Trade History: Patriots Lost Out on Rice, but Used Deals to Build a Modern Dynasty
The New England tandem of owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick have made draft-day trades into an art form. The list of quality players the Patriots has acquired from other teams is too big for a 10-spot list.
Others brought in via trade that has contributed to New England’s 10 Super Bowl appearances and six victories since 2001 include Kevin Faulk and Damien Woody (1999), Corey Dillon (2004), Deion Branch (2006), Matthew Slater (2008), Chandler Jones (2012), Jamie Collins, Logan Ryan and LeGarrette Blount (2013) and Kyle Van Noy (2016). However, none of those moves had more of an impact than the deal that brought Belichick from the Jets in 2000.
Believe it or not, New England actually did make some deals that resulted in quality players finding homes elsewhere. Star linebacker Nick Buoniconti was sent to Miami in 1969 and became a key cog for the Dolphins' “No-Name Defense” that went to three straight Super Bowls.
Several players the Patriots traded away as draft picks became stars for their new teams, including Greg Jennings (2006), Joe Staley (2007), Clay Matthews (2009), Demaryious Thomas (2010), K. J. Wright, and Mark Ingram (2011), Logan Mankins (2014), Vonn Bell (2016), Jimmy Garoppolo and Kenny Golladay (2017) and Kerryon Johnson (2018).
1. April 27, 1982:
Patriots acquired: Two second-round picks in the 1982 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: A second-round pick in 1982
The first of the acquired second-round picks were used on Andre Tippett, a 1981 All-American at Iowa. Tippett went on to become one of the most dominating linebackers in the NFL during the 1980s. Despite missing the entire 1989 season with a shoulder injury, he was a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro. Tippett posted double-digit sacks three times and set franchise records with 18½ in 1984 and 100 overall. He was also the leader of a Patriots defense that reached Super Bowl XX. Tippett retired after the 1993 season, was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008, and currently serves as New England’s Executive Director of Community Affairs. He lost both his mother and stepfather in April due to coronavirus complications. With the final pick in the second round, the Patriots selected Darryl Henley, a former Utah offensive lineman. Henley started every game in 1984 and appeared in 79 games over six seasons with the Patriots, Browns, and Packers before he retired in 1988.
San Francisco gave up an extra pick to move up 12 spots and select William “Bubba” Paris, a former All-American tackle at Michigan. Paris spent the next eight seasons protecting Joe Montana’s blindside and was a part of three 49ers championship teams. He signed with the Colts in 1991, was cut, did not play after he was picked up by the Lions, and retired after the season. He is now a motivational speaker and has eight children, including daughters Courtney and Ashley, who both play in the WNBA.
Assessment: Paris was a solid starter on three title winners, but Tippett made the NFL’s All-1980s Team and was arguably the second-best linebacker in the decade behind Lawrence Taylor. PATRIOTS
2. April 4, 1984:
Patriots acquired: The first overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft
Bengals acquired: Two first-round picks and one 10th-round pick in 1984 and a fifth-rounder in 1985
Teams trading away the first overall pick are rare, but in 1984, it was moved twice. Tampa Bay traded its first-round pick the previous summer to Cincinnati for quarterback Jack Thompson. A month before the draft, the Bengals traded out of the top spot, acquiring four picks in the process. The Patriots selected Irving Fryar, a 1983 All-American wide receiver from Nebraska. Fryar played nine years with New England, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 1985. He was the top weapon for a Patriots team that reached Super Bowl XX that season, and he scored his team’s lone touchdown in a 46-10 loss to the Bears. After leaving New England, Fryar was selected to the Pro Bowl twice each with Miami and Philadelphia, and he ended his career with Washington in 2000. He ranks sixth in Patriots history with 5,726 yards, with a high of 1,014 in 1983. Fryar is also seventh with 38 touchdowns and eighth with 363 receptions. He had legal problems after his career, as he was arrested multiple times for fraud, including a 2015 conviction with his mother for a mortgage scam.
With the 16th pick, the Bengals selected Maryland defensive lineman Pete Koch, who played just one season as a reserve in Cincinnati. He spent three seasons with the Chiefs and one with the Raiders before retiring in 1989. After his career ended, Koch became an actor. The Patriots originally acquired the later first-round pick from the Raiders in exchange for future Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes. The pick was used on Brian Blados, a North Carolina product who played 96 games over seven seasons with the Bengals. The 1984 All-Rookie Team selection started at right tackle in Cincinnati’s Super Bowl XXIII loss to San Francisco. Blados was released by the Bengals in 1991 and signed with the Colts for the rest of the season. He spent the following year with the Buccaneers before retiring. In 1985, Cincinnati selected Mississippi defensive back Lee Davis in the fifth round. Davis spent one season each with the Bengals and Colts before retiring in 1987. The 1984 10th-rounder was used on Syracuse running back Brent Ziegler, who never played in the NFL.
Assessment: Blados was the only one of Cincinnati’s picks that had a remotely productive NFL career. Fryar was a solid player who was selected to a Pro Bowl and scored a touchdown for New England in Super Bowl XX. PATRIOTS
3. April 30, 1985:
Patriots acquired: First-, second- and third-round picks in the 1985 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: First- and third-round picks in 1985
The 1985 Draft had some fireworks at the top. The Bills selected Bruce Smith first overall, then made a trade with the Browns after Bernie Kosar decided to opt-out of the regular draft and into the supplemental draft (which really angered the Vikings and Oilers). Although picks 2-4 were traded, the most influential deal involved the Patriots acquiring an extra second-rounder but dropping 12 spots in the first round. New England used the three picks on Trevor Matich, Ben Thomas, and Audray McMillian. Matich was a center on BYU’s National Championship team in 1984, but injured his ankle in his first professional game and missed the rest of the season. He played 148 games in 12 NFL seasons with five teams, mostly as a long snapper. After his retirement in 1996, Matich went into broadcasting and currently works on ESPN’s college football coverage. Thomas was a former Auburn defensive lineman who played just 19 games with the Patriots and 54 overall in six seasons before he retired in 1991. He had a sack as a reserve in the Super Bowl XX loss to the Bears. McMillian was a University of Houston cornerback who was cut by the Patriots in training camp and signed with the Oilers. He also played with the Vikings and had his best season in 1985. That year, McMillian earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections after posting a league-leading eight interceptions. He retired after the 1993 season.
Wide receiver was a strong position in the 1985 Draft, with future Pro Bowlers Al Toon and Eddie Brown being selected early. However, the 49ers found an all-time great in Jerry Rice, a two-time Division I-AA All-American at Mississippi Valley State. Rice is the NFL’s all-time leader with 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, 197 receiving touchdowns, 23,546 all-purpose yards, and 208 total scores, as well as a league-record 1,848 yards in 1995 (passed by Calvin Johnson in 2012). He was a 13-time Pro Bowler, a 10-time All-Pro, and a three-time champion, including Super Bowl XXIII, when he won the MVP award after posting a game-record 215 yards against the Bengals. After 16 seasons with San Francisco, Rice signed with Oakland and scored a touchdown in the Raiders’ loss to the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He was traded to the Seahawks during the 2004 season and signed with the Broncos the following year, but he retired after failing to make Denver’s final roster. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. The third-round pick, Alabama running back Ricky Moore, was cut by the 49ers. He played one season each with the Bills, Oilers, and Cardinals, totaling 126 rushing yards, 220 receiving yards, and one total touchdown before he retired in 1988.
Assessment: There are very few players who are as recognizable as Rice, and his contributions to the NFL are unmatched. The Patriots blew their chance to create one of the most formidable starting receiver tandems in league history in Rice and Irving Fryar. 49ERS
4. April 21, 1991:
Patriots acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft and a fourth-rounder in 1992
Raiders acquired: A fourth-round pick in 1991
While the 49ers went to seven NFC Championship Games and won three Super Bowls with Rice, the Patriots sustained nearly a decade of losing seasons. New England missed the playoffs eight straight years, punctuated by a 1-15 record in 1990 and a 2014 mark two years later. Unlike the mid-1980s, when Andre Tippett and a solid defense helped the Patriots get to Super Bowl XX, the offense, led by quarterback Drew Bledsoe, running back Curtis Martin, and receiver Terry Glenn, brought the team back to prominence a decade later. The starting tight end was Ben Coates, who attended Livingston College, a small school in North Carolina. Before Rob Gronkowski came along, Coates held all the team’s records at the position. His 50 touchdowns are tied for third in franchise history (with Randy Moss), and he ranks sixth with 490 receptions and seventh with 5,471 yards. The five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro set career highs with 96 catches and 1,174 yards in 1994. Two years later, he had 67 yards and a score in New England’s loss to Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXI. Coates left the Patriots and signed with the Ravens for one final season in 2000. He had three catches in his final game, a Super Bowl XXXV victory over the Giants.
New England traded the 1992 pick to the Cardinals for a second-round selection that was used on Rod Smith, a former Notre Dame cornerback who had three interceptions in three seasons with the Patriots. He was left available for the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft and the Panthers took him with their first pick after the Jaguars selected quarterback Steve Beuerlein first overall. Smith played 102 games in seven seasons with New England, Carolina, and Green Bay, and he retired in 1998.
Ironically enough, the Patriots had the first pick in the 1991 NFL Draft, but traded the pick to Dallas, who wanted to select Raghib “Rocket” Ismail, a dynamic receiver and kick returner at Notre Dame who was an All-American and the Heisman Trophy runner-up (to BYU quarterback Ty Detmer) in 1990. Although he was slated to be the top overall pick, Ismail chose instead to sign with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. Why? Earlier in the year, the team was purchased by Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall, along with hockey great Wayne Gretzky and actor John Candy. The new ownership group gave Ismail a four-year, $18.2 million deal, and the $4.5 million annual salary was the most in professional sports at the time. The contract chased many NFL teams away, but the Raiders selected him in the fourth round.
Ismail became a star in Canada totaling 21 touchdowns, 1,951 yards receiving, 425 rushing, 1,925 on kick returns, 1,216 on punt returns, and 227 on missed field goal returns in two seasons. The Argonauts defeated the Calgary Stampeders in the 1991 Grey Cup, with Ismail earning MVP honors after a dynamic 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. He made his NFL debut in 1993 and amassed 1,357 yards and nine scores receiving, along with 2,334 yards on kickoff returns in three seasons. Oakland traded him to Carolina in 1996, and he helped the Panthers reach the NFC Championship Game in just their second season. After his first 1,000-yard campaign, Ismail signed with the Cowboys as a free agent in 1998 and posted a career-high 1,097 yards in his first year with Dallas. He missed time with a torn ACL in 2000 and a sprained MCL the following year. Ismail also missed the entire 2002 season with a herniated disk in his neck, and retired after the Cowboys released him in early 2003. He is now a motivational speaker in Texas.
Assessment: There are so many what-ifs with this trade. Had Ismail decided to stay in the U. S., I would have been writing instead about New England’s trade with Dallas which saw the Patriots receive three players and two picks for the top overall selection. If he had chosen just to play in Oakland and bypass the CFL entirely, his skills would have probably been on highlight packages every week. Instead, he struggled with the Raiders and had a couple 1,000-yard seasons before injuries forced him to retire. Coates was a five-time Pro Bowler and the second-best tight end in New England’s franchise history. PATRIOTS
5. April 20, 1996:
Patriots acquired: Third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 1996 NFL Draft
Lions acquired: A third-round pick in 1996
New England used its first pick on Tedy Bruschi, a two-time All-American and the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 at the University of Arizona. Bruschi was a reserve for his first three seasons, then saw his production increase when he was inserted into the starting lineup in 1999. He is New England’s all-time leader with 1,074 tackles, including five seasons with 100 or more, and also tops the team list with 17 forced fumbles. The 2004 Pro Bowler was also a member of three Patriots championship teams in a four-year stretch. In 22 playoff games overall, he had 119 tackles, 4½ sacks, and two interceptions. Three days after playing in the Pro Bowl, Bruschi was rushed to the hospital with a defect that left a small hole in his heart. He first thought he would miss the entire 2005 season, but returned in October and played in nine games, earning the Comeback Player of the Year Award in the process. After 13 seasons in New England, Bruschi announced his retirement in 2019. In addition to his club records, he also totaled 30½ sacks and 12 interceptions, with four returned for touchdowns. After he retired, Bruschi formed a foundation to educate others about stroke awareness and ran in the Boston Marathon three times.
The fourth-round pick was Chris Sullivan, a defensive end from Boston College. Sullivan had 79 tackles and three sacks in four seasons with the Patriots before signing with the Steelers in 2000. He returned to New England the following year, but did not play a game in two seasons. Despite being inactive for most contests, Sullivan earned a ring after the Patriots defeated the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He was arrested on multiple drug charges in Massachusetts in 2005. After getting sober, Sullivan and his wife began to travel around the Northeast speaking about alcoholism and addiction. New England selected Tennessee-Chattanooga running back Marrio Grier in the sixth round. He had 180 yards and two touchdowns as a reserve and was on the roster in a Super Bowl XXI loss to the Packers but did not have any carries. After the Patriots released him in the 1998 preseason, Grier spent four years in the Arena Football League as a fullback and linebacker before retiring in 2004.
The Lions gave up two extra picks to move up 10 spots and draft Ryan Stewart, a safety from Georgia Tech. Stewart had 34 tackles in 41 games over five seasons, all with Detroit. After his retirement in 2000, he joined with his brother, Doug, to host a sports talk radio show in Atlanta called “2 Live Stews.”
Assessment: Stewart started only two games in his NFL career, while Bruschi was a key piece for a New England team that went to five Super Bowls and won three. PATRIOTS
6. January 27, 2000:
Patriots acquired: Head coach Bill Belichick, plus a fifth-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft and a seventh-rounder in 2002
Jets acquired: A first-round pick in 2000 along with fourth- and seventh-rounders in 2001
Belichick started his coaching career with the Baltimore Colts, where he was a special assistant to head coach Ted Marchibroda in 1975. Four years later, he joined the New York Giants, and over 12 seasons, he worked his way from special teams coach to linebackers coach to defensive coordinator, a position he held during two Super Bowl victories. Directly after New York’s Super Bowl XXV win, Belichick earned his first head coaching position with the Cleveland Browns in 1991, but he was fired in 1996 after amassing a 36-44 record in five seasons. He rejoined former Giants head coach Bill Parcells with the Patriots in 1996 and moved with him to the Jets, becoming the team’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the next three seasons. Belichick was poised to take over as head coach after Parcells stepped down in 1999, but his time as Jets coach did not even last until his first press conference. He wrote, “I resign as HC of the NYJ” on a piece of paper and announced he was going to be the coach of the Patriots, who had just fired Pete Carroll. The rightfully angry Jets complained, and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue agreed, awarding New York a first-round pick that was worked into this trade.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft also made Belichick the team’s general manager, and New England has enjoyed unprecedented success. In Belichick’s 20 years at the helm, the Patriots have made the playoffs 17 times, reached 13 AFC Championship Games (including eight in a row from 2011-18), and appeared in nine Super Bowls, winning six. The three-time NFL Coach of the Year has a 237-83 regular-season record, and his 273 overall victories are the third-most in league history behind Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318).
Belichick wins big, but unfortunately, his bad times are big as well. New England’s 2007 “Spygate” scandal, in which they were caught videotaping Jets defensive signals, cost Belichick $500,000, and while the team was fined $250,000 and forced to forfeit a first-round pick. The 2014 AFC Championship Game was marred by “Deflategate,” in which quarterback Tom Brady allegedly told a team worker to take some air out of the game balls in order to make them easier to handle. The investigation resulted in the Patriots getting fined $1 million and losing a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-rounder the following year. Brady has suspended four games, a punishment that was fought until it was upheld by the U. S. Court of Appeals. New England earned a $1.1 million fine and loss of a 2021 third-round pick after their in-house television crew filmed the Bengals illegally during the 2019 season (dubbed “Spygate II”).
New England traded both picks and ended up with Arther Love and Owen Pochman in 2001 and Daniel Graham in 2002. Love was a South Carolina State tight end who earned a championship ring with the Patriots for Super Bowl XXXVI, but did not appear in a game with New England (2001-02) or Denver (2003). New England cut Pochman in training camp, but the former BYU kicker missed both field goals and had five punts in two seasons with the Giants. He had 33 points in six games with the 49ers in 2003. Pochman retired the following year and wrote a book about his experiences. Graham had 120 receptions for 1,393 yards and 17 touchdowns in five seasons with the Patriots, and he was a member of back-to-back championship teams in 2003-04. The former 2001 All-American at Colorado played four seasons with the Broncos and one each with the Titans and Saints before he retired in 2013.
The Jets traded the 2000 first-round pick to the 49ers, moving up four spots to select Shaun Ellis, a defensive end from the University of Tennessee. Ellis played his first 11 seasons with New York, totaling 574 tackles and 72½ sacks, which is second in team history behind Mark Gastineau’s 74. After leading the Jets to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009-10, the two-time Pro Bowler signed with the Patriots in 2011. Ellis made two tackles in his final game, a 21-17 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI, and retired in 2012. San Francisco ended up doing fairly well in this trade after drafting Julian Peterson, who was selected to five Pro Bowls and the All-Pro team in 2003.
The 2001 picks became Jamie Henderson (fourth round) and James Reed (seventh round). Henderson was a Georgia cornerback who had 59 tackles and an interception in three years with the Jets. He retired in 2004 after being involved in a motorcycle accident. Reed was a former Iowa State defensive tackle who had six sacks and 190 tackles in five seasons with New York. He signed with Kansas City in 2006 and played 19 games in two years with the Chiefs. Reed signed with the Saints in 2008, but tore his Achilles tendon and missed the entire season before retiring the following year.
Assessment: Ellis was a solid player for more than a decade with the Jets, but Belichick is in the conversation for the greatest all-time head coach. The six-time Super Bowl champion has 237 regular-season victories and has led the most dominant team of the 21st century. PATRIOTS
7. April 26, 2003:
Patriots acquired: A second-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft and a first-rounder in 2004
Ravens acquired: A first-round pick in 2003
The Patriots traded the second-round pick (Michigan tight end Bennie Joppru) to the Texans for two selections that became Eugene Wilson and Dan Klecko. Wilson was an Illinois safety who was a member of the 2003 All-Rookie Team and started in two New England Super Bowl victories. In five seasons with the Patriots, he had 10 interceptions, 254 tackles, and 28 passes defensed. Wilson spent three years with the Texans and retired in 2011. Klecko was the son of former Jets star Joe Klecko, and he was a part of championship teams in his first two seasons. After three years with the Patriots, he signed with the Colts and won a third title with Indianapolis in Super Bowl XLI. Klecko played with the Eagles in 2008, but was released and failed to latch on with the Falcons before retiring in 2010. The 2004 second-rounder was used on defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, who was a member of the University of Miami’s National Championship team in 2001. With the Patriots, Wilfork was a five-time Pro Bowler, a two-time champion, and a 2012 All-Pro during his 11 seasons in New England. He registered 517 tackles and 16 sacks with the Patriots before signing with the Texans in 2015. Wilfork played two seasons with Houston and retired in 2017.
The Ravens had already taken pass rush specialist Terrell Suggs with the 10th pick in 2003 and were looking to shore up their weakest offensive spot, quarterback. The combination of Jeff Blake and Chris Redman went 7-9 the previous year, so Baltimore traded back into the first round to draft Kyle Boller from Cal. Boller started nine games as a rookie and all 16 the following year, when he set career-highs with 2,559 yards and 13 touchdowns. Overall, he had a 20-22 record, 45 touchdowns and 44 interceptions in five seasons with the Ravens. Boller backed up Steve McNair in 2006, when Baltimore went 13-3 and reached the Division Round. McNair retired after the season and Boller split starting duties with 2007 draft pick Joe Flacco. After Boller missed the 2008 season with an injured shoulder, he signed with the Rams for one year and the Raiders for two before retiring in 2012.
Assessment: Wilfork was a key piece on three Super Bowl-winning squads, and both Wilson and Klecko were contributors as well. Baltimore drafted Boller to fix their passing game, but he became just another name in a long line of quarterbacks that forced the Ravens to focus on defense and the running game. PATRIOTS
8. (Part One) March 5, 2007:
Patriots acquired: WR Wes Welker
Dolphins acquired: Second- and seventh-round picks in the 2007 NFL Draft
(Part Two) April 29, 2007:
Patriots acquired: WR Randy Moss
Raiders acquired: A fourth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
Welker was a special teams star at Texas Tech and also became a top receiver for Red Raiders quarterback and future Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. However, he went undrafted and was released after one game with the Chargers. He signed with Miami and became a solid returner and slot receiver during his three years with the Dolphins, starting with an All-Rookie Team selection in 2004. After the trade, Welker became a star. He led the NFL with 112 receptions for the 16-0 Patriots in 2007, and had 11 catches for 107 yards in a loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII. In six years with New England, Welker earned five Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections while topping the 100-catch and 1,000-yard marks five times each. His best season was 2011, when he led the league with 122 catches, posted a career-high 1,569 yards, and added nine scores. Welker is New England’s all-time leader with 672 receptions, and he is also near the top of the franchise lists with 7,459 yards (third) and 37 touchdowns (eighth). He started slowing down after signing with the Broncos in 2013 and, after two years with Denver, he ended his career with St. Louis in 2015. Welker played in three Super Bowls but lost all of them (two Patriots losses to the Giants and a Broncos loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII). He is entering his second season as San Francisco’s wide receivers coach.
Moss had a resurgence in New England, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after posting 98 receptions, 1,493 yards, and a league-high 23 touchdowns with the 16-0 Patriots in 2007. He had a touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, but the Giants ended New England’s bid for a perfect season. Moss combined for 3,904 yards and 50 scores with the Patriots, but he failed to secure a contract extension and was traded back to his original team, the Vikings, in 2010. He lasted just four games before being released and signing with the Titans. After a yearlong retirement, Moss came back and signed with San Francisco, helping the 49ers reach Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Ravens. After his official retirement in 2013, Moss became an analyst for ESPN’s NFL coverage and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Miami used the 2007 second-round pick on Samson Satele, a center who earned two first-team and two second-team All-Western Athletic Conference selections in Hawaii. Despite making the All-Rookie Team and starting every game in Miami, the Dolphins traded him to the Raiders after just two seasons. Satele spent three seasons in Oakland and two with Indianapolis before returning to Miami in 2014. He was released after the season and, despite receiving interest from the Bears and Seahawks, he was not signed and eventually retired. The seventh-round pick was used on Colorado defensive end Abraham Wright, who missed what turned out to be his only NFL season with a knee injury. He retired after a failed tryout with the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions in 2010.
The Raiders only received a fourth-round pick for Moss, and they used it on John Bowie, a former University of Cincinnati cornerback. Bowie appeared in five games on special teams in three seasons and missed all of 2008 with a knee injury. He played for the United Football League’s Hartford Colonials in 2010 and was on the Bengals’ practice squad the next two years. He retired in 2013 after a failed tryout with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Canada.
Assessment: New England made two trades and found two fantastic wide receivers. Welker went from kick returner to slot receiving weapon after leaving the Dolphins. Wright never panned out and Satele, despite being a solid starter, became an NFL journeyman. Moss eventually wore out his welcome in New England, but getting a star receiver from Oakland for a fourth-round pick was a steal. PATRIOTS
9. (Part One) February 28, 2009:
Patriots acquired: A second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft
Chiefs acquired: QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel
(Part Two) April 26, 2009:
Patriots acquired: A seventh-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and a second-rounder in 2010
Jaguars acquired: A third-round pick in 2009
(Part Three) September 6, 2009:
Patriots acquired: A first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
Raiders acquired: DT Richard Seymour
The Patriots used the second-round pick from Kansas City to select Patrick Chung, a two-time All-Pac-10 safety at Oregon. Chung has spent 10 of his 11 pro seasons with New England, posting 719 tackles, 11 interceptions, 54 passes defensed, and 4½ sacks. His only non-Patriots season was 2013, when he played 12 games with the Eagles. The three-time champion is still with New England but is sitting out the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
New England’s trade with Jacksonville brought the team a steal with the 2009 seventh-round pick in the form of Julian Edelman, a wide receiver from Kent State. Much like Welker, Edelman was used primarily as a returner and on special teams in the early part of his career. After Welker signed with the Broncos in 2013, Edelman moved into the starting lineup and became Tom Brady’s go-to receiver on three championship teams. He has had three 1,000-yard seasons and posted 100 or more catches twice. After missing the 2017 season with a torn ACL, Edelman returned the following year to help the Patriots reach Super Bowl LIII, then earned game MVP honors with a 10-catch, 141-yard performance in a 13-3 win over the Rams. He is New England’s top receiver, but may suffer statistically now that Brady is in Tampa Bay. The Patriots traded the 2010 pick to the Raiders (more on this below).
The Patriots used the 2011 first-round pick on Colorado tackle Nate Solder, who was an All-American in 2010 and a member of the NFL’s All-Rookie Team the following year. Despite missing most of the 2015 season with a torn bicep, Solder was a stalwart on Tom Brady’s blindside and, starting 95 games and helping his team win two Super Bowl titles during his seven seasons in New England. He signed a four-year, $62 million deal with the Giants, but he has struggled despite starting all 32 games with New York. Solder opted out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus concerns.
Cassel was a USC product who took over after Tom Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the first game of the 2008 season. Despite an 11-5 record, the Patriots missed the playoffs that year due to a tiebreaker, but Cassel saw his trade value increase dramatically. After the trade, he made his only Pro Bowl in 2010, but was released after the Chiefs brought in Alex Smith in 2013. Cassel spent two years with the Vikings and also played with four other teams before retiring after the 2018 season. Kansas City also received veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel, who won three titles with the Patriots. He earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2007 when he posted a career-high 12½ sacks. Vrabel played two seasons with the Chiefs, registering two sacks in 30 games before retiring in 2011. He jumped from being the Texans’ defensive coordinator to Titans head coach in 2018. Vrabel has an 18-14 record in two seasons and led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.
Jacksonville used their acquired 2009 third-round pick on William & Mary cornerback Derek Cox, who had 12 interceptions, 203 tackles, and 32 passes defensed in four seasons with the Jaguars. He started with the Chargers in 2013, but was released after the season. Over the next two years, he had tryouts with the Vikings, Ravens, and Patriots, but could not latch on and retired in 2015.
New England paid dearly to get another first-rounder in 2011, sending five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro Richard Seymour to Oakland. The 2000 All-American defensive lineman at Georgia became one of the most recognizable players on a Patriots defense that won three titles in the first decade of the 21st century. Seymour played 111 games in eight seasons with New England, amassing 39 sacks, 359 tackles and 29 passes defensed. He initially refused to report to Oakland after the trade, but eventually did and continued his solid play. Seymour earned two more Pro Bowl selections with the Raiders and totaled 18½ sacks in four seasons before retiring in 2013. He now plays professional poker and appeared in the main event of the 2019 World Series of Poker.
Assessment: Chung, Edelman, and Solder were all starters on multiple New England title teams, but surprisingly, none of them have been selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team. Cassel was selected to a Pro Bowl, but he and Vrabel combined for just six seasons in Kansas City. Seymour went to a pair of Pro Bowls and Cox had four solid years with Jacksonville, but none of New England’s trade partners had much playoff success after these moves. PATRIOTS
10. (Part One) April 22, 2010:
Patriots acquired: First- and third-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft
Cowboys acquired: First- and fourth-round picks in 2010
(Part Two) April 23, 2010:
Patriots acquired: A second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
Raiders acquired: Second- and sixth-round picks in 2010
The Patriots have acquired quite a few talented players via trade over the past 20 years and this deal with the Cowboys was no exception. The first-round pick became Devin McCourty, a former Rutgers safety who has made two Pro Bowls and been a part of three championship teams in 10 seasons. He made the All-Rookie Team after registering seven interceptions in 2010, and he has 26 interceptions and 772 tackles in 155 games. McCourty has also made 26 stops in the five Super Bowls he has played in with New England. The third-rounder was Taylor Price, a former Ohio University wide receiver who had just five catches in three seasons with the Patriots and Jaguars.
New England’s trades with Oakland (now Las Vegas) appear several times on this list and their deal in 2010 worked out quite well for the Patriots, who used the pick on Rob Gronkowski, a tight end from the University of Arizona. “Gronk” was selected to five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams in nine seasons. He had four 1,000-yard campaigns and led the NFL with 17 touchdowns in 2011. After missing part of the 2013 season with a torn ACL and MCL, Gronkowski was named Comeback Player of the Year in 2014. He retired in 2019 as New England’s all-time leader with 79 scores, and he also ranks second in team history with 7,861 yards and fifth with 531 receptions. Gronkowski came out of retirement in 2020 and joined longtime teammate Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. The three-time champion was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019 as the fourth active member along with Brady, Belichick and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
The 2010 first-round pick (24th overall) was traded three times on Draft Day, and all three deals involved some memorable names. Originally, the slot was owned by the Eagles but was traded to the Broncos in a deal that would bring defensive end Brandon Graham to Philadelphia and wide receiver Eric Decker to Denver. The selection was then sent to New England, along with a fourth-rounder that would become tight end, Aaron Hernandez, for a first-round selection that the Broncos used on wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Finally, there is this deal, which saw the Cowboys turn the pick into Dez Bryant, a 2008 All-American at Oklahoma State. Bryant had three 1,000-yards seasons, was a three-time Pro Bowler, and earned All-Pro honors in 2014 when he led the NFL with 16 touchdowns. He is Dallas’ all-time leader with 73 touchdowns, ranks third in team history with 531 receptions, and his fifth with 7,459 yards. The Cowboys released Bryant after eight seasons and he signed with the Saints in November 2018, only to tear his ACL in practice two days later. He had a tryout with the Ravens in 2020, but was not signed and he hasn’t played in the NFL in two years. Dallas traded the fourth-round pick and used the acquired selections on cornerback Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and tackle Sam Young. Owusu-Ansah was a Division II All-American at Indiana (PA) in 2009. He played 15 games with four teams over his four year NFL career and was used primarily as a kick returner. Owusu-Ansah spent three years in Canada and retired after winning the Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. Young played just two games with Dallas in 2010 and 92 overall in 10 seasons. The Raiders are his sixth team after he signed with them in May 2020.
Oakland used the two picks on Lamarr Houston and Travis Goethel. Houston was a linebacker in college at Texas, but moved to defensive end in the NFL. He spent four seasons as a starter with the Raiders, totaling 16½ sacks and 228 tackles. Houston played three full seasons with Chicago and split the 2017 season between the Bears and Texans. After going unsigned for two seasons, he signed a one-day contract with Las Vegas in February 2020 and retired as a Raider. Goethel was a former Arizona State linebacker who was primarily used on special teams. He played just 16 games over two seasons with Oakland before being released and retiring in 2013.
Assessment: New England did very well in trades throughout the 2009 and 2010 drafts, bringing in players who were steals at their draft positions and became major contributors. None of those acquisitions was better than Gronkowski, who became Tom Brady’s favorite target and is the team’s all-time leader in receiving touchdowns. McCourty was also a solid starter who joined “Gronk” on three title teams. Bryant is one of the most decorated receivers in Cowboys history, as evidenced by the fact that Dallas won the trade when it was the only one being considered. However, when both main trades in the 2010 draft are factored in, Gronkowski switches the balance. PATRIOTS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com
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