New England acquired safety Adrian White from Green Bay in…
New England acquired safety Adrian White from Green Bay in April 1993 for a conditional 1994 seventh-round pick. White played five games with four starts for the Patriots, providing short-term defensive help. The exact conditional pick cannot be tied safely to Butler By'not'e because Denver records trace No. 212 to a different Packers trade. With modest value on both sides, an even C/C is most defensible.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 1994 conditional seventh round pick (conditional on White's playing time)
New England Patriots Received
- player Adrian White
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
The Patriots acquired Adrian White from Green Bay on April 26, 1993 for a conditional 1994 seventh-round pick tied to White's playing time. New England's 1993 media guide documents White's move from Green Bay, while his 1993 statistics show five games and four starts. The direct transaction is sound even though the exact eventual selection remains unresolved.
Green Bay Packers Return
Green Bay received a conditional seventh-round choice. The current text tentatively connects that asset to No. 212 Butler By'not'e, but Denver's transaction history says Green Bay sent No. 212 to Denver later in 1993 for guard Doug Widell. That makes the By'not'e attribution unsafe. The Packers still received legitimate conditional draft value, but its exact downstream identity should remain unspecified.
New England Patriots Return
New England received a veteran safety who played five games and started four in 1993. White provided immediate short-term depth but did not become a lasting Patriots contributor. That limited tenure is real football value, yet it is not enough to produce a strong winning grade, especially because the Packers did receive a conditional draft asset in return.
Value in Hindsight
The correct evaluation separates the valid direct trade from the bad downstream guess. White's acquisition is supported, and so is the existence of a conditional seventh. What is not supported is assigning that condition to Butler By'not'e. Once that false detail is removed, the measurable returns are modest on both sides and an even C/C is more responsible than forcing a winner.
Final Verdict
The final call is Even Trade. Green Bay Packers receives a C grade and New England Patriots receives a C grade. The grades weigh the actual football value created after the transaction, the cost paid, the length and quality of each return, and the uncertainty that still exists in the historical evidence. The judgment stays proportional to the size of the move rather than treating a depth transaction or late pick swap like a franchise-changing blockbuster.