The 1999 Champ Bailey Trade: Washington Gave Up Volume and Drafted a Hall of Famer
Chicago moved from No. 7 to No. 12 and collected four additional picks. Washington moved back up for Champ Bailey, whose Hall of Fame career overwhelmed the Bears' larger package.
Washington Commanders Received
- pick 1999 1st round pick (7th overall, Champ Bailey )
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 1999 1st round pick (12th overall, Cade McNown ), 1999 3rd round pick (71st overall, D'Wayne Bates ), 1999 4th round pick (106th overall, Warrick Holdman ), 1999 5th round pick (143rd overall, Jerry Wisne ) and 2000 3rd round pick (87th overall, Dustin Lyman )
Trade Summary
Washington moved up to No. 7 in the 1999 draft and selected Champ Bailey, while Chicago received No. 12 plus four additional picks. The Bears turned that volume into Cade McNown, D'Wayne Bates, Warrick Holdman, Jerry Wisne and Dustin Lyman. Bailey became a Hall of Fame cornerback, giving Washington overwhelming star value despite Chicago's much larger collection of selections.
Trade Analysis
What the Trade Actually Did
Chicago sent the seventh pick in the 1999 draft to Washington. The Bears received No. 12 plus additional selections in the third, fourth and fifth rounds of 1999 and another third-round pick in 2000. Chicago used those assets on Cade McNown, D'Wayne Bates, Warrick Holdman, Jerry Wisne and Dustin Lyman. Washington used No. 7 on cornerback Champ Bailey.
Why Washington Was Willing to Give Up Volume
The move was part of an aggressive draft-day sequence by general manager Charley Casserly. Washington had traded down earlier, then moved back up because Bailey was the player it wanted. That concentration of value is risky: one missed selection can make a five-pick return look overwhelming.
Bailey made the risk worth taking. He became an immediate starter, earned four Pro Bowl selections in five seasons with Washington and ultimately built a 15-year Hall of Fame career. His value extended beyond his Washington tenure because the team later used Bailey as the centerpiece of another major trade.
What Chicago Received
The Bears gained volume and several NFL players, most notably linebacker Warrick Holdman. But McNown, the quarterback selected at No. 12, did not become the franchise answer Chicago hoped to find. None of the additional selections developed into a player remotely close to Bailey's level.
The Long-Term Legacy
This trade is a reminder that draft quantity does not automatically beat elite talent. Chicago followed the classic trade-down model and received five opportunities. Washington used one premium pick on a player who became one of the best cornerbacks of his generation.
Final Verdict
The Washington Commanders Win verdict is overwhelming. Chicago won the quantity battle, but Bailey's Hall of Fame career and immediate high-end performance gave Washington the far stronger football return.
Bailey's Hall of Fame Washington career overwhelmed Chicago's five-player return.