New England Patriots agreed to send rookie running back…
New England Patriots agreed to send rookie running back Patrick Cobbs to Pittsburgh for a conditional 2007 fifth-round choice. Cobbs was waived by the Steelers roughly a week later, and the condition was not satisfied, so New England received no conveyed pick. With no lasting player or draft return produced by the agreement, the Patriots receive a D in an even low-value result.
New England Patriots Received
- pick conditional 2007 5th round pick (not conveyed)
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- player Patrick Cobbs
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Pittsburgh acquired rookie running back Patrick Cobbs from New England just before the 2006 season. The announced compensation was a conditional 2007 draft choice, with historical Steelers material identifying the potential selection as a fifth-rounder. Cobbs was waived only days later, and the condition was not met, so the fifth-round choice was never conveyed to New England. The final result is therefore much smaller than a normal player-for-pick trade.
New England Patriots Return
New England did not ultimately receive the conditional selection. That sharply limits the Patriots' realized value. The agreement still created a possible return for a player on the roster bubble, which was sensible in the moment, but the trigger never produced an actual draft asset. A D reflects the absence of lasting value rather than a strategic mistake of major consequence.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return
Pittsburgh received a brief look at Cobbs but no regular-season production. The important counterweight is that the Steelers also did not surrender the fifth-round pick once the condition failed. In practical terms, Pittsburgh spent little beyond a short roster opportunity and received little beyond that same evaluation window. That makes a low grade appropriate without treating the transaction as a costly loss.
Value in Hindsight
Conditional trades can look very different after the trigger is resolved. Describing New England as having received a normal fifth-round pick would overstate the transaction and distort both teams' outcomes. Once the non-conveyance is recognized, there is no meaningful value gap: one side did not keep the player, and the other side did not receive the draft choice.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. New England and Pittsburgh each receive a D. The Patriots did not obtain the conditional pick, while the Steelers got no regular-season contribution from Cobbs but also avoided paying the proposed fifth-round cost.