10 biggest trade mistakes for the Denver Broncos in franchise history

6. The Denver Broncos trade for RB Laurence Maroney

The theme of the worst trades in Denver Broncos history will become obvious as we continue to roll along...

Josh McDaniels, everybody.

Josh McDaniels was obsessed with doing things the Patriot way in Denver while he was the team's head coach/GM, and one of his many deals to bring former Patriots to Denver was a fourth-round pick going to the Patriots in exchange for former Patriots first-round pick Laurence Maroney.

There's just one problem: Maroney wasn't any good.

By the time the Patriots were ready to give up on Maroney, it was clear that his time in the NFL was rapidly coming to a close. He was inactive for the Patriots' first game that season and subsequently was traded to Denver on September 14 in that 2010 season. He ended up playing in four games for the Broncos carrying the ball 36 times for just 74 yards (2.1 yards per carry).

What's worse is what that 4th-round pick going back to the Patriots ended up becoming. On the surface, it seems like just a harmless day three pick going to a team in a worthwhile risk for a former first-round running back, but the signs were all there for Maroney and the Broncos ended up picking at the top of every round with the 2nd-worst record in the league.

That 4th-round pick that went to the Patriots was traded by New England to Seattle. That 4th-round pick ended up being the 99th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, which was used to select linebacker KJ Wright.