50th anniversary Top 10 biggest trades

During the Broncos’ 50th season, The Gazette is taking a look back at some of the most memorable moments, players, games and plays over the team’s history, counting down a top 10 list every weekend during the season.

10. 1967: QB Steve Tensi from San Diego for first-round picks in 1968 and 1969. A high price for Tensi, who had 45 interceptions and 38 touchdowns in three Broncos seasons.

9. 1972: WR Haven Moses from Buffalo for WR Dwight Harrison. Moses had 44 receiving touchdowns for Denver, and two big ones in the 1977 AFC Championship Game.

8. 1997: OT Tony Jones from Baltimore for second-round pick in 1997. A key component to the Broncos’ championship teams, Jones held Reggie White down for most of Super Bowl XXXII.

7. 1994: Seventh-round pick in 1994 (C Tom Nalen) from N.Y. Giants for WR Arthur Marshall. Marshall had one touchdown over three years with the Giants. Nalen played in five Pro Bowls.

6. 1960: S Goose Gonsoulin from Dallas for FB Jack Spikes. One of Denver’s first stars and a Ring of Fame member, Gonsoulin had 43 interceptions over seven seasons.

5. 1979: Second- (DE Rulon Jones) and fifth-round picks in 1980 and third-round pick in 1981 from Cleveland for DE Lyle Alzado. A contract dispute ended up sending Alzado, an all-NFL pick, out of town. Jones is a second-team member of the Broncos 50th anniversary team.

4. 1993: OT Gary Zimmerman from Minnesota for first- and sixth-round picks in 1994 and second-round pick in 1995. Both of Denver’s Hall of Famers were acquired via trade.

3. 2004: CB Champ Bailey and second-round pick in 2004 from Washington for RB Clinton Portis. Amazing to think this is only the third-biggest trade in team history.

2. 2009: QB Kyle Orton, first- and third-round picks in 2009 and first-round pick in 2010 from Chicago for QB Jay Cutler and fifth-round pick in 2009. Cutler gets traded in prime after making the Pro Bowl, but already has 17 interceptions this season. 

1. 1983: QB John Elway from Baltimore for G Chris Hinton, QB Mark Herrmann and first-round pick in 1984. Biggest trade in team history? Could be the biggest in NFL history.