Cincinnati traded offensive tackle Don Swafford to Tampa Bay…
Cincinnati traded offensive tackle Don Swafford to Tampa Bay on July 24, 1984 and received a future choice that became the 148th overall pick in the 1985 draft. The Bengals used that sixth-round selection on Eric Stokes. Stokes never appeared in a regular-season game for Cincinnati, but the club at least converted a newly signed veteran into a concrete draft asset before the season.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1985 sixth-round pick (#148 Eric Stokes)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- player Don Swafford
Trade Analysis
A Small Summer Trade
Cincinnati signed veteran tackle Don Swafford in January 1984 after his Canadian Football League career and moved him to Tampa Bay on July 24. The Bengals’ historical transaction record says Cincinnati received a future draft choice that was later identified as No. 148 overall in the 1985 draft. That resolves the package to Swafford for a sixth-round selection.
What Tampa Bay Received
Swafford offered size and professional experience, but the move never produced a regular-season return. Pro Football Archives records his trade to Tampa Bay on July 24 and placement on injured reserve on August 27. His career record contains no NFL regular-season games. For the Buccaneers, the transaction therefore became a spent draft asset without corresponding on-field production.
What Cincinnati Received
The Bengals used No. 148 on Northeastern offensive lineman Eric Stokes. Cincinnati’s own draft history identifies the selection as coming from Tampa Bay. Stokes did not play a regular-season game for the Bengals and later logged one NFL game, with New England in 1987. Cincinnati therefore did not turn the pick into a meaningful contributor either.
Why There Is Still a Winner
This is a low-impact trade rather than a hidden franchise changer. The distinction is asset preservation. Cincinnati converted a player who had not yet played for the club into a draft choice and retained another opportunity to add talent. Tampa Bay spent that opportunity on Swafford and received no regular-season snaps in return.
Final Verdict
Cincinnati Bengals Win. Cincinnati earns a C+ because the acquired pick was real but did not become useful Bengals production. Tampa Bay receives a D+ for surrendering the sixth-round choice for a player who never appeared in a regular-season game for the Buccaneers.
Neither Swafford nor Stokes produced regular-season value, leaving the transaction effectively balanced in realized terms.