Jacksonville sent quarterback Rob Johnson to Buffalo in…
Jacksonville sent quarterback Rob Johnson to Buffalo in February 1998 for the ninth and 101st picks. The Jaguars used No. 9 on Fred Taylor, who became the franchise's career rushing leader, and No. 101 on Tavian Banks. Buffalo paid a premium for a quarterback who never became a stable long-term starter, making this one of Jacksonville's most favorable trades.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Rob Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars Received
- pick 1998 1st round pick (9th overall, Fred Taylor)
- pick 1998 4th round pick (101st overall, Tavian Banks)
Trade Analysis
Buffalo bet heavily on projection. Rob Johnson had started only one NFL game for Jacksonville when the Bills acquired him for the ninth and 101st selections in the 1998 draft. The attraction was obvious: Johnson had size, arm talent and had looked impressive in limited action. Buffalo then committed significant money to him, treating the trade as a solution at the most important position. The problem was that Johnson never established the consistency or durability needed to justify either the contract or the draft cost. His tenure became intertwined with the quarterback debate involving Doug Flutie, and he did not become a long-term answer.
Jacksonville converted the premium asset into Fred Taylor at No. 9. Taylor immediately rushed for 1,223 yards and 14 touchdowns as a rookie and went on to become one of the best players in franchise history. He finished his Jaguars career with more than 11,000 rushing yards, added substantial receiving production and gave Jacksonville a high-end offensive centerpiece for more than a decade. The fourth-round pick became Tavian Banks, whose career was brief, but the trade was already overwhelmingly successful because of Taylor.
This is the kind of quarterback gamble that can be defended only if the player becomes a durable starter. Buffalo paid first-round value for uncertainty and received neither enough starts nor enough team success from Johnson. Jacksonville, by contrast, traded from a position of depth and landed a franchise-level running back who became synonymous with the team's best early years. The disparity is large enough for an A+ on the Jaguars' side and an F for Buffalo. Even allowing for the premium attached to quarterback upside, the realized football value was overwhelmingly Jacksonville's.