5 most disappointing trades in Arizona Cardinals history

Trading Aeneas Williams in 2001

Despite being a third-round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, Aeneas Williams wound up starting 15 games at cornerback for the Cardinals during his rookie season.

But after he came up with six interceptions in his first year in the league, it didn’t take long to understand how he emerged as a starter so quickly for Arizona.

Williams spent another nine seasons with the Cardinals, earning six trips to the Pro Bowl and two First-Team All-Pro selections. During his first 10 years in the NFL as a member of Arizona’s roster, the Hall of Fame cornerback intercepted a total of 46 passes and he turned six of them into touchdowns.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals agreed to a trade in 2001 that sent a 33-year-old Williams to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for draft picks in the second and fourth round.

The deal clearly motivated the veteran corner as he went out and had one of the best seasons of his career in 2001 with the Rams. It resulted in the third and final First-Team All-Pro selection of his NFL career, and he helped St. Louis make it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2001 where they fell to the up-and-coming New England Patriots and some quarterback named Tom Brady.

Some Arizona fans rooted for Williams that year to get himself a Super Bowl ring, but it was difficult for them to watch him compete for a championship in a different uniform.

It would’ve been nice to see Williams remain with the Cardinals for his entire career. But during his four seasons with the Rams, he went to the playoffs three times, and Arizona never earned a spot in the postseason.

So at least Williams had the opportunity to compete for a championship during his final few years in the NFL.