Buffalo traded defensive tackle Jerry Patton to Philadelphia…
Buffalo traded defensive tackle Jerry Patton to Philadelphia on May 29, 1974, for a future second-round selection. The Bills used that choice at No. 42 in the 1975 draft on linebacker Bob Nelson. Patton immediately started all 14 games for the Eagles in 1974, while Nelson later appeared in 25 games for Buffalo before extending his career elsewhere.
Buffalo Bills Received
- pick 1975 second round pick (#42-Bob Nelson)
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- player Jerry Patton
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Buffalo's historical media guide places the Jerry Patton transaction in 1974 and identifies the return as Philadelphia's second-round choice that became linebacker Bob Nelson. Pro Football Archives gives the exact trade date as May 29, 1974, and records Patton with Philadelphia that season. That chronology also explains the misleading June 6, 1975 date: Patton was involved in a separate transaction on that later date after his Eagles season, so it cannot be the Buffalo-to-Philadelphia move.
What Buffalo Received
The Bills used the acquired 1975 second-round selection at No. 42 on Nebraska linebacker Bob Nelson. Nelson did not play as a rookie, but he appeared in 25 games for Buffalo during 1976 and 1977. His broader NFL career reached 72 games and 44 starts, with most of his later starting work coming for the Raiders. Buffalo cannot be credited for those later teams' production, but the pick still yielded two seasons of Bills depth and preserved longer-term player value.
What Philadelphia Received
The Eagles received Patton, an experienced defensive tackle who had started 27 games for Buffalo over the previous two seasons. He stepped directly into Philadelphia's lineup and started all 14 games in 1974, adding an interception and a fumble recovery. His Eagles tenure was short, however. Historical transaction records show another move on June 6, 1975, and he did not provide Philadelphia with the multi-season value that a second-round selection can offer.
How the Value Aged
Philadelphia clearly received useful immediate value, so this was not a one-sided exchange. Patton filled a starting defensive role for a full season. Buffalo, though, converted him into a premium future pick and received two seasons from Nelson before his career continued elsewhere. The current B- for Buffalo and C- for Philadelphia reflects that modest long-term advantage without discounting Patton's 1974 contribution.
Final Verdict
Buffalo Bills Win remains appropriate. The corrected May 29, 1974 date separates this trade from Patton's later 1975 transaction, and the documented second-round return gave Buffalo the stronger lasting asset while Philadelphia still received a productive starting season.