Cincinnati traded veteran receiver Chad Johnson to New…
Cincinnati traded veteran receiver Chad Johnson to New England in 2011 for fifth- and sixth-round picks that became Marvin Jones and Cobi Hamilton. Johnson caught only 15 passes for 276 yards and one touchdown in his lone Patriots season before being released. Jones developed into a productive starting receiver for Cincinnati and later enjoyed a long NFL career. The Bengals turned an aging star into a younger impact player and won decisively.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 2012 5th round pick (166th overall, Marvin Jones)
- pick 2013 6th round pick (197th overall, Cobi Hamilton)
New England Patriots Received
- player Chad Johnson
Trade Analysis
By 2011, Chad Johnson had been one of the defining players of the Bengals' modern era, but Cincinnati was transitioning toward a younger offense built around Andy Dalton and A.J. Green. Trading the veteran receiver to New England allowed the Bengals to move forward while recouping draft capital. The Patriots sent a 2012 fifth-round pick and a 2013 sixth-round pick for Johnson.
New England's reasoning was easy to understand. Tom Brady was leading a championship contender, and adding an experienced receiver with a long history of production seemed like a low-cost way to expand the passing game. Instead, Johnson struggled to master the offense and never developed a consistent role. He finished the regular season with only 15 catches for 276 yards and one touchdown. New England reached the Super Bowl, but Johnson remained a peripheral contributor and was released before the next season.
Cincinnati used the 2012 fifth-round selection, No. 166, on Marvin Jones. Jones became a legitimate starting receiver for the Bengals, highlighted by a 10-touchdown season in 2013, and later continued a productive career with Detroit and Jacksonville. The 2013 sixth-rounder became Cobi Hamilton, who did not add comparable value, but the Jones selection alone made the return worthwhile.
The Patriots did not sacrifice premium capital, which limits how harshly the move should be judged. Veteran acquisitions for late-round picks are often reasonable bets for contenders. The problem is that Johnson delivered almost none of the expected impact while Cincinnati converted one of those picks into a younger receiver with several productive seasons ahead of him.
Cincinnati successfully moved an aging star at the right time and found a meaningful replacement with part of the compensation. That combination makes the Bengals the clear winner.