Kansas City acquired future Hall of Fame tackle Willie Roaf…
Kansas City acquired future Hall of Fame tackle Willie Roaf from New Orleans in March 2002 for a 2003 third-round pick. Roaf became a centerpiece of one of the NFL’s best offensive lines, earning four straight Pro Bowl selections with the Chiefs and multiple All-Pro honors. New Orleans did receive meaningful third-round capital and later used that asset in another transaction, so its return was not worthless. Kansas City nevertheless landed transformational value.
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player Willie Roaf
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 2003 3rd round pick (78th overall subsequently traded, Wade Smith )
Trade Analysis
Why Kansas City Pursued Roaf
The Chiefs were building an offense around a powerful line and needed an elite left tackle to complete it. Willie Roaf had already established himself as one of the league’s premier linemen in New Orleans, but injuries and a changing relationship with the Saints opened the door to a trade. Kansas City paid a 2003 third-round pick, a remarkably manageable price for a player with Roaf’s résumé and remaining ability.
What Roaf Became in Kansas City
Roaf’s Chiefs tenure made the trade an overwhelming football success. He reached the Pro Bowl in all four of his Kansas City seasons and earned major All-Pro recognition while protecting the edge for an offense that became one of the league’s most productive. The Pro Football Hall of Fame specifically credits his impact on a Chiefs line that helped power high-scoring offenses. Kansas City did not receive a short rental; it received four elite seasons from a Hall of Fame tackle.
How New Orleans Used the Return
The Saints’ side should not be graded as if the third-round pick disappeared. The 2003 selection, No. 78, remained meaningful capital and was later included in the transaction that brought safety Tebucky Jones to New Orleans. That does not equal Roaf’s value, but it shows the Saints recovered a legitimate asset they could redeploy. A C+ better reflects that return than an automatic failing grade.
Final Verdict
Kansas City Chiefs Win. Kansas City earns an A+ because a third-round pick produced four Pro Bowl seasons from one of the best tackles of his era and helped shape an elite offensive line. New Orleans receives a C+ for obtaining useful draft capital and later leveraging it in another move. The Saints recovered something tangible, but the Chiefs acquired a Hall of Fame player who remained dominant, creating one of the clearest wins in this wave.