On 1978-07-27, Buffalo Bills received Bob Watts (Robert…

The Exchange

Buffalo acquired linebacker Robert "Bob" Watts from Tampa Bay in July 1978 for an undisclosed future draft choice. Contemporary transaction reporting resolves the consideration more precisely than the earlier "future considerations" label. The round and eventual selected player remain unidentified, so Tampa Bay receives credit for the draft asset without an invented downstream outcome.

Buffalo Bills Return

Buffalo received Watts but did not get meaningful regular-season production from him. His recorded 1978 NFL action came with Oakland rather than Buffalo, leaving the Bills with little traceable football value from the acquisition. A D+ recognizes that Buffalo acquired a legitimate player and may have evaluated him in camp, but the transaction did not produce a useful Bills tenure.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Return

Tampa Bay received an undisclosed future draft choice. The exact selection cannot be graded as though its eventual identity were known, yet a draft pick is a concrete asset and clearly more valuable in hindsight than the Bills' negligible on-field return from Watts. The B- reflects successful asset recovery while remaining conservative about the unresolved round and player.

Value in Hindsight

This trade becomes easier to evaluate once the consideration is stated accurately. It was not an amorphous promise of future help; contemporary reporting identifies a draft choice. At the same time, the evidence does not support filling in the missing round. Tampa Bay therefore wins on the direct asset exchange, not on a reconstructed pick chain.

Final Verdict

The Buccaneers win, B- to D+. Tampa Bay turned Watts into future draft capital, while Buffalo did not receive meaningful regular-season production from the player. The unresolved pick identity caps Tampa Bay's grade, but the documented outcomes create enough separation to move the deal away from the old Even Trade judgment.