The 10 Most Shocking Offseason Developments in NFL History

The NFL offseason is one of the more entertaining times of the sports year. It features plenty of trades, big free-agent signings and the draft. Each year we have a few surprises and moves that shock the football world.

These type of moves have happened throughout the history of the NFL. Legends like Joe Montana, Brett Favre and Barry Sanders have all provided some level of offseason excitement. The following list breaks down the 10 most shocking moments.

10. John Elway Refuses to Play in Baltimore

John Elway's career could look very different if he didn't refuse to join the Baltimore Colts. His reluctance to play in Baltimore not only changed the course of his career, but also impacted the Baltimore and Denver Broncos franchises.

Finding a quality quarterback is difficult, but finding a Hall of Fame player at the position is even more rare. There's currently only 23 modern-era quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame. Over the course of his career, Elway tallied 148 wins while the Colts franchise only reached 98 wins.

The way Elway ended up with the Denver Broncos was both a shocking and influential development.

9. Reggie White Heads to Green Bay Via Free Agency

In 1993 the NFL entered a new era with the start of modern-day free agency. The first big surprise came when Reggie White left the Philadelphia Eagles to sign with the Green Bay Packers, inking a four-year, $17 million deal.

White's addition gave the Packers a dominating force on the defensive line, which helped propel them to a Super Bowl victory in 1997. Most of White's individual success came when he was with the Eagles, but nobody can discount the impact he had on the Packers franchise.

It's also important to note the impact White had on free agency. The fact such a high-profile player signed with a new team gave the idea some validity.

8. Randy Moss Wears out His Welcome in Minnesota

Randy Moss' first stint with the Minnesota Vikings featured a lot of explosive plays, but it also was accompanied by some behavioral problems. In 2005, the Vikings organization felt it could no longer tolerate the troubled wide receiver and traded him to the Oakland Raiders.

This trade sparked a lot of media coverage and excitement in Oakland. However, Moss only lasted two seasons with the Raiders, compiling a disappointing 11 touchdowns. The trade didn't workout for the Vikings, either, as they used the draft pick they acquired to select Troy Williamson.

Moss' inability to produce in Oakland resulted in a trade to the New England Patriots and his record-breaking 23-touchdown season in 2007.

7. Josh McDaniels Chases Jay Cutler out of Denver

In Jay Cutler's final season with the Denver Broncos he tallied 4,526 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and earned a Pro Bowl selection. Despite his success and bright future, Josh McDaniels made a push to have Matt Cassel accompany him to Denver. McDaniels' desire to bring in Cassel resulted in Cutler's trade to the Chicago Bears.

Many dominoes fell after this trade took place, including Tim Tebow landing in Denver, the firing of McDaniels and finally the Broncos' signing of Peyton Manning. Cutler has yet to live up to his potential, but he has plenty of years left to prove himself.

6. Herschel Walker Trade Helps Build Dallas Cowboys

Herschel Walker has always been seen as a terrific football player, but his legacy focus more on a trade than production. In 1989, the Dallas Cowboys decided to trade Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for a shocking price. This trade had a major impact on how the '90s would look in the NFL.

Dallas used the assets to acquire players like Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith and Darren Woodson. Emmitt Smith went on to outperform Walker by more than 10,000 total rushing yards and more than 100 rushing touchdowns. This trade would have been a win for the Cowboys even if it was Walker for Emmitt Smith straight up.

It's possible the Dallas Cowboys wouldn't have won their three mid-'90s Super Bowl titles without this trade.

5. Brett Favre Lands with the New York Jets

Anytime a beloved athlete changes teams there will be some sort of media firestorm. Brett Favre's last days as a Green Bay Packer stirred up a lot of emotions. Things came to a tipping point when Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy and Favre came to an agreement that they must part ways.

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McCarthy said Favre couldn't seem to get past emotional wounds that were opened as tensions mounted in recent weeks—even with the chance to win his starting job back potentially on the table.

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This brought about an end of an era and the start of what would be a strange end to Favre's career. The New York Jets hoped Favre would lead them to the Super Bowl, but after one average season he was on the move again.

Favre's consistent waiver in the next few years lessened the shock of his trade to the Jets, but at the time this was a major event.

4. Ricky Williams Traded For, Traded and Suspended

Ricky Williams could hold several spots in the top 10 list for most shocking offseason moments. However, I decided to wrap all of his situations into one slide. The media firestorm surrounding Williams started before he even took his first snap in the NFL and continued to follow him throughout his career.

It started with the New Orleans Saints, and Mike Ditka, when they traded their entire 1999 draft picks and two picks the next year to acquire Williams. The amount surrendered by the Saints increased the already-enormous pressure facing Williams. Eventually, he wore out his welcome in New Orleans.

In 2002, the Miami Dolphins decided to orchestrate a trade to bring Ricky Williams to Miami. Any time a player of Williams' stature is traded it makes a ton of news. Again, the high price paid to acquire Williams increased expectations.

The trades all made news, but they couldn't compare to his off-the-field struggles that resulted in early retirement and eventually multiple suspensions. Several failed drug tests were the main reasons for his inability to take the field.

There's so much to the Ricky Williams story, and if you want more detail I suggest watching the ESPN Films' Run Ricky Run. Still, Williams found a way to provide more than one shocking offseason moment.

3. Barry Sanders Abruptly Retires

When the news of Barry Sanders' retirement broke in July of 1999 it shocked the entire football-watching world. At the time of his retirement, Sanders was both highly effective and within reach of breaking the all-time rushing record. Nobody anticipated Sanders would end his career in such a way.

Sanders' decision devastated the Detroit Lions franchise, as he wasn't only its best player but its only true super star. The shocking way he ended his career sparked a number of rumors. Many felt he wanted to use this as a strategy to force a trade to a contender.

2. Peyton Manning Signs with the Denver Broncos

The Indianapolis Colts' decision to part ways with Peyton Manning might not seem as shocking as the others on the list. This is because it's a very recent event and because the length of time between Manning's injury and release gave plenty of opportunities for speculation. However, Manning suiting up in anything other than a Colts uniform is a shock.

This situation is not only a result of Manning's neck injury. The decision was also impacted by the Colts landing the No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft and the availability of Andrew Luck. I doubt the Colts could have released Manning if they didn't have the opportunity to replace him with a promising young quarterback.

1. Joe Montana Ends His Career with the Kansas City Chiefs

Injuries and the emergence of Steve Young prompted the San Francisco 49ers to trade Joe Montana to the Kansas City Chiefs. At the time, it seemed inevitable Montana wouldn't regain the starting job in San Francisco. However, it's tough to picture Montana in anything but a 49ers uniform.

The importance of the situation was enhanced by the amount of success Montana enjoyed in Kansas City. He helped the Chiefs reach back-to-back playoff appearances and took them all the way to the AFC Championship Game in 1993.