On February 11, 1992, Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf traded a first-round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-string quarterback out of Southern Mississippi almost nobody in Wisconsin had heard of before. That Brett Favre trade was (insert Larry David intonation)…pretty, pretty good.
The Favre acquisition is regarded as one of the greatest trades in franchise history and is in the discussion whenever the best deals in NFL history are discussed. Unfortunately, the Packers also know what life is like on the other end of that conversation.
Almost 18 years earlier at the trading deadline on October 22, 1974, the Packers sent a passel of picks to the Los Angeles Rams for one of the biggest named quarterbacks in the National Football League. John Hadl became a punch line and a symbol of the team’s post-Lombardi, pre-Wolf/Holmgren malaise. Intent on injecting pizzazz into a punchless offense, Packers coach Dan Devine sent five picks spread over two drafts. In a deal that would be unthinkable in the modern NFL, Devine sent his first, second, and third-round choices in 1975 and his first and second-round picks in 1976.
Years later, when Hadl flamed out and the team was devoid of draft help, Packers fans referred to the “Lawrence Welk Trade,” an homage to the legendary bandleader who counted to his orchestra by saying, “Ah One, Ah Two, Ah One, Two, Three…” Devine gave his rationale for the deal. “We still have everything for the 1975 draft but our first and third choices, and that includes two second-round picks,” he said. “The Rams originally wanted players, and we got it down to the draft choices. We have a lot of people on injured reserve, who when healthy will give us an overcompliment of players, so replacing those draft choices is not going to be any problem if and when we want to do it.”
Hadl, a 34-year-old veteran with 13 years of experience, led the Rams to the conference championship game in 1973 but was not exactly tearing up the league at the time of the deal. Two weeks earlier on October 13 at Milwaukee County Stadium, the Packers beat the Rams 17–6, and Hadl completed just 6-of-16 passes for 59 yards and two interceptions. Two days before he became a Packers quarterback, Hadl lost his starting job to James Harris, who led the Rams to a 37–14 victory the San Francisco 49ers.
In the wake of that game, Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom said, “We expect John to be with us for a long time.” Interestingly, it was Rosenbloom who initiated the trade discussions with Devine, bypassing the usual order of letting GM Dan Klosterman or coach Chuck Knox start the talks, which may actually have extended past the 3:00 pm deadline. (Rosenbloom was tight with NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle.) Acquired to replace injured Jerry Tagge and backup Jack Concannon, Hadl was stunned by the deal. “I knew [the Rams] had some irons in the fire, but I thought it would be for next year,” he said. “But I’m ready to play for Green Bay. I just hope I can work out a deal with the Packers and get up there right away. I want to play, but only if the numbers are right.”
As it turns out, the veiled contract threat and Hadl’s abysmal performance in Green Bay wasn’t the worst part of the deal. Bill Tobin, the Packers’ director of pro scouting, had reached an agreement on a deal to acquire Archie Manning from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for two first and two second-round draft picks. Manning was 25 years old and was coming off a rough start against the Denver Broncos (12-for-27, 154 yards). The Saints were prepared to move forward with Bobby Scott in their game October 20 at the Atlanta Falcons. Tobin flew to Georgia, expecting to finalize the deal when the game ended, but fate intervened. Scott injured his knee, and his replacement, a 15th-round draft pick named Larry Cipa, went 1-for-7 in relief. With Scott sidelined for up to a month, the Saints decided they couldn’t deal Manning. Tobin flew back to Green Bay. The next night the Packers lost to Chicago 10–9, and Tagge went 14-for-32 for 140 yards. That prompted Devine to pursue the deal for Hadl.
In 22 games for Green Bay, Hadl, who clearly had lost his fastball due to arm issues, threw nine touchdown passes and 29 interceptions. The Rams used their picks to select defensive tackle Mike Fanning, a solid eight-year pro; defensive back Monte Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowl player; center Geoff Reece; defensive back Pat Thomas, another two-time Pro Bowl player; and through another deal, safety Nolan Cromwell, a four-time Pro Bowl pick who ended up coaching the Packers special teams under Mike Holmgren.
There are plenty of contestants for worst trade in NFL history. The Minnesota Vikings mortgaged their future to get Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys, and the Washington Redskins sent three first-round picks and a second to the St. Louis Rams for the rights to Robert Griffin III. But the Hadl trade looms large in Green Bay as one of the worst deals in team history.