Detroit received 1992 pick No. 145 from New England and used…
Detroit received 1992 pick No. 145 from New England and used it on offensive tackle Larry Tharpe, while the Patriots received Nos. 165, 194, 277 and 333. The exact transaction date is not firmly established, so the existing January 1 sentinel date is retained. Tharpe became the most substantial NFL contributor produced by the exchange, giving Detroit the clear hindsight edge.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick 1992 sixth-round pick (No. 145, Larry Tharpe)
New England Patriots Received
- pick 1992 sixth-round pick (No. 165, Tracy Boyd)
- pick 1992 seventh-round pick (No. 194, Jim Gray)
- pick 1992 tenth-round pick (No. 277, Steve Gordon)
- pick 1992 twelfth-round pick (No. 333, Freeman Baysinger)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Detroit acquired the 1992 No. 145 selection from New England and sent four later choices: Nos. 165, 194, 277 and 333. The exact transaction date is not firmly established in the surviving historical material, so the existing January 1 date is best treated as a season-level sentinel rather than a claim about the precise day.
Detroit Lions Return
The Lions used No. 145 on offensive tackle Larry Tharpe. Tharpe developed into a substantial NFL contributor and gave Detroit far more practical playing value than is typical for a sixth-round selection. His career included extensive starting experience, making him the one player from this exchange who clearly separated himself from the rest of the return. Turning one mid-round pick into a durable lineman was a strong outcome.
New England Patriots Return
The Patriots received four selections and spread their chances across Tracy Boyd, Jim Gray, Steve Gordon and Freeman Baysinger. Acquiring four picks for one is an appealing volume strategy, especially in the later rounds. In hindsight, however, none of those players produced a career comparable to Tharpe's. The extra opportunities did not translate into enough combined value to offset the player Detroit selected.
Value in Hindsight
This deal is a useful example of quantity losing to one successful conversion. New England had more chances, but Detroit hit on the most important pick and received years of meaningful line play. The uncertain exact date does not affect the asset package or the football comparison, so there is no need to invent precision that the historical record does not provide.
Final Verdict
Detroit earns a B and New England a C-. The Lions win because Tharpe's sustained NFL contribution clearly exceeded the combined realized value of the Patriots' four later selections.