Cincinnati sent linebacker Bill Peterson to New England for a…
Cincinnati sent linebacker Bill Peterson to New England for a future fourth-round pick that became No. 87 in 1974. The Bengals used the slot on Mike Boryla and then converted Boryla's rights into additional future draft capital before he played for Cincinnati. Peterson did not provide New England comparable regular-season value, giving the Bengals the stronger asset-conversion result.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1974 fourth round pick (#87-Mike Boryla)
New England Patriots Received
- player Bill Peterson (a)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Cincinnati's official 1974 draft history identifies Mike Boryla at No. 87 overall as a fourth-round selection acquired from New England in a trade on August 22, 1973. The outgoing player was linebacker Bill Peterson. That club record fixes both the date and the draft slot and makes the basic exchange straightforward: Cincinnati moved a veteran linebacker for future fourth-round capital.
Cincinnati Return
Boryla never became a Bengals quarterback, but that does not make the acquired pick worthless. Cincinnati controlled the No. 87 selection and then moved Boryla's rights to Philadelphia before the 1974 season, receiving additional compensation that included future draft capital. In other words, the Bengals did not simply spend the pick on a player who disappeared; they preserved and redirected the value. The original New England choice therefore remained a useful trade asset even though Boryla's playing career unfolded elsewhere.
New England Return
Peterson did not provide a comparable Patriots return. His career record does not show a meaningful New England regular-season tenure after the exchange. That leaves the Patriots with little direct football value from the veteran they acquired while Cincinnati retained control of a fourth-round asset and was able to turn it into another transaction. The comparison favors Cincinnati without needing to credit every later player outcome from the downstream picks directly to this first trade.
Final Verdict
Cincinnati wins. The Bengals converted Peterson into a fourth-round selection and preserved that value through a subsequent move, while New England received little or no regular-season contribution from Peterson. B+ for Cincinnati and C- for New England reflects a clear asset-management advantage while stopping short of treating the later careers of every downstream selection as if they were direct returns from this transaction.