Buffalo Bills–Philadelphia Eagles Trade History

Buffalo Bills received Norman Davis / Norm Davis. Buffalo obtained veteran guard Norman Davis, but the available career history does not show a regular-season Bills contribution after the move. With neither side converting the exchange into durable football value, equal C grades and an Even Trade are the most defensible result. That outcome supports a C grade for Buffalo Bills.

On 1973-07-26, Buffalo Bills received Al Davis (a), while Philadelphia Eagles received undisclosed draft pick (selection not identified). The hindsight verdict is Buffalo Bills Win, with Buffalo Bills graded C+ and Philadelphia Eagles graded C. The evaluation follows the documented consideration and the football value that can be traced from it, while keeping unverified downstream pick identities or conditional outcomes out of the final judgment.

Buffalo Bills received Larry Watkins in the 1973-08-16 exchange with Philadelphia Eagles. Watkins immediately played all fourteen games with nine starts, rushed for 414 yards, added receiving value, scored three total touchdowns, and remained with Buffalo in 1974. Against Philadelphia Eagles's return of Dick Cunningham, that outcome supports a B grade. The transaction is judged Buffalo Bills Win, with the mark tied to the football value that actually followed from the deal.

Buffalo traded defensive tackle Jerry Patton to Philadelphia for the Eagles' 1975 second-round pick, No. 42, which the Bills used on linebacker Bob Nelson. Nelson later gave Buffalo 25 regular-season games across 1976 and 1977. That is meaningful realized value from a pick that had previously been left unidentified, supporting a B-minus grade for Buffalo.

Buffalo traded defensive tackle Jerry Patton to Philadelphia on May 29, 1974, for a future second-round selection. The Bills used that choice at No. 42 in the 1975 draft on linebacker Bob Nelson. Patton immediately started all 14 games for the Eagles in 1974, while Nelson later appeared in 25 games for Buffalo before extending his career elsewhere.

Buffalo Bills received Bill Dunstan. Buffalo acquired Bill Dunstan, who appeared in 14 games for the Bills. That gave Buffalo a usable player return, but his one-season contribution did not create the strongest value in the exchange. Dunstan gave Buffalo a season of service, but Philadelphia's conversion of No. 198 into John Sanders produced the stronger and more durable return. That outcome supports a C+ grade for Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo Bills: Buffalo received the sixth-round selection and used it on Eric Smith. Smith did not provide regular-season value for the Bills, leaving the pick with little realized payoff. The D grade reflects only value tied directly to this transaction, including production or draft value the club itself controlled. Against Philadelphia Eagles, that supported return leads to the final verdict of Philadelphia Eagles Win.

Buffalo acquired Kevin Farrell from Philadelphia for cash consideration in 1978. Buffalo's own media guides confirm the transaction, but no supported Bills regular-season production could be traced to Farrell afterward. With the purchase price unidentified and the player producing no documented Buffalo return, the Bills realized little measurable value from the deal.

Buffalo Bills received Tom Ehlers, Tom Graham from Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo received linebackers Tom Ehlers and Tom Graham. Both supplied only limited value for the Bills in 1978, so the player side of the exchange produced a modest and short-lived return. That outcome supports a C grade for Buffalo Bills. The final verdict is Even Trade, based on the football value the club actually realized from the assets it controlled after the exchange.

Buffalo Bills received 1989 conditional draft pick (selection not identified) from Philadelphia Eagles, while Philadelphia Eagles received Mark Traynowicz in the 1988-08-22 deal. In hindsight, Buffalo Bills's return did not separate far enough from Philadelphia Eagles to justify a higher grade. The final grades are C for Buffalo Bills and C for Philadelphia Eagles, producing a verdict of Even Trade. The rating reflects the documented package, the certainty of the consideration, and the football value that can actually be assigned in hindsight.

Buffalo traded defensive lineman Leon Seals to Philadelphia in 1992 for the 1993 fifth-round pick that became No. 136 Mike Devlin. Seals gave the Eagles veteran depth, while Buffalo converted the deal into an offensive lineman who went on to a substantial NFL career. The Bills receive a modest value edge, though neither side gained a franchise-changing asset.

Buffalo Bills Buffalo obtained Darwin Walker plus the conditional 2008 seventh-round choice that became No. 224 Steve Johnson. Walker never became Buffalo's on-field payoff, but Johnson developed into a long-term starter and a major receiving return from the acquired draft asset. The supported hindsight grade is A-. That mark weighs only value tied directly to this transaction and keeps the result proportional to the deal's cost. Against Philadelphia Eagles, the final verdict is Buffalo Bills Win.

Philadelphia acquired Jason Peters from Buffalo for a 2009 first-round pick, a 2009 fourth-round pick and a conditional 2010 sixth-rounder that ultimately conveyed. Peters made seven Pro Bowls as an Eagle and became one of the defining left tackles of his generation. Buffalo used the first-round selection on nine-year starting center and Pro Bowler Eric Wood, giving both clubs substantial long-term value.

Buffalo acquired Bryce Brown and pick No. 237, which became tackle Seantrel Henderson, while Philadelphia received No. 224, used on Beau Allen, plus a conditional future fourth-rounder. Henderson started 27 games for Buffalo and gave the Bills real value, so this was not a bad return. Philadelphia still comes out ahead because Allen became a useful rotation defender and the Eagles also secured another meaningful draft asset.

Buffalo acquired LeSean McCoy for Kiko Alonso and received the best direct player in the exchange. McCoy spent four seasons with the Bills, topped 1,000 rushing yards twice and made multiple Pro Bowls. Philadelphia got one season from Alonso before packaging him with Byron Maxwell and a first-round pick to move from No. 13 to No. 8 in 2016. That later draft maneuver salvaged meaningful value, but Buffalo still won the original swap.

Philadelphia acquired Ronald Darby for Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick that Buffalo used on Harrison Phillips. Darby returned from an early ankle injury to start seven regular-season games and all three postseason games for the Super Bowl LII champions. Phillips became a useful Bills defensive tackle, while Matthews lasted only one season in Buffalo. The championship contribution gives Philadelphia the stronger result.

Buffalo received Ryan Bates; Philadelphia received Eli Harold. Buffalo acquired Ryan Bates in the preseason swap and developed him into a versatile lineman who eventually started meaningful games and earned a four-year contract. Philadelphia released Eli Harold before he delivered regular-season value for the Eagles. The hindsight grades are B+ for Buffalo Bills and D for Philadelphia Eagles, producing a Buffalo Bills Win verdict.