Buffalo acquired Drew Bledsoe from New England for its 2003…
Buffalo acquired Drew Bledsoe from New England for its 2003 first-round pick, giving the Bills an established quarterback after Tom Brady had displaced him. Bledsoe immediately threw for 4,359 yards and reached the Pro Bowl, but Buffalo never made the playoffs during his three seasons. New England later used the acquired No. 14 pick as the key asset in moving up for defensive lineman Ty Warren.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Drew Bledsoe
New England Patriots Received
- pick 2003 1st round pick (14th overall subsequently traded, Michael Haynes)
Trade Analysis
Buffalo's decision made sense in the spring of 2002. Drew Bledsoe was 30, had taken New England to a Super Bowl earlier in his career and had been displaced only because Tom Brady seized the job during the Patriots' 2001 championship run. The Bills lacked a stable quarterback and surrendered a 2003 first-round pick rather than an immediate 2002 selection. Bledsoe rewarded the gamble at first. He threw for 4,359 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2002, made the Pro Bowl and helped Buffalo improve from 3-13 to 8-8.
The longer arc was less impressive. Buffalo slipped to 6-10 in 2003, then went 9-7 in 2004 but again missed the playoffs. Bledsoe's production declined as the offense became more dependent on its defense and running game, and the Bills released him after three seasons to turn the job over to J.P. Losman. Buffalo received credible starting play, including one excellent statistical season, but never converted the acquisition into a postseason appearance.
New England's side became more valuable through another draft-day move. The Bills' pick landed at No. 14 in 2003. The Patriots sent that choice and a sixth-rounder to Chicago to move up one spot for defensive lineman Ty Warren. Warren became a durable starter and important piece of New England's defensive front, including on two Super Bowl championship teams. That downstream result strengthened a deal already made from a position of leverage: the Patriots had Brady and no longer needed Bledsoe's contract.
This is not a lopsided failure for Buffalo. A team searching for competent quarterback play received three seasons of it, and Bledsoe's 2002 performance was legitimately strong. Still, a first-round pick is a steep price for a veteran who produced no playoff appearances and was gone after three years. New England transformed a surplus veteran into premium capital and then into a long-term championship contributor, giving the Patriots the stronger outcome.