Cincinnati sent running back Doug Dressler to New England for…
Cincinnati sent running back Doug Dressler to New England for a 1976 seventh-round choice used on quarterback Bob Bateman. Dressler’s Patriots stay lasted only five games before his season continued elsewhere, while Bateman did not become a regular-season Bengals contributor. Cincinnati recovered a draft asset and New England received brief veteran depth, but neither side generated lasting value.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1976 seventh round pick (#187-Bob Bateman)
New England Patriots Received
- player Doug Dressler
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Cincinnati traded running back Doug Dressler to New England on September 8, 1975, for a future seventh-round selection. Bengals draft history identifies the acquired choice as No. 187 in the 1976 draft, used on quarterback Bob Bateman. The transaction was a modest veteran-for-late-pick exchange with limited downside for either organization.
What New England Received
Dressler brought NFL experience and had previously handled meaningful rushing work in Cincinnati. His Patriots tenure, however, was brief. He appeared in five games for New England in 1975 before continuing his season with Kansas City. That gave the Patriots some immediate depth, but not the type of multi-season production that would make the surrendered pick look especially cheap.
What Cincinnati Received
The Bengals recovered a draft choice from a player they were willing to move and used it on Bateman. Cincinnati’s own draft history confirms the No. 187 selection came from New England in the Dressler trade. Bateman did not develop into a regular-season NFL contributor for the Bengals, so the theoretical value of converting a veteran into future capital never became meaningful on-field production.
Why the Value Stayed Even
This was a sensible low-cost transaction for both sides. New England tried a veteran back without surrendering premium capital, while Cincinnati created a future selection. The problem is that neither result lasted. Dressler’s Patriots stay was short, and Bateman did not become a Bengals contributor.
Final Verdict
Both teams receive C- grades. Each club made a defensible roster move, but neither side converted it into sustained production. With only brief veteran depth on one side and an unrealized seventh-round prospect on the other, the trade finishes even.