The 10 Best Offseason Moves in NFL History

Now that the Super Bowl has passed, every fanbase in the NFL—except Giants fans—is looking toward 2012. 

Until July, that means two things will inspire excitement: The NFL draft and offseason acquisitions.

But since draft choices usually aren't an instant fix, the hungriest fans out there will hang their hopes on free agency and trades to improve their roster. 

Every one of them is looking for a deal as impactful and historic as these 10. 

NOTE: In order to keep draft-day trades (like the 49ers selecting Jerry Rice with the pick they received from Dallas in 1985, the Broncos getting John Elway from Baltimore in 1983 or the Cowboys trading for the pick that yielded Tony Dorsett in 1977), these deals are not about draft PICKS, only about current, active players. That doesn't mean, however that players traded FOR draft picks won't appear. 

No. 10: Rich Gannon, QB, 1999

Old Team: Kansas City Chiefs

New Team: Oakland Raiders

Acquired for: Four-year deal worth $16 million

Gannon won't ever make the Hall of Fame, and in truth, he's not even the best quarterback in Raiders history—Ken Stabler deserves that label. 

But Gannon is the only one to win an MVP, the only one to make four straight Pro Bowls, the only one to be a three-time All-Pro and the only one in the last quarter-century to take the Raiders back to a Super Bowl. 

No one could have expected that when the Raiders signed the 33-year-old who had started a total of 19 games the previous five years.

No. 9: Charles Woodson, CB, 2006

Old Team: Oakland Raiders

New Team: Green Bay Packers

Acquired for: Seven-year deal worth $52.7 million

Admittedly, the Packers rolled the dice by giving the 30-year-old Woodson an enormous deal, especially since he had missed 10 games the previous season with a broken leg.

He more than paid off: Four Pro Bowls, four All-Pro selections, a Super Bowl championship and an NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. 

But the best stat is this. In eight years with Oakland he had 17 interceptions, two returned for scores. In seven years with Green Bay he's had 37 interceptions, nine returned for scores. 

No. 8: Jerome Bettis, RB, 1996

Old Team: St. Louis Rams

New Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Acquired for: (With third-rounder) a second- and fourth-rounder

The (soon enough) Hall of Fame career Bettis had coupled with the—well, not-so-Hall of Fame career that his replacement, Lawrence Phillips, had makes this one of the worst trades ever.

In short, Pittsburgh completely fleeced the Rams in April, 1996.

Bettis—who seemingly became expendable when the Rams drafted the troubled Nebraska superstar—became the centerpiece of the Steelers franchise for an entire decade. 

He went to four Pro Bowls, won the team MVP award three times, became the franchise's all-time leading rusher and served as added motivation for that 2005 Super Bowl team. 

No. 7: Kurt Warner, QB, 2005

Old Team: New York Giants

New Team: Arizona Cardinals

Acquired for: One-year deal worth $4 million

When the Cardinals acquired Warner—seemingly over-the-hill after Eli Manning replaced him midway through his one-year deal with the Giants—he was expected to be a backup and tutor for Matt Leinart.

That didn't quite pan out.

instead, he became the first man in franchise history to lead the Cardinals to a Super Bowl and nearly upset the Steelers thanks to his 377 yards and three touchdown passes.

He may have only spent three seasons as the Cardinals full-time starter, but he averaged nearly 4,000 yards and 28 touchdown passes during that stretch, and added another 16 touchdowns in six playoff games. 

No. 6: Reggie White, DE, 1993

Old Team: Philadelphia Eagles

New Team: Green Bay Packers

Acquired for: Four-year deal worth $17 million

The Packers made the first great splash in the unrestricted free agent era, signing away the transcendent defensive end from Philadelphia.

White may have been 31, but he hadn't missed a game in seven years, during which time he went to seven straight Pro Bowls, was a six-time All Pro and averaged more than 15 sacks per season.

In Green Bay, he elevated the Packers' pass-rush to a level that helped Green Bay return to Super Bowl contenders and elevated White into the same class as Lombardi, Nitschke, Starr, Hornung, Hudson and the rest of the Packers icons. 

No. 5: John Riggins, RB, 1976

Old Team: New York Jets

New Team: Washington Redskins

Acquired for: Five-year deal worth $1.5 million

Free agency had far more restraints back in the 1970s, but that didn't keep running back John Riggins from leaving the Jets for an enormous contract with Washington.

And truth be told, in the first few seasons, the comparatively enormous deal he received wasn't worth it.

In George Allen's offense, Riggins rarely carried the ball, and even when he became a staple of Jack Pardee's offense a few years later, he promptly retired when his contract demands weren't met in 1980.

But Joe Gibbs convinced him to return, and Riggo emerged as one of the greatest backs in NFL history between 1981 and 1984. A Super Bowl MVP, an NFL record for rushing touchdowns and soon a Hall of Fame selection.

No. 4: Marshall Faulk, RB, 1999

Old Team: Indianapolis Colts

New Team: St. Louis Rams

Acquired for: Second- and fifth-round pick

Three years after making a colossal mistake on the Jerome Bettis trade, the Rams totally redeemed themselves with this move. 

As great as Kurt Warner was between 1999 and 2002, Faulk was the centerpiece of the Greatest Show on Turf. His running and pass catching propelled that offense to NFL records. 

During his peak, Faulk won an MVP, was a three-time first-team All Pro and took the Rams to a pair of Super Bowls—both of which they would have won had Mike Martz utilized Faulk more against New England in 2002. 

No. 3: Steve Young, QB, 1987

Old Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New Team: San Francisco 49ers

Acquired for: Second- and fourth-round picks

Young was ultimately one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, but because he was barely used his first four seasons in San Francisco, the deal wasn't an instant success like the two ahead of this pick.

Nevertheless, Young won a pair of NFL MVPs, led the 49ers to a Super Bowl (a game in which he rewrote the record books and won the MVP), took San Francisco to four NFC Title games and finished his career as the most efficient passer in history and arguably the most elusive. 

No. 2: Drew Brees, QB, 2006

Old Team: San Diego Chargers

New Team: New Orleans Saints

Acquired for: Six-year deal worth $60 million

Maybe Brees' career is better than Young's. Maybe it's not.

But because of the instant success he brought to his team and the numbers he put up right out of the gate, this acquisition earns a higher spot.

Brees—who the Saints signed despite the concerns over his injured shoulder—promptly led the NFL in passing yardage, would become the first man to ever pass for more than 5,000 yards twice and produced the only Super Bowl title in franchise history.

The Dolphins are still kicking themselves for passing on the opportunity to land Brees in the spring of 2006. 

No. 1: Brett Favre, QB, 1992

Old Team: Atlanta Falcons

New Team: Green Bay Packers

Acquired for: First-round draft pick

At the time, it must have seemed strange for new head coach Mike Holmgren to give up a first-round draft pick for Favre, a second-rounder the previous year who didn't complete a pass his first season and couldn't unseat Chris Miller or Billy Joe Tolliver. 

But Holmgren and GM Ron Wolf knew what they were doing. 

Favre didn't miss a start in 17 seasons with the Packers, won a Super Bowl and become arguably the greatest player in team history and one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

That was worth giving up the (eventual) rights to running back Tony Smith, who Atlanta selected with the 19th overall pick they got for Favre.