2008 NFL's Better Trades

There weren't many better trades made for the 2008 NFL season, as most teams opted to stand pat or keep the draft choices they selected. Most of the better trades conducted during the offseason or preseason were for marginal players or for players who were considered to be problems.

There were several better trades involving high quality players.

The Atlanta Falcons traded troubled defensive back DeAngelo Hall to the Oakland Raiders for a second-round draft pick. Hall, a former first-round selection from Virginia Tech, had worn out his welcome with the Falcons. He behaved badly, tried to show up coaches and teammates on numerous occasions and was burned often for deep touchdowns. The Raiders are one of the franchises that don't seem to mind a player with a questionable attitude, as long as they produce. It didn't work out for Hall, who was released in midseason, ironically after being torched by his old team in a regular-season blow. This was one of the Atlanta Falcons better trades of all time.

Buffalo made a better trade when it acquired three-time Pro Bowl player Marcus Stroud to anchor its defensive line. Stroud had missed parts of the two previous seasons with injuries and a suspension and was very unhappy in Jacksonville. The former University of Georgia star had been seeking a better trade with a different team. Jacksonville found a buyer in Buffalo, which traded a third-round and fifth-round draft pick for Stroud. It was Buffalo's boldest defensive move and was much needed, since the Bills were almost last in defense against the run.

The New Orleans Saints made a better trade when they acquired linebacker Jonathan Vilma from the New York Jets. The Saints were only required to exchange an undisclosed draft choice to add the veteran middle linebacker to their roster. Vilma had fallen out of favor with Jets coach Eric Mangini and asked permission to negotiate a trade in the off-season. A question mark about whether this merits a better trades tag was the surgery Vilma had in the offseason. Vilma said the surgery on his right knee was to correct a bone defect in his knee. A piece of bone had broken off and was floating around his knee joint, which required surgery. The operation limited Vilma to only seven games.