The most significant pass rusher trades in NFL history

The Browns developed a habit of trading Hall of Fame-bound defensive linemen too early, seeing their primes occur elsewhere. This started in July 1955, when Paul Brown traded Atkins to the Bears for third- and sixth-round picks in the 1956 draft. Atkins was a part-time starter for two Browns teams that ventured to NFL championship games. According to Pat Summerall, the 6-foot-8 defensive end belching during a team meeting was a trade catalyst. Whatever the cause to move the 1953 first-round pick, the move backfired. Atkins became an all-time great. The fearsome rusher earned six All-Pro honors in 12 Bears seasons, being a driving force behind a defense-powered 1963 NFL crown. 

An All-Pro for the Rams as part of their early-1950s success, Robustelli clashed with coach Sid Gillman before training camp in 1956. A dispute about when the defensive end would report to camp, as he was tending to the birth of a child, led Giants owner Wellington Mara to swoop in. The Giants traded a first-round pick for Robustelli. Despite turning 31 in his first Giants season, Robustelli earned six All-Pro nods with New York. The Hall of Fame-bound edge rusher anchored one of the NFL's storied defenses, as the Giants booked six NFL championship game berths from 1956-63. The first-round pick became wide receiver Del Shofner, whom the Rams later traded to the Giants for a first-rounder (QB Roman Gabriel). 

Lombardi inherited many of his Hall of Fame-bound Packers -- Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Jim Ringo, Jerry Kramer -- but added more early in his tenure. In September 1959, Jordan -- a fifth-round defensive tackle -- wound up a Packer in a trade that sent the Browns a 1960 fourth-round pick. A reserve in Cleveland, Jordan became an All-Pro each year from 1960-64. In July 1960, Lombardi added more defensive muscle in Davis -- a part-time Browns D-end starter -- for backup receiver A.D. Williams. Davis became an All-Pro in his third Packers season and landed four more such accolades. Jordan played 11 Packers seasons, Davis nine, each winning five NFL titles.

Creating a dynasty in Cleveland, Paul Brown had some patience issues on the D-line. After moving Atkins, Davis and Jordan, the Browns czar gave up on Marshall too early as well. The Browns sent Marshall to the Vikings just before the 1961 season, collecting second and 11th-round picks from the expansion team in a six-player sendoff. Minnesota found a gem. After starting seven games as a rookie in Cleveland, the 1960 fourth-round pick proceeded to start every Vikings game for the next 19 years. The NFL's longest-running non-QB starter (277), Marshall was the first of the Purple People Eaters to arrive and the last to leave. He played in four Super Bowls and registered 129.5 sacks. 

While the Rams' Fearsome Foursome D-line is best identified as consisting of Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy, the group received an update via the Brown trade with the Lions. Brown entered as a replacement for Grier, who suffered a career-ending Achilles tear, in a September trade that sent first-, second- and third-round picks to the Lions. A 300-pound DT who famously sacked Bart Starr six times in a 1962 game (the Packers' only loss that year), Brown was a 1960s All-Decade-teamer who made a Pro Bowl with the 1967 Rams. He played three seasons in L.A., helping the team to two playoff berths. The second-round pick Detroit received became Hall of Fame tight end Charlie Sanders.

The Rams bid farewell to the best pass rusher in their history in January 1972, sending Jones to the Chargers ahead of his age-33 season. The all-time great had seen his Pro Bowl streak stop at seven in 1971, ending perhaps the most torrid pass-rushing stretch in NFL history. Jones did make a final Pro Bowl in 1972, when he was credited with six sacks, but his impact was modest during a three-year San Diego stay. The Rams landed two second-round picks and a third in the trade. The seconds became running backs Jim Berelsen, a one-time Pro Bowler, and Cullen Bryant. The latter began a 13-year career, spanning 11 seasons with the Rams, playing a key role for their Super Bowl XIV team.

Before his guest-starring Cheers gig and becoming a household name via his starring Hunter role, Fred Dryer was a quality pass rusher. The Giants draftee grew frustrated on a losing team, and New York dealt the defensive end to New England for first-, second- and fifth-round picks in January 1972 -- days before the draft. The Patriots, however, could not come to terms on a contract with Dryer and dealt him to the Rams in April. The Pats landed a first-round pick, which became all-time team rushing leader Sam Cunningham. Dryer played 10 seasons with the Rams, posting three double-digit sack slates while teaming with Jack Youngblood to help L.A. become a playoff mainstay.

Months after unloading Dryer, the Giants acquired Gregory from the Browns. Cleveland sent the five-year veteran defensive end to New York for 1973 first- and second-round picks. The June trade paid immediate dividends for the Giants, who saw Gregory storm to an 18.5-sack 1972 season . While this is an unofficial total, only Michael Strahan's record-setting season betters it in Giants history. Amassing 35 sacks from 1969-71 with the Browns, Gregory ripped off 50.5 during his first four Giants years. Playoff success did not follow, and Gregory played a final season in Cleveland in 1979. The Browns did not do well with the picks obtained in this trade.

The Colts fleeced the Saints multiple times in the latter's early years as a franchise. Six years after the Gary Cuozzo trade armed Baltimore with Bubba Smith and center Bill Curry, New Orleans came calling again. This time, the struggling organization traded the No. 2 overall pick for Newsome and a fourth-rounder. Newsome had shown early promise in three Colts seasons but never made a Pro Bowl in eight NFL seasons. Trading the fourth-year DE gave the Colts access to quarterback Bert Jones, who became Johnny Unitas' replacement. The Colts had expected Jones to go first overall; the Newsome trade ultimately sent a future MVP to Maryland. 

The 1974 trade deadline saw John Hadl and Craig Morton moved in seminal swaps, and an Oilers-Chiefs deal relocated two high-profile D-linemen. Going 2-26 from 1972-73, the Oilers formed a three-Hall-of-Fame D-line because of this trade. They sent Matuszak and a third-round pick to Kansas City for Culp and a first-rounder. That first became No. 6 overall, and the Oilers chose edge rusher Robert Brazile. Culp and Brazile teamed with Elvin Bethea to catalyze a turnaround in Houston. The Chiefs traded Matuszak -- better known for Raiders/Goonies contributions -- to Washington for just an eighth-round pick in 1976. They did add 12-year wideout Henry Marshall with the third-rounder from the '74 swap.

A "winning the battle, losing the war" trade commenced in the AFC in 1976. In Paul Brown's first season as a pure owner/GM, after stepping down as HC, Cincinnati acquired Bacon from San Diego. The Bengals saw immediate returns, with the defensive end ripping off an unofficial 21.5 sacks (sacks were unofficial until 1982). The Bengals traded then-Isaac Curtis wide receiver sidekick Charlie Joiner to land Bacon. Joiner later became a linchpin of the Bolts' Air Coryell offense and retired as the NFL's reception leader. The Bolts received 11 Joiner seasons; the Bengals traded Bacon to Washington after two years. 

The second of two major 1976 trades involving the Bengals' D-line occurred in July. After acquiring edge rusher Coy Bacon, Cincinnati sent White -- a former No. 2 overall pick -- to Buffalo. The Bills paid up for the talented defensive end, sending the Bengals their 1977 first-rounder. A 2-12 Buffalo season made that pick No. 2 overall, and Cincinnati drafted White's replacement (Eddie Edwards). White was part of both early-1980s Bills playoff teams, playing eight seasons in Buffalo, while Edwards was a 12-year Bengal and one of the best pass rushers (84.5 career sacks) in team history. 

One of the 1970s' best defensive tackles, Chambers made his third Pro Bowl and was a first-team All-Pro in 1976. A knee injury at that Pro Bowl affected Chambers' career, and a Bears team already not thrilled with its star D-lineman's work habits traded him to the Buccaneers after a four-game 1977. The April 1978 swap sent the five-year vet for a player to be named later and a 1979 first-round pick. The Bucs went 5-11 in 1978, giving the Bears the No. 4 overall pick in '79. That became Dan Hampton, a future Hall of Famer and cornerstone of the Bears' 1980s resurgence. Chambers teamed with Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon to help the Bucs to the 1979 NFC title game, but was done after two Tampa seasons.

Alzado proved pivotal as the Broncos constructed a Super Bowl defense, one that led the team out of the NFL basement by the late 1970s. The Orange Crush bastion resided on Denver's D-line for eight seasons. During the team's 1977 Super Bowl XII campaign, Alzado earned All-Pro acclaim. After another All-Pro nod in '78, Alzado engaged in a contract dispute and was traded to the Browns for second, third-, and fifth-round picks. The temperamental pass rusher spent three years with the Browns and proved to be a formidable blocking assignment. The Browns traded him to the Raiders in 1982. The Ali exhibition, a win for the aging champion, occurred in July 1979 at Mile High Stadium; the Broncos traded him in August.

In a two-week span in 1981, the Chargers traded two disgruntled stars. They sent wide receiver John Jefferson to the Packers and Dean to the 49ers. The Dean swap came second. Like Jefferson, Dean -- a six-year Charger -- expressed contract frustration. Dean had been an All-Pro in 1980; his absence hurt the Chargers and elevated the 49ers. San Francisco sent San Diego a second-round pick in a deal that included a 1983 first-round pick swap. Dean also earned All-Pro honors in 1981, helping the 49ers to their first Super Bowl title. The Hall of Fame-bound D-end was a central cog in the 49ers' 1984 title as well. The Bolts' 1983 picks became longtime defenders Billy Ray Smith and Gill Byrd.

Pro-Football-Reference's unearthing of pre-1982 sack stats sheds light on Baker's brilliance. Via his 23 rookie-year sacks (1978), "Bubba" remains the NFL's unofficial single-season kingpin. Part of the Lions' Silver Rush defense at the time, Baker started his career with three straight Pro Bowls. He sought a contract update in 1983, and the Lions moved on. The Cardinals traded third- and eighth-round picks for the fifth-year defensive end and watched him reach 13 sacks in his first St. Louis season. Baker posted two more double-digit sack slates in four Missouri seasons. After teaming with homegrown Cardinals pass rusher Curtis Greer, Baker ended up in Cleveland in a 1987 trade.

Growing disgruntled in Tampa, Green sought a trade and sparked a robust market. The Jets, Steelers, 49ers, Seahawks, Raiders and Washington made offers, but the Dolphins won out by submitting a proposal including first- and second-round picks. (The second-rounder came from the 1985 trade for Anthony Carter's rights .) Green earned two All-Pro accolades in Tampa but did not represent the missing Miami piece. A top-10 pick in 1981, Green teamed with ex-college teammate Dan Marino in Miami but did not earn a Pro Bowl nod in six-plus seasons there. The Dolphins continued to struggle defensively, though Green was moderately productive as an outside linebacker. 

As we covered in our QB trades feature , the Oilers traded Everett's rights to the Rams after what became a career-ending Dieter Brock injury. The September trade (headlined by two first-round picks going to Houston) ended Everett's holdout and odd stay behind Warren Moon; it also equipped the Oilers with defensive end William Fuller. A USFL refugee tied to the Rams, Fuller debuted in Houston and was with the team during its seven-year playoff streak (1987-93). The Pro Bowl DE was soon joined by Sean Jones, whom the Oilers acquired from the Raiders by dealing the 1988 first-rounder from this trade. Jones  teamed with Fuller for six years in Houston; the two combined for 116.5 sacks as Oilers.

Dickerson's Los Angeles-to-Indianapolis route headlined a historic trade haul for the Rams, who received three first-round picks and three seconds in a three-team deal. The Bills, however, won this trade by landing Cornelius Bennett. The No. 2 overall pick in 1987, Bennett had not signed with the Colts by Halloween; he relocated from Indianapolis to Buffalo. Two of the three firsts the Rams acquired came from Buffalo, but Bennett's contract dispute gave the Bills a window. They added a versatile linebacker who vacillated between rusher and off-ball LB. Bennett played nine Buffalo seasons, booking five Pro Bowl berths. The Super Bowl years linchpin was a 1990s All-Decade teamer.

As Netflix recently revisited, the 49ers employed an all-time mercurial cog in Haley. The elite defensive end talent wore out his welcome in San Francisco, despite having helped the team to two Super Bowl titles in the late 1980s. This trade may have swung the NFC's power balance. In Year 4 of JImmy Johnson's tenure, the emerging Cowboys sent the 49ers two third-round picks. That proved a mistake. Haley made an immediate impact, helping the Cowboys topple the 49ers in back-to-back NFC championship games -- de facto Super Bowls due to the NFC's premier rivalry ruling the NFL at the time -- to build a dynasty. The future Hall of Famer played five seasons in Dallas.

In 1992, the Lions attempted to sign Pat Swilling -- the 1991 Defensive Player of the Year -- as a restricted free agent. The Saints matched the offer, but the teams circled back to a trade a year later. During the 1993 draft, New Orleans sent the All-Pro edge rusher to Detroit for first- and fourth-round picks. The first-rounder, No. 8 overall, became left tackle Willie Roaf. Swilling played on a Lions-designed contract but did not pan out with the team. Although he was a 1993 Pro Bowler, 6.5 sacks became the ex-Dome Patrol star's highwater mark in Detroit. The Lions cut Swilling in 1995; he rebounded with the Raiders. Roaf played eight Saints seasons en route to the Hall of Fame.

This is not Gilbert's most memorable NFL relocation, but it marked a seminal Rams moment. St. Louis sought a higher first-round pick, eyeing star Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips. The Rams acquired the No. 6 overall choice from Washington for Gilbert, a fifth-year vet who had become one of the NFL's best interior D-linemen. Gilbert played just one season in Washington, memorably sitting out the 1997 season in protest of the franchise tag . Tagged again in 1998, Gilbert signed a Panthers offer sheet Washington did not match. Thus, two first-rounders went to Washington. Phillips' arrival led the Rams to trade Jerome Bettis to the Steelers, an infamous move as Phillips became a historic bust. 

The Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1994, Douglas tallied 18 sacks in his first two seasons. His production dipped in Bill Parcells' 1997 debut, and the Parcells-Bill Belichick duo dealt him to the Eagles for second- and fifth-round picks in March 1998. This proved a mistake on the legendary leaders' part. Douglas totaled 12.5 sacks in his Eagles debut and reeled off three straight Pro Bowl bids from 2000-02, being a Donovan McNabb copilot during Andy Reid's rebuild. The D-end led the NFL in tackles for loss in 2000 and '02. Taken with the Round 2 pick, DE Dorian Boose did not post a sack in three Jets seasons.

Kevin Carter provided pressure on Steve McNair to help the Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV. Carter won Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1999, leading the NFL with 17 sacks. In 2001, the Rams franchise-tagged the standout defensive end. Rather than work out an extension, St. Louis dealt Carter to Tennessee for a first-round pick. Carter then signed a six-year, $42.75 million extension. Carter's 10 sacks in 2002 helped the Titans reach the AFC championship game, but the trade otherwise did not have a significant impact. Tennessee cut Carter in a 2005 cap purge that also included Derrick Mason. The Rams drafted D-tackle Ryan Pickett in 2001.

The Jets franchise-tagged Abraham after his sixth season. They entered negotiations with the Falcons about a tag-and-trade move, but after the teams could not agree on terms, the Broncos stepped in as a facilitator. The Falcons did this to outflank the Seahawks, who also offered the Jets a first-round pick. Abraham and two Broncos mid-round choices went to Atlanta. Denver's No. 29 pick went to New York; the Falcons' No. 15 pick went to Denver. The Broncos used the pick to trade up for Jay Cutler, while the Jets drafted longtime center Nick Mangold. The Falcons solved their edge-rushing need, with Abraham delivering four double-digit sack seasons in seven years. The "Curse of John Abraham" was born in New York, which struggled for nearly 20 years to replace him.

While eventually moving onto the right path in Minnesota, Allen dealt with off-field issues in Kansas City. Two DUIs in a five-month 2006 span had Allen's road uncertain, and the Chiefs moved on before the 2008 draft. They dealt the young defensive end to the Vikings for first- and third-round picks. In the final year of Carl Peterson's 20-year GM run , Kansas City nailed the picks by taking tackle Branden Albert and running back Jamaal Charles. The latter earned three All-Pro nods and became the Chiefs' all-time rushing leader. Allen, however, was an All-Pro staple in Minnesota, using a six-year Vikings run to craft a Hall of Fame resume.

A savvy personnel boss for many years, Bill Belichick became known for cutting ties with players too early rather than too late. The Seymour swap followed the Lawyer Milloy divorce and preceded the Randy Moss and Logan Mankins splits. The Patriots dealt Seymour to the Raiders in September 2009, acquiring a 2011 first-round pick. This was a debatable swap on Belichick's end, as Seymour earned two more Pro Bowl nods in Oakland to finish off a Hall of Fame career. This included a 2011 All-Pro nod. However, the Pats used the pick to nab left tackle Nate Solder, who started in three Super Bowls. 

Signs of erratic Jones behavior already surfaced, thanks to a strange January 2016 incident . In March, the Pats dealt Jones to the Cardinals for a second-round pick and guard Jonathan Cooper. Jones had been the Pats' lead pass rusher, but this became a win-win trade. Jones moved onto the All-Pro tier in Arizona, earning first-team acclaim in 2017 and '19. The Cardinals also extended Jones in 2017, and he remained productive throughout his six-year tenure in Arizona. Using the second-round pick to trade down, the Pats nabbed eventual five-time Super Bowl starter (three with New England) Joe Thuney in the '16 draft. 

The Raiders already paid two pillars from their 2014 draft class, extending Derek Carr and guard Gabe Jackson in 2017. Because of Mack's fifth-year option, the Raiders made him wait. By 2018, Jon Gruden had returned. Just before the regular season, the new honcho passed on paying Mack and traded him to the Bears. Chicago sent two first-round picks, a third and a sixth for Mack; the Bears also got back a 2020 second from the Raiders. The former Defensive Player of the Year, who received a then-record defensive deal, made three Pro Bowls as a Bear before being traded to the Chargers. The Raiders split on the two first-rounders, drafting Josh Jacobs and cornerback bust Damon Arnette.

After forcing Patrick Mahomes into shootouts in 2018 , the Chiefs made changes on defense. Hiring Steve Spagnuolo became a turning point; weeks later, the team swapped out defensive ends via tag-and-trade moves. The Chiefs tagged Dee Ford but sent him to the 49ers for a second-round pick. In April, Kansas City replaced Ford by acquiring Clark from Seattle. As extension talks did not progress between the Seahawks and Clark, they sent the fifth-year DE and a third-round pick to the Chiefs for first-, second- and third-rounders. Clark did not notch a double-digit sack season in Kansas City but worked as a key starter on two Super Bowl-winning teams.

The 2019 49ers rolled out a four-first-rounder defensive line, trading for Dee Ford to join Buckner, Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead. With Jimmy Garoppolo tied to a then-big-ticket QB contract, a cost-cutting decision needed to be made. The 49ers had begun Buckner extension talks but instead dealt the impact D-tackle to the Colts. Indianapolis sent San Francisco its 2020 first-round pick. The 49ers re-signed Armstead in free agency and replaced Buckner with first-round D-tackle Javon Kinlaw. While Kinlaw ran into injury trouble, Buckner -- who signed an immediate extension post-trade -- has anchored the Colts' D-line for six years.

The Broncos were in their sixth year of a fruitless quest to replace Peyton Manning. With a new GM in place in 2021, the team cashed in its Miller chip. Denver dealt the Super Bowl 50 MVP to Los Angeles for second- and third-round picks at the trade deadline. The Broncos paid most of Miller's salary to boost the compensation -- a deal helping set up the 2022 Russell Wilson trade. The Rams paired Miller with all-time defensive tackle great Aaron Donald to create a ferocious pass rush. Miller posted nine sacks over his final eight Rams games, including two in Super Bowl LVI to collect a second ring. He left (for Buffalo) in free agency weeks later.

A year after trading Miller, the Broncos unloaded his apprentice. A 2018 top-five pick, Chubb teamed with Miller as a rookie. But the two continued to run into injuries, preventing Vic Fangio from deploying them together. By 2022, Fangio was gone and the Broncos were struggling in Russell Wilson's first season. After trading two first-round picks for Wilson, the Broncos got one back by sending Chubb to Miami. Denver acquired first- and fourth-round picks along with running back/salary filler Chase Edmonds at the 2022 deadline. They used that 2023 first in a package to acquire Sean Payton's rights from the Saints in January 2023.

The Panthers had aimed to extend Burns for years. This intent lasted from when the edge rusher became extension-eligible (January 2022) to the March 2024 trade. Carolina fired two honchos during this period, axing Matt Rhule and then GM Scott Fitterer. The latter was at the helm when the Panthers declined a monster Rams offer (two first-rounders and a third) for Burns at the 2022 trade deadline. Burns played on a fifth-year option in 2023, and after a 2024 franchise tag, new GM Dan Morgan collaborated with ex-Bills coworker Joe Schoen and dealt the DE to the Giants for second- and fifth-round picks. Burns signed a five-year, $141 million extension.

The Cowboys extended Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb in 2024, tabling talks with their best player to 2025. Jones decided to effectively go rogue, attempting to work around Parsons' agent. The direct negotiations did not sit well with Parsons, and the Dallas owner viewed his star defensive end as backing out of a verbal agreement. Jones did not resume talks, instead making a shocking 11th-hour pivot by sending Parsons to the Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Parsons received a record-smashing extension (four years, $186 million) from a contractually stingy Green Bay team, illustrating the NFC North club's view of the All-Pro dynamo.