San Francisco and Baltimore agreed on March 4, 2004 to…
San Francisco and Baltimore agreed on March 4, 2004 to exchange Terrell Owens for Baltimore's 2004 second-round pick, No. 51. The agreement did not survive the Owens contract dispute. A March 16 settlement overturned that deal, returned the second-round pick to Baltimore, and redirected Owens to Philadelphia, so the original 49ers-Ravens exchange produced no lasting transfer.
Baltimore Ravens Received
- other No lasting asset from the March 4 agreement — Terrell Owens was redirected to Philadelphia in the March 16 settlement
San Francisco 49ers Received
- other No lasting asset from the March 4 agreement — Baltimore's No. 51 pick was returned in the March 16 settlement
Trade Analysis
The March 4 Agreement
Baltimore and San Francisco announced a straightforward deal on March 4, 2004: the Ravens would receive Terrell Owens and the 49ers would receive Baltimore's second-round pick, No. 51. Contemporary coverage treated Owens as a Raven, while the NFLPA challenged the handling of his contract and sought to undo the transaction. The dispute centered on whether Owens should have been free to choose another team.
The Dispute Changed the Outcome
The case moved toward a hearing before NFL special master Stephen Burbank. Before a final ruling was issued, the league, union, Ravens, 49ers, Eagles and Owens reached a settlement on March 16. The Washington Post described the original Baltimore deal as overturned, and Pro Football Reference records the second-round pick moving back from San Francisco to Baltimore as part of the settlement.
What Actually Remained
The March 4 exchange therefore did not leave either original party with the listed asset. Baltimore recovered pick No. 51, while San Francisco no longer sent Owens to the Ravens. In the separate March 16 settlement, Owens went to Philadelphia, San Francisco received Brandon Whiting, and Baltimore received a fifth-round pick from Philadelphia in addition to getting its second-rounder back. Those later assets belong to that settlement, not to the original two-team agreement.
Final Verdict
This row should document the March 4 transaction as an overturned agreement rather than grade a player-for-pick swap that did not persist. An Even Trade label with C grades is neutral treatment for a nullified exchange. It does not imply Owens and pick No. 51 had equal value; it reflects that the original 49ers-Ravens deal ultimately left neither side holding the asset it was supposed to acquire.