The biggest running back trades in NFL history

Already rostering Hall of Famers Joe Perry and Hugh McElhenny by 1954, the 49ers formed their "Million Dollar Backfield" (not a salary-based moniker) by acquiring Johnson before he played a game. This four-Hall of Famer coalition largely rendered Johnson a third wheel, and the 49ers dealt the fullback to the Lions for Pro Bowl DB Bill Stits and a seventh-round pick in 1957. That year, Johnson led the Lions in rushing and helped a Bobby Layne-less team to a comeback win over the 49ers in a Western Conference playoff and a blowout NFL championship win over the Browns. The Lions dealt Johnson to the Steelers, who originally drafted him, in 1960. At ages 33 and 35, he ripped off two 1,000-yard rushing years.

Few athletes bested Matson in the 1950s. The Olympic 400-meter silver medalist (1952) started his career with five straight first-team All-Pro honors for the Cardinals. But Chicago finished with a winning record just once in the future Hall of Famer's six-year stay. The Cards traded the versatile back to the Rams for seven players, a second-round pick and a player to be named later in 1959. Future NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, then the Rams GM, orchestrated the swap. Neither Matson nor the Cardinals fared well post-trade. The 220-pound talent did not make a Pro Bowl in four Rams seasons. Two of the acquired players were 1959 Cardinal Pro Bowlers, but the haul underwhelmed.

A seventh-round pick became the lightning to Jim Brown's thunder during part of the legend's Cleveland tenure. The Browns used Bobby Mitchell as a dual-threat weapon, and he amassed 3,759 scrimmage yards and 32 touchdowns through four years. But Paul Brown, seeking to pair Jim with Heisman winner Ernie Davis, broke up his elite backfield by trading Mitchell to Washington for the No. 1 overall pick's rights in December 1961. Davis, who followed Brown's Syracuse path, died of leukemia having never played an NFL game. Mitchell flourished in Washington, which moved him to wide receiver. He led the NFL in receiving yards in 1962 and '63, blazing a trail to the Hall of Fame.

The Vikings made Tommy Mason the first draft pick in team history, taking him first overall in 1961. Mason also fielded offers from the CFL and the Patriots, the AFL team that chose him. Making the Pro Bowl from 1962-64, Mason displayed early-career versatility but ran into knee trouble by the mid-1960s. A week after trading Fran Tarkenton to the Giants, the Vikings packaged Mason in a 1967 draft-day trade that brought back a first-round pick. Mason could not turn his career around on superior Rams teams, but the Vikings nabbed Alan Page with the first-rounder. The Hall of Fame defensive tackle anchored the iconic Purple People Eaters D-line.

Donny Anderson's Green Bay arrival came as the team was saying goodbye to its legendary Jim Taylor-Paul Hornung backfield; the 1965 No. 7 overall pick signed a record-setting NFL contract worth $650,000. Anderson played a key role on Green Bay's second Super Bowl team and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 1968. With All-Pro fullback John Brockington overshadowing Anderson by the early '70s, the Packers dealt the latter to the Cardinals for MacArthur Lane. The straight-up swap keyed some success for each. Lane and Brockington powered a QB-deficient 1972 Packers squad to the playoffs; Anderson scored 13 touchdowns in 1973. Each played three years for his new team.

Prior to the Browns' Deshaun Watson trade, only the 49ers had given up three first-round picks for a quarterback. Embattled GM Joe Thomas, after the Jim Plunkett move faceplanted, decided to double down by trading five draft picks to the Bills for Simpson in March 1978. Included in this trade: a first-round pick, two second-rounders, a third and a fourth. Betting on a 31-year-old coming off knee surgery, the 49ers did so despite rostering talented backs Delvin Williams and Wilbur Jackson. Knee and shoulder trouble plagued Simpson in his hometown; his 49ers stay ended after two seasons. The 49ers' 2-14 1978 record meant the Bills had the No. 1 pick in 1979. Thomas was gone soon after.

Credit the 49ers for collecting a first-rounder by dealing their previous starting back. Weeks later in 1978, they dealt Delvin Williams to the Dolphins for first- and fifth-round picks. The first-rounder became starting linebacker Dan Bunz, who made a crucial goal-line tackle in Super Bowl XVI, but wide receiver Freddie Solomon -- a veteran included in the swap -- became the trade prize. A second-round pick who became a 1976 49ers Pro Bowler, Williams had his best year in 1978 -- an All-Pro season -- and played three years in Miami. Solomon became a vital cog in Bill Walsh's offense, starting eight years in San Francisco. 

One of the 1970s' best backs, Mitchell lobbied for a raise during the summer of 1978. Contract talks became contentious enough the three-time Baltimore Pro Bowler filed a racial discrimination grievance against notorious Colts owner Bob Irsay. The Colts offered Mitchell a slight raise from his would-be 1978 salary ($99,000), but he instead collected his money from the Chargers, who outbid the Raiders, Broncos and Falcons by sending former No. 4 overall pick Washington and a fifth-rounder to the Colts. Washington fared better post-trade; the shifty back combined for 2,967 scrimmage yards from 1978-79. Mitchell lasted two years in San Diego.

A reputation for substandard effort and drug issues dogged Muncie in New Orleans; the Chargers unlocked another level for the goggled standout. The Saints took Muncie third overall in 1976, and his 1,198-yard 1979 Pro Bowl season broke a team rushing record. During the 1980 season, the Saints dealt Muncie for a second-round pick. Muncie became the predominant back in the Chargers' Air Coryell offense, leading the NFL with 19 rushing TDs in 1981. Making two more Pro Bowls, Muncie lasted four-plus seasons with the Bolts but incurred a one-year drug ban that ultimately ended his career. That second-rounder the Saints obtained became Hall of Famer Rickey Jackson.

Active in the running back trade game for a while, the Chargers erred by letting Brooks go. They dealt Muncie's sidekick three months before the Pro Bowler's failed drug test triggered his suspension. The June 1984 move equipped the Bengals with one of the best backs in team history. Despite rostering Muncie, the Bolts took Brooks in the 1981 first round. The elusive back had complained about his role; the Bengals put him to work, leading to three 1,000-yard years and four Pro Bowls. Cincinnati sent its previous top rusher, fullback Pete Johnson, to San Diego. Johnson lasted just three games for the Bolts. Brooks played eight Bengals seasons, helping them to Super Bowl XXIII.

Campbell played the lead role during the Oilers' late-1970s Super Bowl push, driving them to back-to-back AFC title games during his first two seasons. After the three-time rushing champ earned Pro Bowl recognition in 1983, the team dealt the declining back to the Saints for a first-round pick in October 1984. Campbell rejoined Phillips, who resurfaced as the Saints HC, and played through 1985. The Saints paired Campbell with starter George Rogers in '84 but turned to the veteran as its '85 starter. Struggling to recapture his Oiler form, Campbell retired in 1986. Houston nabbed DB Richard Johnson with the pick.

The Saints drafted Rogers over Lawrence Taylor in 1981; the decision did not receive criticism. The South Carolina star rambled for a still-standing team record 1,674 rushing yards, leading the NFL. Acquiring Campbell in 1984, the Saints broke up their two-Heisman backfield by sending Rogers to Washington just before the 1985 draft. Washington sent back a first-rounder, in a deal that supplied the contender three late-round Saints picks, and saw Rogers burst for two more 1,000-yard seasons behind "The Hogs." After teaming with John Riggins in 1985, Rogers led the NFL with 19 rushing TDs in 1986. He retired after Super Bowl XXII, when rookie Timmy Smith set a Super Bowl rushing record.

A dynamic back in a glorious era for the position, Anderson spent his prime on mostly bad Cardinals teams. It is an underappreciated prime, which included five 1,000-yard seasons. The Cards surprised the league by trading Anderson midway through his eighth season. The Giants sent second- and seventh-round picks to the Cards in October 1986, but Anderson went from Cardinal star to Giant afterthought for three years. Replacing an injured Joe Morris, Anderson resurfaced at age 32 in 1989 and became the Giants' primary back over the next two years. A less elusive Anderson version powered a Giants team down Phil Simms to a title, leading a ball-control attack en route to Super Bowl XXV MVP honors.

Dickerson's dissatisfaction with his Rams contract led to one of the NFL's signature trades. The Rams dealt their three-time rushing champion to the Colts in a three-team deal on Halloween 1987. The Rams collected a historic haul. L.A. obtained three first-rounders and three seconds (from the Colts and Bills) and running back Greg Bell, who effectively replaced Dickerson. This trade propelled Indianapolis to an AFC East title; Dickerson tallied his sixth 1,000-yard season in just nine Colts games. He topped that by winning a fourth rushing title in 1988. The Bills landed the prize in this trade, though, acquiring Colts holdout linebacker Cornelius Bennett -- an eventual 1990s Buffalo pillar. 

Seeking to unload their most valuable asset in Year 1 of the Jimmy Johnson-Jerry Jones era, the Cowboys informed the Vikings the Browns offered multiple first-round picks. It ended up taking far more for Minnesota to pry Walker from Dallas. The former USFL star relocated to Minneapolis on Oct. 13, 1989 in a trade involving an NFL-record 18 combined players and picks. The Vikings sent the Cowboys three first-rounders and three seconds for Walker, two thirds and two late-round picks. While one of those thirds turned into standout receiver Jake Reed, this became an infamous Vikings moment. Walker did not push the Vikes from the contender tier to the Super Bowl and did not post a 1,000-yard season in Minnesota. He was gone by 1992. Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, Russell Maryland and others arrived in Dallas via this trade, which keyed a dynasty.

Before "The Bus" entered the lexicon, the Notre Dame alum played three Rams seasons. But St. Louis wanted to move the two-time 1,000-yard rusher to fullback. Bettis' size warranted such a discussion, but his skills transcended the position. The Rams chose Lawrence Phillips sixth overall and traded Bettis to the Steelers for second- and fourth-rounders during the 1996 draft. The Oilers also pursued Bettis, creating a sliding-doors moment for 1996 first-rounder Eddie George. In Pittsburgh, Bettis ripped off six straight 1,000-yard seasons, retired as the NFL's No. 5 all-time leading rusher, and capped his career with a Super Bowl title. The troubled Phillips was out of St. Louis by 1997.

The Hall of Famers' careers overlapped for one season, and Faulk was excited about Manning's future. But he and the Colts differed on contract terms, leading the former No. 2 overall pick to St. Louis after five Indianapolis seasons. Just before the 1999 draft, the Rams acquired Faulk for second- and fifth-round picks. Most expected the Colts to replace Faulk with Ricky Williams at No. 4 overall; instead, a third Hall of Famer (Edgerrin James) entered the equation. The Rams gave Faulk a seven-year, $45.2 million deal in August and formed a sudden superpower in Faulk's late 20s. Helping the Rams to two Super Bowls, Faulk earned All-Pro acclaim from 1999-2001.

Just before the 2000 draft, the ex-Green Bay coach sent the Packers a player who eventually broke Jim Taylor's franchise rushing record. The Holmgren-run Seahawks dealt Green in a pick-swap trade, sending the third-year running back and a fifth-round pick to the Packers for cornerback Fred Vinson and a sixth. The Seahawks rostered Ricky Watters at that point and soon drafted Shaun Alexander with one of the Cowboys picks sent over for Joey Galloway. Green joined Alexander as a 2000s star, zooming to six 1,000-yard seasons and four Pro Bowls in eight Packers years. Green broke Taylor's yardage mark in his final Green Bay season. Vinson never played for the Seahawks.

Mike Ditka made history by trading his entire 1999 draft, along with 2000 first- and third-rounders, to move up for Williams. The next regime flipped him for two first-rounders and a fourth in March 2002. The second of those firsts was a conditional third that jumped to a 1 after Williams surpassed 1,500 rushing yards in 2002. He gained 1,853, benefiting both the Dolphins and Saints. Williams famously retired in 2004 and was suspended for the 2006 season for a drug violation, but he stayed in Miami through 2010, re-emerging as the Dolphins sprung the Wildcat on the NFL. The Saints took eight-year defensive end Charles Grant and D-tackle bust Jonathan Sullivan with the firsts.

Champ Bailey lasted 15 seasons and earned first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. While Clinton Portis was effective in Washington, he made one Pro Bowl and wrapped his career after nine years. In what felt like a turning point for running back value, the Broncos dealt Portis for Bailey and a second-round pick, which became starting running back Tatum Bell in March 2004. Bailey-Washington extension talks fizzled, and while the Jets discussed a deal, the Broncos sent the 2002 Offensive Rookie of the Year for the star corner. Portis ran his 1,000-yard season count from two to six in Washington; Bailey anchored Denver's secondary for a decade. Backs fetching seismic trade hauls became a thing of the past.

Breaking James Brooks' Bengals rushing record during his seven-year tenure, Dillon wrapped that stay with a distraction-filled 2003. An injury-shortened season -- in which the Bengals began their Marvin Lewis-era climb with an 8-8 record -- ended with Dillon feuding with teammates and throwing his helmet and pads into the stands after Cincinnati's Week 17 game. Dillon's trade expectation proved prescient; the Patriots dealt a second-round pick for the then-29-year-old back in April 2004. Dillon bounced back in New England, posting a career-high 1,635 rushing yards and 12 TDs that season and started for the Pats' third Super Bowl-winning squad. Dillon closed his career with three Pats seasons.

The Bills used a first-round pick on Lynch in 2007 and received two 1,000-yard seasons over the hard-charging back's first two years. Off-field trouble intervened, and Lynch entered the 2010 season behind a rejuvenated Fred Jackson and alongside 2010 first-rounder C.J. Spiller. Lacking at running back since Shaun Alexander's decline hit in 2006, the Seahawks took a flier on Lynch. In a classic "fresh start" deal, Seattle sent Buffalo fourth- and fifth-round picks for Lynch in October 2010. Post-"Beastquake," Lynch put himself on Hall of Fame radar by revitalizing Seattle's ground attack. The five-time Pro Bowler and Russell Wilson formed a lethal tandem en route to Super Bowls, as Lynch became a bona fide celebrity.

The regime running the Browns in 2012 traded three picks to move up one spot for Richardson at No. 3 overall. The Joe Banner-Michael Lombardi duo in charge a year later viewed the Alabama product as fraudulent. Two games into the 2013 season, the Browns dealt Richardson to the Colts for a first-round pick. Although Richardson scored 12 rookie-year touchdowns, this quickly became a one-sided deal. Richardson averaged 3.1 yards per carry as a Colt and was out of the league by 2015. Unfortunately for Cleveland, another new regime packaged the first-round pick to move up for Johnny Manziel in the '14 draft.

Kelly's third and final year with the Eagles proved eventful; ownership gave the head coach personnel power and demoted GM Howie Roseman. Among Kelly's moves: the Nick Foles-for-Sam Bradford trade and effectively replacing McCoy with free agent DeMarco Murray. The Eagles shipped McCoy to the Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso, whom Kelly coached at Oregon, in March 2015. Alonso was coming off an ACL tear, but no other assets were required for the Bills to land Shady. The NFL rushing champion during Kelly's first Philly year (2013), McCoy ripped off two more 1,000-yard seasons in Buffalo. Roseman retook the reins in 2016 and traded Alonso and Murray.

When the Panthers canned Matt Rhule early in his third season, it became open season on Carolina's impact players. The 49ers outmuscled the Rams for McCaffrey in October, sending the Panthers second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks for the injury-prone star. Kyle Shanahan had once babysat McCaffrey, the son of ex-Mike Shanahan Broncos charge Ed McCaffrey, and the reunion galvanized a 49ers team that soon lost a second quarterback to a season-ending injury. CMC helped the 49ers navigate the Jimmy Garoppolo-to-Brock Purdy transition, staying healthy and finishing with 1,880 scrimmage yards as the 49ers posted a 12-game win streak. The multifaceted back's contract runs through 2025.