The year was 1999 and the Philadelphia Eagles held number two pick overall. The Cleveland Browns held the first overall pick and were going to draft quarterback Tim Couch. So the Eagles and head coach Andy Reid seemingly had the option of drafting running back Ricky Williams or quarterback Donovan McNabb. Reid, despite some controversy, drafted McNabb.
But Reid had one more option. He could have traded the second pick of the draft to Mike Ditka, then of the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the Saints' entire draft. Reid said no, and ultimately Ditka made the same deal at the fifth pick in order to draft his man, Ricky Williams. Reid resisted the temptation and in drafting a franchise quarterback, the Eagles had many years success with McNabb leading the way.
Peter King of the MMQB writes that Reid reminded Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt in the hours leading up to the draft of his own situation, essentially encouraging Whistenhunt to take Mariota second overall:
“I was talking to Andy today,’’ Whisenhunt said late Thursday night. “He told me the story about Ditka offering a whole draft for his [Reid’s] pick. I understood what Andy was saying. It certainly helped solidify what I was thinking—that’s for sure.”
Of course, that does not mean that Reid directly foiled a trade.
King takes a look through Chip Kelly, the Eagles, and the Titans in their preparation for the draft, including that Kelly never once offered players for the second pick. It was weeks of talk for Eagles fans, but at the end of the day the Eagles added a fine wide receiver. Check out King's piece entitled, "The Trade that Was Never Going To Happen" here.
