When’s the last time “giving up the farm” to draft a QB actually worked?

The draft is way too mush of a gamble…for all positions.  I heard this morning on a Denver station 104.3, the Broncos currently have 2 starters left from their 17, 18, and 19 drafts.  That’s with a scouting staff and all that goes with it.  

It's a good point re: thread topic.  As much as a craps shoot as the draft is, any other path to an elite QB is just as dicey.  Teams drafting at the top of the round, either by record or by trade up, feel like they have the most control they can get.  Would you really rather sit wherever you are at and let whatever falls to you be your QB?  Trade for a backup?  It would be a fascinating study to track how elite and/or SB winning QB's... got there.

The Chiefs traded the 27th overall pick, a third round pick, and their first round pick the following year to move up and draft Mahomes 10th overall. That was a steal.

The Broncos traded FOR John Elway, who the Colts had picked first but threatened not to play for them for the 4th overall pick (they had already drafted Chris Hinton the previous week), their first round pick the following year, and backup QB Mark Herrmann. Even though Hinton may end up in the HOF yet (a 7-time Pro Bowler), obviously it was a steal for the Broncos.

Both trades were basically a first and a midround pick to move up.

I guess every GM thinks they are trading up for the next Mahomes and not the next Mitch Trubisky.

Now we have the "Suck for Luck" colts tanking a season or even last year Lovie Smith told by ownership to lose the last game so they get the #1 pick.

It's always a crap shoot because you cannot measure or determine the heart of a man

That's what forensic pathology is for.

MP, you mean the Colts....

The Broncos traded John Elway, who they had picked first but threatened not to play for them

Donkeys traded for him.

@EC Pack posted:

MP, you mean the Colts....

The Broncos traded John Elway, who they had picked first but threatened not to play for them

Donkeys traded for him.

Yes. I left out a word. I'll fix it in the post.

@MichiganPacker posted:

The Chiefs traded the 27th overall pick, a third round pick, and their first round pick the following year to move up and draft Mahomes 10th overall. That was a steal.

The Broncos traded FOR John Elway, who the Colts had picked first but threatened not to play for them for the 4th overall pick (they had already drafted Chris Hinton the previous week), their first round pick the following year, and backup QB Mark Herrmann. Even though Hinton may end up in the HOF yet (a 7-time Pro Bowler), obviously it was a steal for the Broncos.

Both trades were basically a first and a midround pick to move up.

I guess every GM thinks they are trading up for the next Mahomes and not the next Mitch Trubisky.

I’m torn on Mahomes. They traded up from 27, which is about twice as far as the Panthers moved, and likely gave up far less outside of a Panthers miracle starting this September.

‘I think my view of Elway is skewed because the Broncos gave up a 1, Chris Hinton and Mark Herman, but Hinton was the #4 pick in that draft.

‘

@Boris posted:

Now we have the "Suck for Luck" colts tanking a season or even last year Lovie Smith told by ownership to lose the last game so they get the #1 pick.

It's always a crap shoot because you cannot measure or determine the heart of a man

So true.  I remember the huge debate back in 1998 between Leaf and Manning.  Many people (and I admit myself) thought Leaf was the better choice.  That shows two things you don't know what is in between the ears of a guy like Leaf and that I should stick to my day job with draft predictions.

As far as giving up a ton to draft a QB I honestly cannot remember a really good example of a team giving up a ton of draft capital to draft a legendary QB.

@Herschel posted:

I’m torn on Mahomes.

You're torn on Mahomes?  What the hell is there to torn about?  Been in and won Super Bowls, a hell of a fun player to watch,  he makes passes that even Rodgers couldn't make.  And he is a better leader than Rodgers.

@ammo posted:

You're torn on Mahomes?  What the hell is there to torn about?  Been in and won Super Bowls, a hell of a fun player to watch,  he makes passes that even Rodgers couldn't make.  And he is a better leader than Rodgers.

Nice to have the weapons he's had, including a great TE.

@D J posted:

Nice to have the weapons he's had, including a great TE.

Nevertheless

@ammo posted:

You're torn on Mahomes?  What the hell is there to torn about?  Been in and won Super Bowls, a hell of a fun player to watch,  he makes passes that even Rodgers couldn't make.  And he is a better leader than Rodgers.

He’s a better QB than Rodgers. PERIOD!

@Goalline posted:

He’s a better QB than Rodgers PERIOD!

And he doesn’t even have a chip on his shoulder

Good point!

@ammo posted:

You're torn on Mahomes?  What the hell is there to torn about?  Been in and won Super Bowls, a hell of a fun player to watch,  he makes passes that even Rodgers couldn't make.  And he is a better leader than Rodgers.

I’m not sure you can call that “giving up the farm”. Those weren’t high picks from a bad team. 27 and 91, plus 22 from the next year aren’t nothing, of course, but those are back-third picks, not picks from 3-9.

Conversely, the Bears gave up #3, #67, #111 and #70 the next year for Trubisky with far fewer decent players already on the team.

You didn't say you were torn on whether they gave up the farm, you implied you were torn on his performance, at least that is the way I took it.  Either way, pretty ambiguous.

@ammo posted:

You didn't say you were torn on whether they gave up the farm, you implied you were torn on his performance, at least that is the way I took it.  Either way, pretty ambiguous.

The thread title is a rather strong hint.