Green Bay moved up to No. 87 in the 2004 draft for punter…
Green Bay moved up to No. 87 in the 2004 draft for punter B.J. Sander, sending Miami picks No. 102 and No. 153. Sander lasted only one regular season with the Packers. Miami selected Will Poole at No. 102 and later moved No. 153 in the deal that produced Tony Bua and Derrick Pope. Pope became a four-year contributor, giving Miami the clearly stronger aggregate return.
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 2004 3rd round pick (87th overall, B.J. Sander)
Miami Dolphins Received
- pick 2004 4th round pick (102nd overall, Will Poole)
- pick 2004 5th round pick (153rd overall, later traded for picks used on Tony Bua and Derrick Pope)
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Green Bay wanted to secure punter B.J. Sander in the third round of the 2004 draft and traded pick Nos. 102 and 153 to Miami for No. 87. Miami was willing to move down and add another selection, creating two opportunities from a pick that the Packers used on a specialist. The structure made Green Bay's outcome heavily dependent on Sander becoming a long-term answer at punter.
What the Returns Produced
Sander did not play in the regular season as a rookie and handled Green Bay's punting job in 2005. He appeared in 14 games that season, averaging 39.2 yards per punt, and was out of the Packers' long-term plans soon afterward. Miami used No. 102 on cornerback Will Poole, who appeared in 15 games as a rookie but had his career disrupted by injuries. The Dolphins then traded No. 153 to Baltimore for picks No. 160 and No. 222, used on Tony Bua and Derrick Pope.
How the Value Developed
Bua played only seven games for Miami, but Pope became a meaningful later-round hit. He appeared in 55 games for the Dolphins over four seasons, contributed on defense and special teams, and recorded 44 combined tackles as a rookie. None of Miami's pieces became a star, yet the accumulated value clearly exceeded Green Bay's single season from Sander.
Why This Trade Still Matters
The exchange illustrates the risk of spending extra draft capital to move up for a specialist. Green Bay needed Sander to hold the job for years to make the price worthwhile. Miami instead spread the value across multiple chances and received several seasons of useful roster production.
Final Verdict
Miami Dolphins Win is the best fit. Miami earns a B- for turning the trade-down into several contributors, led by Derrick Pope's four-year run, while Green Bay earns a D+ because Sander provided only one regular season of punting value.