Pittsburgh traded tight end Bob Adams to New England on May…
Pittsburgh traded tight end Bob Adams to New England on May 16, 1973 for a conditional 1974 seventh- or eighth-round pick tied to Adams' playing time. The condition ultimately resolved to New England's seventh-round pick, No. 165, which Pittsburgh used on tackle Allen Sitterle. Adams gave the Patriots 25 regular-season games and 12 starts over 1973-74, while Sitterle never appeared in an NFL regular-season game.
New England Patriots Received
- player Bob Adams
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 1974 seventh-round pick (#165-Allen Sitterle; originally conditional seventh/eighth based on Adams playing time)
Trade Analysis
The transaction terms can be resolved beyond the legacy row's broad conditional wording. Pro Sports Transactions records Pittsburgh sending Bob Adams to New England on May 16, 1973 for a 1974 seventh- or eighth-round pick depending on Adams' playing time. Pittsburgh's official historical transaction record shows the condition ultimately landed as New England's 1974 seventh-round selection, No. 165, used on Allen Sitterle. That means the conditional language belongs in the transaction history, but the realized compensation should be recorded as the seventh-round pick rather than left unresolved.
New England received meaningful short-term production. Pro Football Reference credits Adams with 12 games and five starts in 1973, catching 14 passes for 197 yards. He followed with 13 games and seven starts in 1974, adding 17 receptions for 244 yards. Across two Patriots seasons, that is 25 regular-season appearances, 12 starts, 31 receptions and 441 receiving yards. Adams was not a major receiving threat, but he provided two years of legitimate tight-end service from a conditional late-round cost.
Pittsburgh used No. 165 on Allen Sitterle of North Carolina State. The Steelers' official draft history and Pro Football Reference both identify Sitterle as the seventh-round selection. Pro Football Archives records that he signed with Pittsburgh in March 1974 and was released in September, and Pro Football Reference shows no NFL regular-season games for him. His later football activity came outside the Steelers' regular-season roster, so Pittsburgh does not receive meaningful on-field value from the acquired pick.
New England therefore wins the trade in hindsight. A B- for the Patriots reflects two seasons of usable tight-end production and 12 starts from a late conditional choice. Pittsburgh receives a D+ because the realized seventh-round asset produced no regular-season Steelers value. The result is not graded more harshly because the original price was modest and Adams' Patriots tenure, while clearly useful, was relatively short.