The 5 Most Head-Scratching Trades in NFL History

Rarely in the NFL does a trade work out well for both sides, and compared to the MLB or NBA, the NFL is not a trading league.

Some GMs or head coaches swear they're making the right move, only to have the trade blow up in their face after a year or two.

Here are the most head-scratching trades in NFL history.

Randy White

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1986: Defensive lineman Randy White #54 of the Dallas Cowboys stands on the field between plays during a 1986 NFL game. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

To start the countdown, Randy White seems like a fitting beginning to this list.

White had a fantastic career as a Cowboy, racking up stats and awards for a feared Cowboy team that won a Super Bowl in 1977.

The pick that the Cowboys took the lineman with was traded by the Giants for Craig Morton, Roger Staubach's back-up at the time.

Morton didn't have success in New York, while White was a feared competitor and fantastic player on Dallas.

Marshall Faulk

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ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 06: Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2011 member Marshall Faulk stands on the field prior to Super Bowl XLV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas.

Once upon a time, before the Greatest Show on Turf was even a thought in anyone's mind, Marshall Faulk was an Indianapolis Colt.

The Colts proceeded to ship Faulk to St. Louis, where he had incredible success with Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

Indianapolis got just a second and a fifth-round pick in return, and was unable to draft true impact players.

The Colts let a dynamic running back slip through their fingers, and certainly lost out on their end of the deal.

Herschel Walker

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7 Sep 1997: Kick returner Herschel Walker of the Dallas Cowboys runs down the field during a game against the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Cardinals won the game 25-22. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr /Allsport

Herschel Walker may have been a good running back, but the price that the Vikings paid for the Cowboy star was outrageous.

The Vikings traded five players and eight draft picks for Walker and four Dallas draft picks (no Dallas pick was higher than a third-rounder).

Walker never had a great deal of success in Minnesota, but Dallas used their draft picks to acquire core players for their dynasty.

The trade has gone down in history as one of the most lopsided trades in all of sports, and is a no-brainer on this list.

Steve Young

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 5: Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young speaks during a ceremony to retire his number at halftime of the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers NFL game on October 5, 2008 at Candlestick Park in San Francisc

Before becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, Steve Young was a mediocre quarterback in Tampa Bay who couldn't get it all figured out.

For a second and a fourth-round draft pick, Young would go to the San Francisco 49ers to back up legendary quarterback Joe Montana and eventually assume the reins to the team.

The Buccaneers didn't get much with the draft picks, while Young went on to post a Hall of Fame career out in San Francisco.

Young would become one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks in history, and the Buccaneers got a few no-names for him.

Tony Dorsett

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Running back Tony Dorsett #33 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during a game.

This trade was basically a draft pick for draft pick trade, but nonetheless, the Cowboys made out fantastically in this deal.

Tony Dorsett was one of the most hyped collegiate running backs since OJ Simpson, and after a Hall of Fame career, it's fair to say that the hype was justified.

Dorsett wasn't free, but the picks that Dallas traded to the Seahawks made the trade seem like nothing.

Seattle couldn't get much contribution from the four draft picks they received from the Cowboys, and unsurprisingly enough, the big winners in this trade were the ones who got Tony Dorsett—Dallas.