By Rich Tandler
There is talk that the Redskins could “Ditka” their draft in order to trade up from the sixth pick in the draft to the second to get quarterback Robert Griffin III.
As long as so many fans and analysts are referring to the trade with the Redskins that got Mike Ditka’s Saints the draft rights to Texas running back Ricky Williams, we might as well make sure everyone knows what they are talking about. So here are the details of the 1999 draft day deal.
As soon as the Colts took running back Edgerrin James with the fourth pick, the Redskins went on the clock and the trade that Ditka and Redskins general manager Charley Casserly had worked out went down.
The Saints were drafting 12th in the first round and to get the fifth pick they gave up that pick, their third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-round picks in that draft and first- and third-round picks in the 2000 draft.
It was the entire 1999 draft for the Saints as they already had dealt away their second-round pick.
Williams was a decent back for the Saints as he gained 3,129 yards in three seasons before being traded to Miami.
Ditka was not around to see most of Williams’ performance. The Saints went 3-13 in 1999 and Ditka was fired.
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