Philadelphia moved from No. 39 to No. 30 in the second round…
Philadelphia moved from No. 39 to No. 30 in the second round and selected cornerback Eric Allen, sending Tampa Bay the 39th and 83rd choices. Allen became a six-time Pro Bowler, first-team All-Pro and eventual Pro Football Hall of Famer, starting 110 games for the Eagles and intercepting 34 passes for Philadelphia. The move up produced a franchise-level defensive star.
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick 1988 second round pick (#30-Eric Allen)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 1988 second round pick (#39, later traded to San Francisco)
- pick 1988 fourth round pick (#83-Robert Goff)
Trade Analysis
Philadelphia paid a modest move-up premium in the second round of the 1988 draft and landed one of the best players in the class. The Eagles sent Nos. 39 and 83 to Tampa Bay for No. 30, where they selected Eric Allen. Allen became a six-time Pro Bowler, earned first-team All-Pro recognition and was eventually elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He started 110 games for Philadelphia and became a central figure in one of the league's strongest defenses.
Tampa Bay's side requires an important distinction. The Buccaneers received the No. 39 selection, but they did not draft Pierce Holt. They traded that choice to San Francisco in another draft-day move and received Nos. 53 and 107, which became Lars Tate and Monte Robbins. The other original Philadelphia pick, No. 83, became Robert "Pig" Goff. Those choices gave Tampa Bay flexibility and multiple chances to add players, so the transaction was not devoid of value.
The problem is the opportunity cost. Allen became a true difference-maker at a premium position and remained highly productive long after the original draft. Tampa Bay's downstream use of the acquired capital produced some roster value, but no player in that chain came close to matching Allen's impact, honors or longevity.
This is therefore an easy Philadelphia win in hindsight. The Eagles identified the player they wanted, moved only nine spots to get him, and secured a Hall of Fame cornerback. Tampa Bay's decision to move down was defensible as a draft-capital strategy, but the actual returns could not keep pace with the elite player Philadelphia selected.