Tampa Bay sent the 41st pick in the 1996 draft to San Diego…
Tampa Bay sent the 41st pick in the 1996 draft to San Diego and received the Chargers’ 1997 first-round selection. San Diego used No. 41 on receiver Bryan Still, while Tampa Bay’s future pick landed at No. 16 and became receiver Reidel Anthony. Neither player became a star, but Anthony produced more as an NFL receiver and the Buccaneers successfully turned a second-rounder into a future first. That asset gain gives Tampa Bay the edge.
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- pick 1996 2nd round pick (41st overall, Bryan Still)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 1997 1st round pick (16th overall, Reidel Anthony)
Trade Analysis
Future-pick trades always depend on where the later selection lands, and this one broke Tampa Bay’s way. The Buccaneers gave San Diego the 41st pick in the 1996 draft. The Chargers used it on Virginia Tech receiver Bryan Still, an explosive college player who also contributed as a returner. Still had moments in the NFL but never became the long-term offensive weapon San Diego hoped to acquire. He finished his career with 83 receptions for 1,181 yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Tampa Bay accepted the delayed payoff and received San Diego’s 1997 first-round pick. The Chargers finished poorly enough for that selection to become No. 16 overall. The Buccaneers used it on Florida receiver Reidel Anthony. Anthony was not a franchise-changing star, but he produced more receiving value than Still: 144 career catches, 1,846 yards and 16 touchdowns. His best season came in 2000, when he caught 36 passes for 708 yards and seven scores for a Tampa Bay team moving toward championship contention.
The larger point is the asset conversion. Tampa Bay exchanged a second-round selection for an unprotected future first and then watched that first land in the middle of Round 1. Even if Anthony’s career did not maximize the opportunity, the Buccaneers won the value proposition before comparing the two receivers. San Diego received a usable player, which keeps the Chargers out of failing territory, but the cost was too high for Still’s eventual production.
Tampa Bay’s patience created the stronger pick and the stronger player outcome. The trade is not a landslide because Anthony himself was only moderately productive, yet the Buccaneers clearly extracted more value from the exchange.