New England Patriots–Philadelphia Eagles Trade History

New England acquired linebacker Bill Hobbs from Philadelphia for veteran defensive tackle Houston Antwine. Hobbs did not provide a comparable Patriots return and finished the 1972 season with New Orleans, limiting the value New England realized from the exchange. The Patriots still took a reasonable chance on a younger defensive piece, but the outcome supports a C- grade and leaves them on the weaker side.

New England Patriots received 1973 fourth round pick (Philadelphia) from Philadelphia Eagles. New England received Philadelphia's 1973 fourth-round choice, preserving meaningful future draft capital even though the exact downstream player identity is not secure enough to assign here. That realized return supports a B- grade for New England Patriots. The final verdict is New England Patriots Win, based on the regular-season service and draft value each club actually received after the exchange.

New England Patriots received 1974 sixth round pick (#141-Chuck Ramsey), while Philadelphia Eagles received Dennis Wirgowski. New England sent Dennis Wirgowski to Philadelphia for the 1974 sixth-round choice that became No. 141 Chuck Ramsey. The supported history provides enough detail to judge the exchange without overstating uncertain downstream information. New England Patriots earns a C grade, and the overall verdict is Philadelphia Eagles Win.

Philadelphia acquired John Tarver from New England for 1975 fifth-round No. 117 Steve Freeman and 1976 eighth-round No. 217 Rich Sorenson. Tarver's Eagles tenure was brief and low-impact, while New England retained two draft assets and later moved the No. 217 selection in another deal. The Patriots gained a modest flexibility advantage without producing a major windfall.

New England acquired linebacker Steve Zabel from Philadelphia in July 1975 for two 1976 draft picks: fourth-round No. 97 Gene Swick and eighth-round No. 216 Richard LaFargue. No supported 1977 ninth-round choice belongs in the package. Philadelphia received two legitimate selections for a veteran player, giving the Eagles a small value edge despite modest overall outcomes.

New England received the 1978 eighth-round pick used on Terry Falcon. Falcon made the Patriots and appeared in 18 games across 1978 and 1979, but he never started. The pick produced legitimate reserve depth, yet it did not approach the immediate starting and turnover production Philadelphia received from John Sanders.

New England Patriots received Tony Franklin (a), while Philadelphia Eagles received 1985 sixth round pick (#156-Ken Reeves). New England and Philadelphia records confirm the February 22, 1984 Tony Franklin trade for the 1985 sixth-round selection that became No. 156, used on Ken Reeves. That return earns a B grade for New England Patriots, and the overall verdict is Even Trade.

New England Patriots received 2000 7th round pick (212th overall subsequently traded, Tim Rattay) from Philadelphia Eagles, giving up Dietrich Jells. The conditional seventh-round return ultimately became 2000 selection No. 212. The return supports a C+ grade because the value directly tied to this deal fits that mark. The final verdict is New England Patriots Win.

Philadelphia acquired cornerback Ellis Hobbs from New England for picks No. 137 and No. 141. Hobbs started eight games in 2009, returned a kickoff for a touchdown and remained part of the Eagles secondary until a neck injury ended his 2010 season. New England immediately flipped the two fifth-rounders to Baltimore for Rich Ohrnberger and Jake Ingram. The Patriots found some depth, but Hobbs provided the stronger direct contribution.

New England acquired linebacker Tracy White and Philadelphia's 2012 seventh-round pick for a 2012 sixth-rounder. White became a core special-teams contributor, played every game in 2010 and 2011, and even started Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots also reused the seventh-round choice in the earlier Randy Moss trade chain, while Philadelphia's No. 200 selection, Brandon Washington, never played a regular-season game for the Eagles.

Philadelphia and New England swapped adjacent sixth-round picks, with the Eagles moving from No. 194 to No. 193 for linebacker Brian Rolle. Rolle immediately started 13 games as a rookie and recorded 58 tackles across two Philadelphia seasons. Markell Carter, selected one spot later by New England, never appeared in a regular-season NFL game, giving the Eagles a modest but clear win.

Philadelphia sent defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga and a 2014 sixth-round pick to New England for a 2014 fifth-rounder at the trade deadline. Sopoaga played only six regular-season games for the Patriots and was released the following March. The Eagles then used acquired pick No. 169 to trade for Darren Sproles, who became a Pro Bowl returner and major offensive weapon in Philadelphia. That downstream conversion creates a decisive Eagles win.

Philadelphia moved Eric Rowe after one season and recovered a 2018 fourth-round pick for a cornerback who had fallen down the new coaching staff's depth chart. The return was respectable for a player whose Eagles role had evaporated. Rowe's immediate usefulness in New England, though, including seven regular-season starts during a Super Bowl championship season, makes the Patriots the better side in hindsight.

New England sent the 233rd pick in the 2018 draft to Philadelphia for pick No. 250 and a 2019 seventh-rounder. The Patriots received two late lottery tickets and used the 2018 choice on Ryan Izzo, but the Eagles used No. 233 on Jordan Mailata. Mailata's development into a long-term starting left tackle creates an enormous hindsight gap in Philadelphia's favor.

Philadelphia sent veteran defensive end Michael Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round pick to New England for a 2020 fifth-round selection. The Eagles eventually used the fifth-rounder on wide receiver John Hightower, who provided limited NFL production. Philadelphia improved its draft position while moving an older, relatively expensive defender, but the resulting player return remained modest rather than developing into a major long-term asset.

New England Patriots received 2019 5th round pick (163rd overall, Jake Bailey) in the 2019-04-27 exchange with Philadelphia Eagles. Jake Bailey became a Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro punter for New England, giving the Patriots unusually strong realized value from a fifth-round selection. The direct package is the basis for the hindsight grade, with later movement of an acquired selection treated separately. That supports New England Patriots Win.

New England acquired A.J. Brown from Philadelphia for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, adding an established No. 1 receiver to its offense. Brown had topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his four Eagles seasons, including 1,003 in 2025. The Patriots paid a major future asset, but the immediate roster upgrade supports a B+ while Philadelphia receives a C+ for choosing long-term draft value.