5 NFL coaches who were traded for draft picks ft. Bill Belichick and Jon Gruden
When we think of a trade involving draft picks, we think of players. NFL coaches figure into that conversation only as long as they are engaged in discussions with the general manager.
But over the league's history, coaches have also been traded from one team to another. When such situations arose, the team who got the NFL coach had to compensate the losing team with draft picks.
It is not common. But NFL coaches have been traded in the past, and we're looking at five cases.
NFL coaches traded for draft picks
#5 - Herm Edwards, New York Jets to Kansas City Chiefs, 2006
Herm Edwards wanted a more significant contract with the New York Jets and he believed 2006 was the perfect time to do it. He was responsible, and even after all these years still is, for their last AFC East title in 2002. He knew he had leverage since the Kansas City Chiefs were considering him, among other NFL coaches, to succeed the retiring Dick Vermeil.
But his bargaining technique did not quite work out as the New York Jets did not value him relatively as high as an NFL coach he thought they should. Instead, they began negotiating with the Kansas City Chiefs to take over his contract. The deal eventually concluded with the Kansas City Chiefs sending a fourth-round pick to the New York Jets to release Herm Edwards from his contract.
In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth we recognize Herm Edwards who is the first black head coach at @ASUFootball.
He played 10 seasons in the @NFL and spent 8 years as a head coach with the Jets (‘01-‘05) & Chiefs (‘06-‘08).
Edwards also worked previously as an ESPN analyst. https://t.co/wYuGhNetYd
#4 - Mike Holmgren, Green Bay Packers to Seattle Seahawks. 1999
Mike Holmgren was the NFL coach who brought the Super Bowl back to the Green Bay Packers after a fallow period.
Harlan: In 1992 Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren & Brett Favre came to Green Bay, and Packers pride was restored.
He was also known as a quarterback guru who had developed the likes of Brett Favre and Steve Young. The Seattle Seahawks had him in their sights, with the only problem being that he was contracted to the Green Bay Packers when they wanted him in 1999.
The Seattle Seahawks came up with an offer for Mike Holmgren that he could not refuse. They offered him the money promising $4 million per year. They also planned on handing him an eight-year contract. They also wanted to give him control of the entire team by making him the executive vice president of football operations and general manager as well as the coach.
The next step was to get him out of Green Bay. The Seattle Seahawks agreed to give up their second-round pick in the NFL draft that year. Mike Holmgren moved to the Seattle Seahawks and stayed with them until 2008, during which time the franchise made their first trip ever to the Super Bowl.
Also check out: Complete 2020 NFL Draft Results