Baltimore acquired running back Errict Rhett from Tampa Bay…
Baltimore acquired running back Errict Rhett from Tampa Bay for a 1999 third-round pick. Rhett gave the Ravens two seasons, including 852 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 1999. Tampa Bay did not simply keep the future pick; it later sent the same selection back to Baltimore for a 1998 fourth-rounder. Both clubs extracted usable value, leaving the original exchange close to even.
Baltimore Ravens Received
- player Errict Rhett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 1999 3rd round pick (72nd overall; later traded back to Baltimore)
Trade Analysis
Why Tampa Bay Moved On
Errict Rhett had opened his career with consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons in Tampa Bay, but his role had shrunk sharply by 1997. Baltimore bought low on a proven back, sending the Buccaneers a 1999 third-round pick. The club transaction histories agree on the February 18, 1998 exchange, giving the deal a clean factual foundation before considering what each side actually received.
What Baltimore Got From Rhett
Rhett was a reserve in 1998, rushing 44 times for 180 yards, but his role expanded considerably the next season. In 1999 he started 10 games, carried 236 times for 852 yards and scored five rushing touchdowns. That was credible short-term production for a third-round price. He left Baltimore after the 1999 season, so the Ravens did not secure a long-term answer, but they did get a useful two-year player and a productive starting season.
How Tampa Used the Pick
Tampa Bay’s return requires following the asset rather than simply attaching the eventual No. 72 selection to the Buccaneers. On April 19, 1998, Tampa traded the same future third-round pick back to Baltimore for a 1998 fourth-round choice, No. 104. That means the Buccaneers converted Rhett into movable draft capital and accelerated the value by a year. The original deal therefore cannot be judged only by the player ultimately associated with pick No. 72.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Baltimore receives a B- because Rhett produced a useful 1999 season at a reasonable cost. Tampa Bay also receives a B- because it moved an increasingly expendable back for a third-round asset and then successfully reused that asset. Neither side created enough sustained value to claim a decisive win, but both accomplished a sensible roster objective.