Drew Lock

Seattle's Russell Wilson trade became one of the clearest modern examples of selling a star at the perfect time. Denver paid a massive price for a quarterback solution that quickly collapsed, while the Seahawks turned the return into the start of a roster reset and avoided the steep downside of Wilson's decline. The deal remains a defining warning about paying peak price for a player whose best version may already be gone.

Denver traded up for Drew Lock, an understandable quarterback swing that did not become a long-term answer. Cincinnati gained extra draft volume and kept the better overall hindsight position.