Seattle acquired wide receiver Ricky Proehl from Arizona on…
Seattle acquired wide receiver Ricky Proehl from Arizona on April 3, 1995, for a fourth-round selection, No. 106 overall. Proehl gave the Seahawks two seasons of useful veteran receiving depth before continuing a long NFL career elsewhere. The cost was modest Day 3 capital, making Seattle the side that realized the clearer direct football return.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- pick 1995 fourth-round pick (106th overall, Melvin Hayes ; subsequently traded)
Seattle Seahawks Received
- player Ricky Proehl
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Seattle acquired Ricky Proehl from Arizona on April 3, 1995, sending the Cardinals a fourth-round choice in that year’s draft. Seattle’s own transaction history identifies the selection as No. 106 overall. The deal was a straightforward veteran-for-pick swap: the Seahawks wanted experienced receiving depth, while Arizona preferred to convert Proehl into draft capital during its roster reshaping.
Seattle’s Return
Proehl was not a featured receiver in Seattle, but he provided real regular-season value at a low acquisition cost. He appeared in eight games for the Seahawks in 1995 and all sixteen in 1996, producing 309 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the second season. That output gave Seattle a dependable complementary target without requiring a premium draft choice or a long commitment.
Arizona’s Return
Arizona received the 106th selection, giving the organization another movable draft asset. The pick was subsequently involved in later movement, so the Cardinals’ return is better understood as fourth-round flexibility than as one clean player-for-player comparison. A fourth-rounder carries useful expected value, but the downstream result did not create an obvious franchise-changing payoff that would overwhelm Proehl’s actual Seattle contribution.
Value in Hindsight
The trade sits in the middle tier of veteran-for-Day-3 exchanges. Seattle obtained two seasons from a proven receiver and paid a selection that was valuable but not scarce premium capital. Arizona made a defensible roster decision and recovered something meaningful rather than losing the player for nothing, yet the immediate football benefit was clearer on Seattle’s side. The margin is real without being dramatic.
Final Verdict
Seattle Seahawks Win. Seattle earns a B- for turning a fourth-round choice into useful veteran receiving depth over two seasons. Arizona receives a C+ because obtaining the No. 106 selection was sensible but did not produce enough direct value to surpass what Proehl supplied. This was a modest Seattle victory rather than a lopsided transaction.