San Francisco moved up two spots in the second round on April…
San Francisco moved up two spots in the second round on April 19, 1997, sending Philadelphia picks No. 57, No. 190 and No. 227 for No. 55. The 49ers selected Notre Dame fullback Marc Edwards. Edwards played 31 regular-season games with 11 starts over two San Francisco seasons, rushing for 111 yards and one touchdown while catching 28 passes for 266 yards and two scores. He became a useful starting fullback in 1998 before leaving for Cleveland.
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick 1997 second round pick (#57- James Darling )
- pick 1997 sixth round pick (#190- Antwuan Wyatt )
- pick 1997 seventh round pick (#227- DeAuntae Brown )
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 1997 second round pick (#55- Marc Edwards )
Trade Analysis
The legacy row contained a major asset error. Philadelphia's own media guide, a contemporary Los Angeles Times draft ledger and Pro Sports Transactions all agree that the Eagles sent pick No. 55 to San Francisco on April 19, 1997 and received picks No. 57, No. 190 and No. 227. San Francisco used No. 55 on Notre Dame fullback Marc Edwards. Philadelphia used the three incoming selections on linebacker James Darling, wide receiver Antwuan Wyatt and defensive back DeAuntae Brown. The No. 66 Ronde Barber linkage in the old row comes from an inaccurate secondary transaction mapping and is contradicted by the contemporaneous draft record; Barber was Tampa Bay's own No. 66 selection and was not the asset San Francisco received in this exchange.
Edwards gave the 49ers two useful seasons. NFL records show 15 games and one start as a rookie in 1997, followed by all 16 games and 10 starts in 1998. Across those two San Francisco seasons he carried 27 times for 111 yards and one touchdown and caught 28 passes for 266 yards and two scores. His value as a fullback also included blocking work that does not appear in basic offensive totals. Edwards left after the 1998 season and continued a long NFL career with Cleveland, New England, Jacksonville and Chicago, but only the two 49ers seasons belong to San Francisco's return from this trade.
Darling supplied the strongest Philadelphia value. NFL career records credit him with 16 games and six starts in 1997, 12 games and eight starts in 1998, 15 games and 10 starts in 1999, and all 16 games without a start in 2000. That totals 59 Eagles regular-season games and 24 starts. Across those seasons he recorded 146 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defended and one interception. Darling later played for the Jets and Cardinals, but his four-year Philadelphia tenure alone gave the Eagles more sustained defensive contribution than Edwards gave San Francisco.
The two late-round additions produced little extra value. Wyatt appeared in one regular-season game for Philadelphia in 1997 and handled two kick returns plus two punt returns. Brown also appeared in one 1997 Eagles game without a start and recorded two tackles. Neither became a multi-season Philadelphia contributor. Their limited outcomes keep the trade from being a landslide even though the Eagles received three selections.
The hindsight edge belongs to Philadelphia. San Francisco successfully moved up for a fullback who played 31 games and started 11 over two seasons, so the transaction was not a failed trade-up. The Eagles, however, moved down only two spots and still found a linebacker who gave them four seasons, 59 games and 24 starts, with the two additional late picks providing small bonus value. A B+ for Philadelphia and B- for San Francisco reflects the longer and more substantial team contribution on the Eagles' side while still crediting Edwards as a legitimate short-term starter.