New England acquired linebacker Prescott Burgess from…
New England acquired linebacker Prescott Burgess from Baltimore for a conditional 2010 seventh-round pick. The existing record incorrectly adds a 2009 third-round pick. Burgess was inactive for his only Patriots game and was waived six days after the trade, so the condition was not satisfied and Baltimore received no draft compensation. Burgess soon returned to the Ravens, leaving the transaction effectively without lasting value for either side.
Baltimore Ravens Received
- pick Conditional 2010 7th round pick (not conveyed)
New England Patriots Received
- player Prescott Burgess
Trade Analysis
What the Correct Trade Was
Baltimore traded linebacker Prescott Burgess to New England on September 22, 2009 for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Both teams described the compensation as conditional. The existing record's additional 2009 third-round pick does not belong in this transaction and should be removed.
What New England Received
Burgess joined the Patriots as emergency linebacker depth after injuries affected the position. He was inactive for New England's next game and was waived on September 28, only six days after the trade. He never appeared in a regular-season game for the Patriots. New England later placed him on its practice squad briefly, but there was no meaningful on-field return from the acquisition.
What Baltimore Received
The condition on the seventh-round pick required Burgess to satisfy a playing-time threshold. Baltimore later stated that Burgess did not play in any Patriots games and therefore did not meet the condition. The Ravens received no draft choice. Burgess subsequently returned to Baltimore and appeared in 13 games for the Ravens during the 2009 season.
Why This Trade Still Matters
The correction prevents an enormous false value from entering the evaluation. A third-round pick would make this appear highly consequential; in reality, no draft compensation was conveyed and the player quickly returned to his former organization.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. New England and Baltimore each receive C grades. The Patriots received no game-day production, while the Ravens received no pick. Once the malformed third-round asset is removed, the transaction is essentially a short-lived roster maneuver with no durable winner.