New England acquired Derrick Burgess for two 2010 picks: No.…
New England acquired Derrick Burgess for two 2010 picks: No. 85 in the third round and conditional No. 158 in the fifth. Burgess gave the Patriots 16 games, six starts and five sacks in 2009. Oakland converted No. 85 into Kamerion Wimbley and No. 158 into Quentin Groves; the two linebackers combined for 63 Raiders games and 47 starts. That downstream return gives Oakland the stronger result.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 2010 third-round pick (#85 overall; traded to Cleveland for Kamerion Wimbley )
- pick 2010 conditional fifth-round pick (#158 overall; traded to Jacksonville for Quentin Groves )
New England Patriots Received
- player Derrick Burgess
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On August 7, 2009, New England acquired defensive end Derrick Burgess from Oakland. The return was not a generic pair of draft choices: the 2010 ledger resolves the package as third-round pick No. 85 plus a conditional selection that conveyed as fifth-round pick No. 158. Both picks were subsequently traded by Oakland before they were used in the draft.
Oakland Raiders Return
Oakland converted the two selections into veteran linebackers. The Raiders sent No. 85 to Cleveland for Kamerion Wimbley and No. 158 to Jacksonville for Quentin Groves. Wimbley started all 32 games he played for Oakland in 2010 and 2011 and recorded 16 sacks. Groves appeared in 31 games with 15 starts over those same two seasons. Those are concrete downstream outcomes from each acquired pick, without assigning the players later selected at Nos. 85 or 158 to Oakland.
New England Patriots Return
New England got one useful season from Burgess. He played all 16 games in 2009, started six and recorded five sacks with 34 tackles. The Patriots did not receive the Pro Bowl-level edge rusher Burgess had been earlier in Oakland, but five sacks and a full season of availability still represent legitimate rotational production. A C+ reflects that moderate, short-lived contribution.
Value in Hindsight
Oakland's advantage comes from converting both pieces of draft compensation into players who stayed in the lineup. Wimbley alone supplied 32 starts and 16 sacks, while Groves added 31 games and 15 starts. That outweighs one six-start season from Burgess. The exact No. 85 and No. 158 selections make both downstream Oakland transactions traceable.
Final Verdict
Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders Win. The Raiders earn B+ for turning the two picks into two multi-season contributors. New England receives C+ for Burgess' five-sack 2009 season.