Tampa Bay traded quarterback Craig Erickson to Indianapolis…
Tampa Bay traded quarterback Craig Erickson to Indianapolis on April 27, 1995 for the Colts’ 1996 first-round pick. Erickson played only six games and made three starts for Indianapolis before moving on. The future pick landed at No. 22, where Tampa Bay selected defensive lineman Marcus Jones. Jones spent seven seasons with the Buccaneers and posted 13 sacks in 2000. Turning a short-term quarterback into a first-round starter gave Tampa Bay the clear advantage.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Craig Erickson
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 1996 1st round pick (22nd overall, Marcus Jones)
Trade Analysis
Indianapolis was searching for quarterback stability when it acquired Craig Erickson in April 1995. Erickson had started extensively for Tampa Bay and was only 25, so there was a plausible case that he could become more than a short-term solution. The Colts paid with their 1996 first-round pick, accepting the risk that the future selection could become valuable if the season went poorly.
The gamble did not work. Erickson appeared in only six games for Indianapolis and made three starts. Jim Harbaugh emerged as the Colts’ primary quarterback during the 1995 season, leading the team on its memorable run to the AFC Championship Game. Erickson quickly became expendable, leaving Indianapolis with almost no lasting return for a first-round asset.
Tampa Bay’s payoff arrived one year later when the Colts’ selection became No. 22 overall. The Buccaneers used it on North Carolina defensive lineman Marcus Jones. Jones was not a star throughout his career, but he gave Tampa Bay seven seasons, appeared in 85 games, started 39, and recorded 24 sacks. His peak came in 2000, when he produced 13 sacks for one of the league’s best defenses.
This trade is a strong example of why future first-round picks carry major upside. Tampa Bay moved a quarterback it no longer needed and received a premium draft asset with no requirement to replace Erickson immediately. Indianapolis got only a handful of games before the player was displaced. Jones’ solid career makes the result even stronger, but the Buccaneers likely would have won the value equation even with a more ordinary first-round outcome. A veteran quarterback with little Colts impact simply did not justify the price.