Minnesota acquired Donovan McNabb from Washington in 2011 for…

Minnesota entered the 2011 season trying to bridge the gap between the end of the Brett Favre era and first-round rookie Christian Ponder. Donovan McNabb offered experience and a track record of winning, so the Vikings sent Washington a 2012 sixth-round pick plus a conditional 2013 sixth-rounder for the veteran quarterback. The condition tied to McNabb's playing time was not reached, leaving the final cost at one sixth-round selection.

The plan unraveled quickly. Minnesota opened 1-5 with McNabb as the starter, and the passing game never found a consistent rhythm. The Vikings turned to Ponder after six starts and eventually granted McNabb his release before the season ended. He never played another regular-season NFL game. For Minnesota, the trade provided neither a successful bridge nor meaningful competitive value.

Washington had already decided to move on after McNabb's difficult 2010 season, so receiving any useful selection was beneficial. The result became exceptional when the sixth-round pick, No. 173 in 2012, was used on running back Alfred Morris. Morris immediately rushed for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie, then followed with two more 1,000-yard seasons. He became a reliable centerpiece of Washington's offense at a remarkably low draft cost.

The comparison is unusually direct even though sixth-round outcomes are inherently unpredictable. Minnesota traded a late pick for a veteran who started six games and was gone within months. Washington converted that same pick into a player who produced more than 4,900 rushing yards across his first four seasons with the franchise.

Minnesota's initial logic was understandable because the team wanted to avoid rushing Ponder onto the field. But the bridge lasted only half a season, and the asset sent away became an exceptional late-round success. Washington wins this trade by a wide margin.