The Jets acquired Santonio Holmes for the 155th pick and…
The Jets acquired Santonio Holmes for the 155th pick and received two productive seasons plus major 2010 playoff contributions. Pittsburgh then flipped that same pick to Arizona for cornerback Bryant McFadden and pick No. 195, which became Antonio Brown. Holmes was a worthwhile bargain for New York, but Brown developed into a four-time first-team All-Pro and one of the era's dominant receivers. The downstream value makes Pittsburgh the long-term winner.
New York Jets Received
- player Santonio Holmes
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 2010 5th round pick (155th overall; traded to Arizona for Bryant McFadden and 2010 pick 195, used on Antonio Brown )
Trade Analysis
New York's original decision was easy to understand. Santonio Holmes was only 26, had just posted a 1,248-yard season in Pittsburgh, and carried a Super Bowl MVP on his resume. The Jets gave up only the 155th pick, accepting a four-game suspension to add another playmaker to a roster that had just reached the AFC Championship Game.
Holmes rewarded that gamble at first. In 12 regular-season games in 2010 he caught 52 passes for 746 yards and six touchdowns, then added nine catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns during New York's three-game postseason run. He followed with eight touchdowns in 2011. Injuries and declining production shortened the back half of his Jets tenure, but a fifth-round price for that immediate contribution was still excellent business.
Pittsburgh's side becomes remarkable only after following the pick. The Steelers sent No. 155 to Arizona for cornerback Bryant McFadden and the 195th selection. Pittsburgh used No. 195 on Antonio Brown. Brown became a four-time first-team All-Pro with the Steelers, led the league in receptions twice and receiving yards twice, and produced six consecutive 100-catch seasons from 2013 through 2018. McFadden also returned to start for a 2010 Steelers team that reached the Super Bowl.
It would be misleading to pretend Pittsburgh knew a fifth-round Holmes return would become Brown, but downstream value is still part of what the acquired asset produced. New York earns a B because Holmes materially helped a contender at a tiny acquisition cost. Pittsburgh earns an A+ because the pick became part of a transaction that returned a starter and one of the greatest receivers in franchise history.