Tharold Simon

Seattle traded LB Aaron Curry, the #4 overall pick in 2009 and one of the most disappointing early picks in franchise history, to Oakland for late-round draft compensation. The return ultimately helped Seattle land J.R. Sweezy, a useful starter on the offensive line. Curry's exit was a salvage operation after a disastrous top-five selection. Getting any useful draft value mattered, and the downstream Sweezy outcome made the trade far better than it looked in the moment. It does not erase the original draft miss, but it was a smart recovery move by Seattle.