New Orleans Saints received 1981 sixth round pick…
New Orleans Saints received 1981 sixth round pick (#144-Johnnie Poe) in the deal with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The sixth-round choice became Johnnie Poe, who spent seven seasons with New Orleans, played 100 games, started 90 and recorded 17 interceptions. That result supports a A for New Orleans Saints. The New Orleans Saints Win verdict weighs the documented service and usable draft value each side actually realized from the exchange.
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 1981 sixth round pick (#144-Johnnie Poe)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- player Tom Blanchard
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1979-08-16, New Orleans Saints received 1981 sixth round pick (#144-Johnnie Poe), while Tampa Bay Buccaneers received Tom Blanchard. The transaction was modest in scale, so the result is best judged by the NFL service, starts, production and draft value that can be tied directly to those assets. The comparison stays proportional to what the deal actually produced rather than inflating a small exchange into a franchise-changing event. New Orleans Saints Return The sixth-round choice became Johnnie Poe, who spent seven seasons with New Orleans, played 100 games, started 90 and recorded 17 interceptions. The A grade reflects the quality and duration of that return for New Orleans Saints. Where a downstream draft identity is uncertain, only the value that can be connected confidently is counted, which keeps the assessment tied to the known result of the transaction. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Return Tom Blanchard gave Tampa Bay three seasons of punting work and appeared in 35 regular-season games from 1979 through 1981. The B grade applies the same standard to Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brief service or a player who never established a regular-season role keeps the return modest, while sustained starts, production or useful draft value raises it when the historical record supports that connection. Value in Hindsight Both clubs received usable assets, but Poe's seven-year defensive-back tenure, 90 starts and 17 interceptions created substantially more durable value than three seasons of punting. Hindsight matters here because the original assets were not equal simply by label; what each club ultimately received on the field or through a clearly connected draft asset determines the separation. The grade spread therefore reflects realized football value, with uncertainty treated as a limit rather than filled in with assumptions. Final Verdict The final call is New Orleans Saints Win. New Orleans Saints receives A, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers receives B. The decision follows the documented contribution attached to the exchanged player or pick, the duration of that contribution and the confidence of the downstream connection. That keeps the verdict appropriately scaled to a minor transaction while still distinguishing a meaningful edge when one side produced more usable value.