The Dallas Cowboys made the unexpected move of trading Micah Parsons, one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, to the Green Bay Packers this week. In return, the Packers gave the Cowboys two first-round picks and Kenny Clark. Does this compare to the worst trade in Indianapolis Colts history?
Not really. The Colts have made a number of bad moves, but none that rival the potential disaster that Dallas fans face.
The worst trade in Indy history came in 2013 when the team got arrogant. With Andrew Luck behind center, the Colts thought they had a decent chance at another Super Bowl championship. They might have, too, with the right move. Acquiring running back Trent Richardson was not it.
The Indianapolis Colts' worst trade ever might compare to what the Dallas Cowboys did
Compounding the problem is that Colts general manager Ryan Grigson gave the Cleveland Browns, who had taken the running back with the third pick in the 2012 draft, a first-round selection in return for Richardson. Grigson simply didn't do his math, and he wouldn't have had to make too much of an effort to do so.
As a rookie, Richardson ran for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns. Seemingly great numbers. The issue was in the fine print. The running back averaged only 3.6 yards per attempt. He wasn't explosive, but simply ground out the tough yards at times.
He was the exact opposite of what the Indianapolis Colts needed. Perhaps, Grigson thought sending a first-round pick for Richardson would turn out to be Indianapolis gaining the kind of back that Peyton Manning had in Indianapolis when he had Edgerrin James.
Richardson didn't have the same skill set as James, however. The Colts' offense wasn't designed the same as Manning's either. The quarterback wasn't the problem, and not having several elite receivers who could take the focus off the featured running back was only going to make Richardson's job more difficult.
After beginning the 2013 season with the browns, Richardson was traded to the Colts and failed horribly. He ran for only 458 yards in 14 games, and he fumbled three times. His average yards per rush was an awful 2.9.
He returned in 2014, but ran for only 519 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per rush. That year would mark his final season in the NFL. Of course, the pick the Browns got from the Colts was terrible too. They chose quarterback Johnny Manziel in the first round of 2014.
While Trent Richardson was a bust of a trade for the Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Cowboys could be set up for far worse after dealing Micah Parsons. The Green Bay Packers can probably feel safe that Parsons will be great for them. Thankfully, Green Bay is in a different conference than Indy.