How Darwin Walker Enabled the Texans Steve Slaton and Duane Brown

Welcome to the crazy world of trades.  Just as one pebble can start an avalanche one trade can trigger an explosion of activity.

Darwin Walker, in 2007, was coming off a solid season playing for the Eagles.  He had 36 tackles and 6 sacks in 15 starts.  He added 2 more sacks for the Eagles in their 27-24 NFC Divisional playoff loss to New Orleans.  However, times were changing.  Walker had 2 years left on his contract, but he wanted more paper.  After failed contract negotiations Walker wanted out.  And the Eagles complied.

The Eagles traded Walker and a conditional 2008 draft pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for linebacker Takeo Spikes and journeyman quarterback Kelly Holcomb.  The pick was contingent upon Walker showing up to Bills training camp; Walker never did.  Walker, still wanting his payday, held out of Bills’ camp.  Had the Bills done nothing Walker would have returned to the Eagles, and they would have the Eagles 6th round pick as a parting gift. 

However, the Bills made a different move.  A Chicago defensive tackle, Tank Johnson, had just been cut due to his many legal problems, and Chicago badly needed a defensive tackle.  Buffalo traded Walker’s rights to the Chicago Bears for their 5th round 2008 draft pick.

Enter the Jacksonville Jaguars.  After missing much of the 2007 season, the management in Jacksonville felt that Marcus Stroud had more value in the form of draft picks.  The Jaguars traded Marcus Stroud to Buffalo in exchange for the Bears’ 5th round pick and Buffalo’s 3rd round pick.  Leading up to the 2008 draft many people were worried about the defensive line, but it wasn’t the tackle position they were most worried about; it was defensive end.  Jacksonville traded their 1st, two 3rds (including Buffalo’s), and a 4th round pick in exchange for Baltimore’s 8th pick in the 2008 draft.  Enter Derrick Harvey.

Baltimore, feeling a crunch at the quarterback position, traded back into the 1st round.  They traded the Jaguar’s 1st (26th overall) and the Jaguar’s 3rd (89th) overall to the Houston Texans.  With Houston’s 18th pick the Ravens selected quarterback Joe Flacco.

And the Texans?  They used the Jaguar’s 1st and 3rd round picks to select Offensive Tackle Duane Brown and phenom runningback Steve Slaton in the 3rd.

So there you have it…The NFL version of the Kevin Bacon game.  Darwin Walker’s hold out and trade demands ultimately ended up turning into:

Philadelphia
Takeo Spikes, LB
Kelly Holcomb, QB

Chicago
Darwin Walker, DT

Buffalo
Marcus Stroud, DT
Steve Johnson, WR

Jacksonville
Derrick Harvey, DE
Thomas Williams, LB (from Dallas)
Chauncey Washington, RB (from Dallas)

Baltimore
Joe Flacco, QB
Fabien Washington, CB (from Oakland for Baltimore’s 4th rounder)
Tavares Gooden, LB

Oakland
Arman Shields, WR (from Baltimore’s 4th round pick)

Houston
Duane Brown, LT
Steve Slaton, RB
Dominique Barber, S

Dallas
Orlando Scandrick, CB (from Buffalo through Jacksonville – 5th rounder)

If you feel I've omitted anything, or made any errors, please let me know.  I find chain reactions like this interesting, and thought you all might find it interesting too.