10 biggest trade mistakes for the Denver Broncos in franchise history
- The Russell Wilson trade?
- The worst draft day trade ever?
- Destroying the team from 2009-2010
5. Peyton Hillis traded for Brady Quinn
The Denver Broncos made a very fun selection at the back end of the 2008 NFL Draft when they took the third out of a fascinating trio of runners from Arkansas -- Peyton Hillis.
Considered a fullback coming into the NFL, Hillis shared the backfield at Arkansas with first-round picks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, and together, the three of them were considered one of the best backfields in all of college football. Mike Shanahan's offense was always great for players like Hillis, who could excel as a runner, blocker, and receiver.
In a fun twist of fate, Hillis would actually get to play a good amount of running back in his rookie season when injuries forced him into action during a prime time game against the Cleveland Browns, in which Hillis would actually be the hero for the Broncos.
For five games in that 2008 season, Hillis would play a major role in the Broncos' offense including running for over 100 yards in a late-November win against the Jets. Unfortunately, Hillis would be placed on IR to end the 2008 season and would have to try his hand at impressing the new coaching staff led by Josh McDaniels in 2009.
Spoiler alert: He didn't.
Hillis inexplicably only received 17 touches in Josh McDaniels' first year with the Broncos. He was traded in the 2010 offseason, along with a 5th and 6th-round pick, to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for quarterback Brady Quinn. At the time, the acquisition of Quinn was at least somewhat interesting because he was a first-round pick in 2007 and might have still had something, but Peyton Hillis as a throwaway was inexcusable.
He ended up having a couple of really great seasons for the Browns, racking up over 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 2010 with 13 total touchdowns. He was voted by fans as the Madden cover athlete for the Madden 12 video game. Although he didn't repeat the success he had in 2010, Hillis certainly provided more value in the coming years than Brady Quinn did.