I didn't say draft picks were no good. I said trading players for draft picks is no guarantee of anything. Most of the real guns you just mentioned were straight picks. They didn't have to sacrifice anything to get them. And their lies the problem. Once you have to sacrifice something, you'd better make sure that what you are getting turns out better than the player sacrificed.
Fair point, but I suppose what I'm getting at is that they have gotten decent deals considering the circumstances (deals for players that didn't want to stay at their clubs).
Barring Troy Menzel all of Carlton's departures wanted to leave - Bell, Yarran and Henderson (all of which would get a game at RFC IMO). They traded out picks 20 (decent), 41 (dud), 77 (dud) and 95 (dud).
In exchange they got Sam Kerridge, Andrew Phillips, Lachie Plowman, Jed Lamb, Liam Sumner - five players with upside or potential, and picks 8 (good), 11 (good), 19 (decent) and 60 (dud).
Dangerfield wanted out of Adelaide, and Kerridge wasn't best 22 for most of the year in a well-performed side. Adelaide also traded picks 32 (probably dud), 53 (dud) and 2016 2nd rounder (probably good/decent).
And in exchange got Menzel, Hampton, Seedsman and Gore, as well as pick 9. Good players with upside and potential again, as well as a top pick.
Melbourne lost Howe (overrated IMO), Fitzpatrick (meh) and Toumpas (meh), as well as picks 6, 25, 64 and 2016 first rounder.
In exchange for Kennedy, Melksham, Bugg and picks 3, 7, 50 and 94.
Compare this to RFC who traded a dud pick for a bloke not getting a game and a more dud pick, and two 2nd round picks for Yarran. It was safe trading, generally uninvolved and uninspiring. Townsend could be the next Miles or the next Arnot. Yarran could be an A-grade player or a C-grade player. Just wish our club was a bit more daring sometimes...