Pittsburgh Steelers–Tampa Bay Buccaneers Trade History

Pittsburgh Steelers received 1978 tenth round pick (#276-Tom Jurich) and 1978 eleventh round pick (#279-Nat Terry) from Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1978-05-03 exchange. Tampa Bay released Ernie Holmes before the 1978 regular season, while Nat Terry appeared in six Steelers games and returned punts; Tom Jurich never played for Pittsburgh. Measured by what Pittsburgh Steelers actually realized after the deal, the return supports a C+ grade and represents the stronger realized return. The overall judgment is Pittsburgh Steelers Win.

Pittsburgh traded veteran defensive lineman Steve Furness to Tampa Bay on August 18, 1981 for an undisclosed future draft choice. Contemporary UPI transaction reports and Steelers history confirm the move. Tampa Bay released Furness before the regular season, and no exercised downstream Pittsburgh selection is identified in the reviewed record, leaving the deal with no realized regular-season return on either side.

Pittsburgh Steelers received Ray Snell, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers received Steve Courson. Tampa Bay acquired guard Steve Courson, who played all 30 games across the 1984 and 1985 seasons for the Buccaneers. Pittsburgh received Ray Snell, who appeared in 18 games with six starts before leaving the club, giving Tampa Bay the stronger realized veteran return. That outcome supports a C+ grade for Pittsburgh Steelers, a B for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers Win verdict.

Pittsburgh Steelers received 1987 sixth round pick (#141-Tim Johnson) from Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The acquired sixth-round choice became Tim Johnson, who started 26 games in 1988 and 1989 and recorded 8.5 sacks across those two seasons. That realized return supports a B grade for Pittsburgh Steelers. The final verdict is Pittsburgh Steelers Win, based on the regular-season service and draft value each club actually received after the exchange.

Pittsburgh traded safety Rick Woods to Tampa Bay on September 1, 1987 for the Buccaneers' 1988 tenth-round selection. The pick became No. 252, John Jackson. Tampa Bay received immediate secondary depth, while Pittsburgh converted Woods into a later selection that produced a long-term offensive lineman. That durable return gives the Steelers a clear advantage from a modest-cost transaction.

Pittsburgh traded center Sean Mahan to Tampa Bay on September 2, 2008 for the Buccaneers' 2009 seventh-round pick, No. 226. Tampa Bay used Mahan as interior-line depth for 21 regular-season games and four starts across 2008 and 2009. Pittsburgh used No. 226 on center A.Q. Shipley, but Shipley was waived before the 2009 regular season and never appeared in a regular-season game for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh Steelers received Byron Leftwich. Pittsburgh reacquired Byron Leftwich as experienced quarterback depth. He served a useful reserve role, but the move was not designed to produce a long-term starting return. Compared with Tampa Bay Buccaneers's return, the result supports a C+ grade and fits the Even Trade verdict.

Pittsburgh sent Jerald Hawkins and a 2021 seventh-round pick to Tampa Bay for a 2021 sixth-round pick. The selections became Quincy Roche at No. 216 for Pittsburgh and Chris Wilcox at No. 251 for Tampa Bay. None of the principal returns produced enough sustained value to create meaningful separation, leaving the deal close to even.