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Trade Master

Andrew: Trading is absolutely necessary in building a championship caliber team. Why? Because your opponents are trading and stocking their rosters with more talented starters. You have to keep up if you want to compete. Sure it's risky, but if you establish good negotiating relationships with other GMs, it actually becomes quite simple.

I personally have about 5 or 6 GMs that I regularly trade with. Our negotiations are always short and simple. We each admit a need and we try and make the deal help out the needs of each team. No real secrets there. Just straight forward fair business transaction.

Now - not EVERY trade works out that way. There are several times when a trade involves a GM who perceives himself to be in a position of DIRE need, willing to do ANYTHING to get the deal done. Well sir, whoever deals with that GM will get a huge reward. I have been on both sides of that scenario. It really does benefit both sides, but on paper it always looks lopsided. But for the GM in dire need, he possibly would have gone over the cap, or not have a crucial starter. He is just glad he got the situation resolved.

Then of course, how could I not mention what we all have come to call the RAPE TRADE. Just about every GM in this league has been on the wrong side of this type of trade. Normally this only happens to newbies. Veteran GMs fly in circles around the innocent prey, moving in trying to pry away first round lottery selections in return for aging has-beens. Some have asked us regulate this from happening, even trying to outlaw it. But I see it as a valuable lesson for the new GM. No GM ever makes this mistake twice.

I doubt there has ever been a team that has won a championship without trading at some point during their rebuilding process. It is almost necessary. Some GMs are very good at it, some are more conservative, and some can get well, quite careless! Every few seasons we witness a blockbuster deal with a player being dealt a package of first round selections. The legendary Bing Bennett was traded four times near the end of his career. Each of our distinguished panel of GMs have been involved in several huge deals. Here is their insights on trading in the USAFL:

Bill: My favorite trade was one I made with New Orleans, when it still existed. We did a pretty straight player swap, and then I asked whether he wanted to swap #1 picks the next year, as a challenge - if his team was better, he'd benefit, and if mine was, I would. I think New Orleans went 1-13 the next year, I went 10-4, and I got Darren Zordich, who eventually became the 22 million dollar man.

Todd: Andrew will have to help me with this one as being able to recall the exact details would make my explanation much clearer, but pulled off what I recall was referred to as the Maurer Special (?), a 3 part trade that resulted in Buffalo trading several players to get some key personnel/picks, and continuing to deal until the players dealt in the original deal returned to Buffalo. 

Fred: Awesome trade: When I got Giles Siragusa from Flip for close to nothing (and damn I heard about it for a while). Bad trade: The 3 1sts I sent to Todd for a bunch of underachievers. Not that the trade was bad on paper. It was a good one for both. But see where BUF is compared to what I've won since then (nothing). Bad trade 2: When I dumped the best QB (Ethan Holt) *AND* a 2nd rounder to Todd for LB Clyde Van Dyne who really sucked and was good at it. I had no choice though as I was busting cap. Of course, Holt won the SB that year.

Ben: Raked over the coals = trade with Aaron Streepy for the #1 overall which turned out to be a huge bust / Awesome trade = plenty. I think I've pulled off more trades in the past 15 or so seasons than anyone has in that time frame.

Tom: God, I love trading, when I can actually sit and dedicate time to it. It seems like the two times I did the most trading were when I won my two titles. 2013 was the most interesting, though, because I ended up going in several different directions at once, getting players I didn't even need just because I could...

I started off by picking up a first that season for a very good and cheap defensive lineman. Switching to the 3-4 defense, I didn't need two defensive tackles, so I ended up sending one away. Then I ended up talking to several teams about possible running backs they were looking to dump. I had tried running with a back without much endurance the season before, and failed miserably. So, I ended up talking to both the Giants and Tampa about older running backs. Tampa started balking about trades and talks were going nowhere, so I did the deal to get the running back from the Giants. Less than 30 minutes later, I ended up getting the running back from Tampa that I wanted (former MVP Giles Siragusa), so I was stuck with a 11th year running back who wasn't going to start for me. I ended up cutting him. Somewhere in between that, I picked up a younger, more powerful (but slower) running back from Kansas City. Now, an hour before I started I didn't have a starting running back. I now had three. Finishing that off with picking up a veteran receiver and a veteran defensive back from Philadelphia for picks, my run to the Super Bowl was complete...and for some reason, actually worked.

Joe: I always felt I made good trades. There were some where I felt I could've gotten a bit more, but I never really felt like I got a
hosing.

Jean: Even if I gave a lot in that deal, the turning point of my franchise was when I got OL Brett Holder/TE Curtis Dickenson from KC


TEN sends:
LB Al Minister, 3, 1.000
OL Vinnie Jones, 2, 1.000
OL Ingram Ream, 5, 1.000
TEN 2015 2nd

KC sends:
OL Brett Holder, 5, 1.000
TE Curtis Dickenson, 5, 1.000
KC 2015 3rd

Flip: All my trades are awesome!!!

Mike: OK, I will tell it all now. I have never had that AWESOME trade. I just cannot seem to pull it off. I did however have the queen mother of bad ones though. I won't say who took advantage of a young leaguer but, He had a player by the name of Bing Bennett. Bing was the the Greatest (sorry Garritt) DE ever! There came a email one day that announced that Bing might be available to trade. After getting led down the horse trail I gave up 4, YES 4 first round picks for him. Say Andrew who owned Bing at the time?

For even more historical data, visit the USAFL History Page to view tons of stats from earlier versions of the USAFL. This page can always be accessed through the USAFL FAQ.