Tampa Bay moved from No. 19 to No. 17 and spent a sixth-round…
Tampa Bay moved from No. 19 to No. 17 and spent a sixth-round pick to secure quarterback Josh Freeman. Freeman gave the Buccaneers one excellent 2010 season and several years as the starter, but the relationship unraveled by 2013. Cleveland received No. 19 and No. 191, then moved down again and selected seven-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack at No. 21. Mack's sustained elite play makes the Browns the stronger long-term winner.
Cleveland Browns Received
- pick 2009 1st round pick (19th overall; traded to Philadelphia for picks 21 and 195, used on Alex Mack and James Davis; Philadelphia later selected Jeremy Maclin at 19)
- pick 2009 6th round pick (191st overall, Coye Francies )
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- pick 2009 1st round pick (17th overall, Josh Freeman)
Trade Analysis
Tampa Bay's move was driven by the premium placed on quarterbacks. The Buccaneers sent Cleveland the 19th pick and No. 191 to move two spots to No. 17, then selected Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman. Cleveland had acquired No. 17 earlier that day and was willing to keep moving down while adding picks.
Freeman's Tampa career had a real peak. In 2010, his first full season as the starter, he threw for 3,451 yards, 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions while leading the Buccaneers to a 10-6 record. He followed with two more seasons above 3,500 passing yards. The trajectory then reversed sharply, and Tampa Bay released him during the 2013 season after a breakdown in the relationship between quarterback and organization. The Bucs received meaningful starting-quarterback value, but not the long-term answer they hoped to secure.
Cleveland used the trade as one step in a larger draft-day sequence. The Browns received picks 19 and 191 from Tampa Bay, then sent No. 19 to Philadelphia for picks 21 and 195. At No. 21 they selected center Alex Mack, who started every game of his Browns career when healthy, made three Pro Bowls for Cleveland and eventually finished with seven career Pro Bowl selections. Pick 191 became Coye Francies, while No. 195 became James Davis.
Because Mack's selection depended on the subsequent move from 19 to 21, he should not be treated as the sole product of Tampa Bay's sixth-round sweetener. Still, the Buccaneers trade directly preserved Cleveland's first-round position while adding capital that enabled the sequence. Tampa Bay earns a B- for several seasons of starting quarterback play. Cleveland earns an A for turning a small move down into part of a chain that landed an elite long-term center plus extra selections.