Player Trade Profile
Will Reichard
Explore every recorded NFL trade involving Will Reichard,
including the assets exchanged, team grades, final verdicts,
and TradeVerdicts analysis.
Trade Impact Summary
The TradeVerdicts database links Will Reichard to 4 public trade records involving Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, and Houston Texans.
Each record below shows what the teams received, how each side
was graded, and the analysis behind the verdict. Grades and
verdicts follow the
TradeVerdicts methodology
.
Transaction Record
Related Trades
4 records New York Jets Win
Tier: major
Confidence: medium
Minnesota moved up one slot to secure J.J. McCarthy and added Will Reichard, but the Jets collected extra draft capital while still landing Olumuyiwa Fashanu. The added pick value gives New York the slight edge.
Assets Received
- Pick 2024 1st round pick (10th overall, J.J. McCarthy)
- Pick 2024 6th round pick (203rd overall, Will Reichard)
- Pick 2024 1st round pick (11th overall, Olumuyiwa Fashanu), 2024 4th round pick (129th overall subsequently traded, Isaac Guerendo) and 2024 5th round pick (157th overall subsequently traded, Chau Smith-Wade)
Trade Analysis
New York moved back one spot, still landed Olumuyiwa Fashanu, and added useful mid-round value. Minnesota got its quarterback target, but the Jets came away with the cleaner asset return.
View the full trade verdict
→ New York Jets Win
Tier: standard
Confidence: high
Denver Broncos acquired Zach Wilson; 2024 7th round pick (256th overall, Nick Gargiulo) from New York Jets for 2024 6th round pick (203rd overall subsequently traded, Will Reichard). The stronger recorded return sits with New York Jets, matching the New York Jets Win verdict.
Assets Received
- Player Zach Wilson
- Pick 2024 7th round pick (256th overall, Nick Gargiulo)
- Pick 2024 6th round pick (203rd overall subsequently traded, Will Reichard)
Trade Analysis
New York Jets gets the edge because the recorded return is stronger than what it gave up.
View the full trade verdict
→ Cleveland Browns Win
Tier: standard
Confidence: high
Denver Broncos acquired 2024 5th round pick (136th overall subsequently traded, Nehemiah Pritchett) and 2024 6th round pick (203rd overall subsequently traded, Will Reichard) from Cleveland Browns for Jerry Jeudy. The stronger recorded return sits with Cleveland Browns, matching the Cleveland Browns Win verdict.
Assets Received
- Pick 2024 5th round pick (136th overall subsequently traded, Nehemiah Pritchett)
- Pick 2024 6th round pick (203rd overall subsequently traded, Will Reichard)
Trade Analysis
Cleveland Browns gets the edge because the recorded return is stronger than what it gave up.
View the full trade verdict
→ Houston Texans Win
Tier: major
Confidence: high
Cleveland's trade for Deshaun Watson became one of the most damaging modern blockbuster deals. The Browns surrendered a massive pick package and handed Watson a fully guaranteed contract, while Houston escaped the situation and rebuilt with premium assets. The Texans won decisively because Cleveland absorbed nearly all of the risk. It is one of the clearest modern examples of a team paying franchise-quarterback prices without receiving franchise-quarterback stability.
Assets Received
- Pick Deshaun Watson and 2024 6th round pick (203rd overall subsequently traded, Will Reichard)
- Pick 2022 1st round pick (13th overall subsequently traded, Jordan Davis), 2023 1st round pick (12th overall subsequently traded, Jahmyr Gibbs), 2024 1st round pick (23rd overall subsequently traded, Brian Thomas), 2023 3rd round pick (73rd overall subsequently traded, Jalin Hyatt), 2024 4th round pick (123rd overall, Cade Stover) and 2022 4th round pick (107th overall, Dameon Pierce)
Trade Analysis
Why the Browns Made the Trade
Cleveland made the trade because the franchise believed Deshaun Watson could solve its quarterback problem. At his peak in Houston, Watson had played like a true franchise quarterback. The Browns were chasing that version of the player.
The bet was enormous. Cleveland sent a historic draft package and paired it with a fully guaranteed contract. That meant the Browns were not only trading for Watson's upside. They were tying their roster-building future to the most expensive and controversial version of the move.
What Houston Actually Received
Houston received multiple first-round picks and additional draft value. More importantly, the Texans gained a pathway out of a broken situation. They turned a distressed superstar into the capital needed for a rebuild.
That is why the Texans grade so well. They did not just receive picks. They transferred the risk to Cleveland and gave themselves room to build a new core.
Why the Trade Failed for Cleveland
The trade failed because the cost and contract left almost no margin for error. Watson had to return to elite form quickly for the deal to make sense. Instead, the Browns received limited availability, uneven play, and a contract that made every setback more damaging.
Quarterback trades can be worth massive packages when the player becomes the answer. Cleveland paid answer-level prices and did not get answer-level performance.
Why Houston Won So Clearly
Houston won because it converted a difficult situation into premium assets without carrying the long-term contract risk. The Texans moved on, rebuilt, and gave themselves flexibility at the exact moment Cleveland gave up flexibility.
This is the cleanest part of the verdict. Houston did not need the Watson return to be perfect. It simply needed to be better than the burden Cleveland accepted.
Why This Trade Still Matters
This trade still matters because it is a cautionary tale about desperation at quarterback. Teams can convince themselves that no price is too high if the target has franchise-quarterback upside. But the contract, context, and risk profile still matter.
Cleveland ignored too much risk at once. The Browns paid a massive pick cost, accepted public controversy, and guaranteed the contract. That combination turned the trade into a franchise-defining mistake.
Why This Trade Still Matters
This trade still matters because it is the modern warning label for quarterback desperation. Cleveland did not make one risky decision. It stacked several risky decisions together: huge trade compensation, a fully guaranteed contract, major off-field baggage, and a player who had to return to elite form for the math to work.
That is why the deal is so damaging. The Browns did not leave themselves a soft landing. Houston did. The Texans moved the problem, collected premium assets, and regained control of their future.
That lack of escape hatch is what keeps the trade among the harshest modern quarterback lessons.
Final Verdict
The Texans won by turning a broken relationship into premium rebuild assets. The Browns lost because the cost, contract, and on-field return never aligned. Texans grade: A+. Browns grade: F.
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