New England Patriots–Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trade History

New England received Tampa Bay's 1987 fifth-round pick, No. 116, and selected Tom Gibson. Gibson never played a regular-season game for the Patriots, limiting the realized value of a pick that initially carried the higher round. That asset makes the transaction coherent, but the lack of on-field return leaves New England at D+ in hindsight.

Tampa Bay traded guard Sean Farrell to New England on February 4, 1987 for the Patriots' second-, seventh-, and ninth-round selections. The Buccaneers used those picks on Don Smith, Harry Swayne, and Greg Davis. Farrell then started regularly for New England for three seasons, while Tampa Bay's three-player return produced mixed results. The final value lands close to even.

Tampa Bay acquired New England's fifth-round pick in 1987 and selected linebacker Henry Rolling at No. 135, sending the Patriots a 1988 fourth-round choice. That future pick became No. 87, Tim Goad. Rolling gave Tampa Bay only limited reserve work, while Goad immediately became a Patriots starter and remained a major part of New England's defensive front through 1994.

Tampa Bay acquired offensive lineman Darryl Haley from New England on July 27, 1987 for a 1988 fourth-round pick. Patriots historical material links the return to No. 87, Tim Goad, but another New England source attributes that same slot to a different prior pick exchange, so the exact downstream identity remains disputed. The direct fourth-round compensation is secure, and New England holds a slight value edge.

Tampa Bay acquired veteran receiver Stephen Starring from New England in August 1988 for a 1989 third-round pick. Starring lasted only six games with the Buccaneers and caught three passes for 75 yards before finishing the season in Detroit. New England used the pick, No. 63, on tight end Marv Cook, who became a multi-year starter and an 82-catch receiver in 1991.

New England traded linebacker Jesse Solomon to Tampa Bay on September 18, 1991 for the Buccaneers' 1992 fifth-round pick. The selection became No. 116, which the Patriots used on Dwayne Sabb. Solomon had only recently arrived in New England from Dallas, but that earlier deal was separate. Tampa Bay obtained immediate linebacker help, while New England turned a short stay into a mid-round pick and receives the slight edge.

New England traded picks No. 160 and No. 238 to Tampa Bay for No. 153 and selected Matthew Slater. Slater became one of the greatest special-teams players of his era, spending 16 seasons with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls and earning 10 Pro Bowl selections. Tampa Bay drafted Josh Johnson and Cory Boyd; Johnson became a long-lived NFL backup, but his Buccaneers impact was modest and Boyd never played for Tampa Bay.

New England acquired tight end Alex Smith for a 2010 fifth-round pick, but Smith was released at final cuts and never played a regular-season game for the Patriots. Tampa Bay's pick became No. 153; the Buccaneers packaged it with No. 42 to move to No. 39 for Arrelious Benn. Benn started 24 games and caught 59 passes for 862 yards and five touchdowns for Tampa Bay, giving the Buccaneers the clear edge.

New England acquired Aqib Talib and 2013 pick No. 226 from Tampa Bay for 2013 pick No. 126. Talib immediately upgraded the Patriots' secondary, returned in 2013, made the Pro Bowl and helped New England reach consecutive AFC title games. Tampa Bay used No. 126 on William Gholston, who became a remarkably durable Buccaneers defensive lineman and later a Super Bowl champion. Elite short-term impact versus exceptional longevity makes this even.

New England acquired LeGarrette Blount from Tampa Bay during the 2013 draft for Jeff Demps and seventh-round pick No. 229. Blount became a major contributor across multiple Patriots seasons and playoff runs, including championship teams. The Buccaneers did not receive comparable value from Demps or the pick. New England turned a modest package into substantial production and earns a decisive hindsight win.

Tampa Bay acquired decorated guard Logan Mankins to stabilize a rebuilt offensive line, and Mankins gave the Buccaneers two seasons of durable starting play with two Pro Bowl selections before retiring. New England received tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round pick that became Trey Flowers. Wright scored six touchdowns for the 2014 champions, while Flowers developed into a starting edge defender on two more Super Bowl-winning teams. Both sides benefited, but New England created the stronger long-term return.

Tampa Bay moved down seven spots in the second round, sending No. 56 to New England for Nos. 63 and 117. The Buccaneers selected Carlton Davis and Jordan Whitehead, two defensive starters who later played major roles on the 2020 Super Bowl championship team. New England used No. 56 on Duke Dawson, who never played a regular-season game for the Patriots before being traded to Denver.

Tampa Bay acquired Rob Gronkowski and a seventh-round pick from New England for a fourth-round selection after Gronkowski came out of retirement to reunite with Tom Brady. Gronkowski delivered 1,425 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns over two regular seasons and caught two touchdowns in Tampa Bay's Super Bowl LV victory. New England used the fourth-round asset in a larger trade-up that produced Devin Asiasi and Justin Rohrwasser, neither of whom became a comparable contributor. Tampa Bay won overwhelmingly.

Tampa Bay acquired veteran guard Shaq Mason from New England for the 170th pick in the 2022 draft. Mason started all 17 games for the Buccaneers during Tom Brady's final season and gave them needed stability after Ali Marpet retired. Tampa then traded Mason to Houston in 2023 and moved up from the seventh to the sixth round in the process. One strong starting season for a fifth-rounder makes the Buccaneers the winner.