K.J. Wright

Seattle sent veteran WR Deion Branch back to New England and turned the return into pick #99, later used on LB K.J. Wright. Wright became the quiet connective tissue of the Legion of Boom defense: a long, smart linebacker who fit the scheme for a decade and topped 1,000 career tackles. Moving Branch made sense for a rebuilding team, but the downstream outcome made the deal far better than a routine veteran sell-off. Seattle converted an aging receiver into a championship-era starter.

Denver acquired Laurence Maroney and 2011 6th round pick (189th overall, Mike Mohamed) from New England Patriots for 2011 4th round pick (99th overall subsequently traded, K.J. Wright). This was primarily a draft-position exchange, with Denver reshaping its pick stack rather than adding an established player. The grades stay conservative because the historical value depends on how the selected players developed after the swap.