Buffalo acquired quarterback Tarvaris Jackson from Seattle in…
Buffalo acquired quarterback Tarvaris Jackson from Seattle in August 2012 for a conditional 2013 selection that settled as the seventh-round pick at No. 214. Jackson never appeared in a regular-season game for Buffalo and was released in June 2013. Seattle later included No. 214 in the Percy Harvin trade, giving the Seahawks clear realized value.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Tarvaris Jackson
Seattle Seahawks Received
- pick 2013 7th round pick (214th overall subsequently traded, Travis Bond )
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Buffalo acquired Tarvaris Jackson from Seattle on August 27, 2012, as veteran quarterback insurance. The compensation was conditional: the pick could rise to a sixth-rounder if Jackson was active for at least six games, otherwise it would remain a seventh. The condition settled at the seventh-round level, giving Seattle the 2013 selection at No. 214.
Buffalo's Return
Jackson never appeared in a regular-season game for the Bills. Buffalo retained him through the 2012 season, re-signed him in February 2013, and then released him in June before training camp. The transaction therefore provided emergency depth but no game-day production. For a team that ultimately surrendered an exercised draft choice, that is a weak realized return even though the original insurance logic was understandable.
Seattle's Return
Seattle received a real draft asset. The No. 214 choice was later included with first- and third-round selections in the March 2013 trade for Percy Harvin, and Minnesota ultimately used No. 214 on Travis Bond. The pick's later movement does not diminish its value to Seattle; it became part of a larger package the Seahawks chose to deploy in another roster-building move.
Value in Hindsight
This trade is clearer than many conditional-pick deals because the condition resolved and the pick conveyed. Buffalo obtained no regular-season snaps from Jackson, while Seattle retained and later spent the selection. Jackson even returned to Seattle in June 2013 after Buffalo released him, underscoring how little lasting value the Bills captured from the acquisition. The seventh-round price was small, but the result was still one-sided.
Final Verdict
Seattle Seahawks Win. Seattle earns a B+ for receiving an exercised seventh-round selection, later using it in another major trade, and eventually bringing Jackson back after Buffalo released him. The Bills receive a D+ because Jackson never played a regular-season snap for them despite costing a draft choice. The low pick value limits the damage, but Seattle clearly realized more from the transaction.