a 2nd And 4th
Washington traded a second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles for an aging, regressing McNabb. He was benched twice before being traded away the following year.
The Philadelphia Eagles maximized the Donovan McNabb trade by turning Washington’s draft capital into a core defensive anchor and a future Super Bowl hero. They used the 2010 second-round pick directly on safety Nate Allen, who became a dependable five-year starter in their secondary.
The real magic happened with the 2011 fourth-round pick, which Philly flipped to Tampa Bay for a package of assets. The Eagles used those assets to trade for Pro Bowl linebacker and defensive captain DeMeco Ryans, while also positioning themselves in the draft wheeling-and-dealing to select quarterback Nick Foles—the man who would eventually win them a Super Bowl. And be MVP.
Marshon Lattimore & A 5th, For A 3rd, 4th, and 6th
So where does the Lattimore trade stack up?
Pretty high in some people’s estimation. Ostensibly they gave up a 3rd and 4th round pick for a broken down cornerback.
Not only was he not very good when he played, he was unavailable more than he was not. And he cost a lot.He played in just eleven games. The Commanders officially released Lattimore in March 2026, saving the franchise $18.5 million in salary cap space.
The three rookies taken with the three Commanders picks proved to be massive wins for the New Orleans Saints. Jonas Sanker and Quincy Riley both earning selections to the ESPN NFL All-Rookie Team. Obviously Washington may have made different picks, but Sanker started all 17 games and Riley was one of the biggest surprises of the entire NFL draft class. All three saw playing time in their inaugural seasons.
Top 5
How do you rank the deals?
Are there any big deals that are missing?
Is the Lattimore deal worthy of a Top 5?
Holler @TheHogsdotNetv2 on X and give me your thoughts.