New York acquired linebacker Bill Matthews from New England…
New York acquired linebacker Bill Matthews from New England on August 2, 1982 for a draft choice that was ultimately recorded as the Giants' 1983 tenth-round pick, No. 264. Matthews injured his knee during the 1982 preseason and never appeared in a regular-season game for the Giants. New England used No. 264 on tight end James Williams, who was released before the 1983 regular season.
New England Patriots Received
- pick 1983 tenth-round pick (#264- James Williams ; originally described as 1982 eleventh-round compensation)
New York Giants Received
- player Bill Matthews
Trade Analysis
The August 2, 1982 trade is supported by both club media guides and the draft-transaction ledger, but the pick description needs cleanup. Pro Sports Transactions records the Giants acquiring Bill Matthews from New England for what was originally described as a 1982 eleventh-round choice, later changed to a 1983 tenth-round pick. The 1983 Patriots media guide identifies the selection as the Giants' tenth-round choice used on James Williams at No. 264. New England's later all-time trade history likewise ties Williams to the Matthews trade. The canonical asset should therefore be the realized 1983 tenth-round pick, with the earlier eleventh-round description retained only as historical context rather than as a separate asset.
The Giants did not receive regular-season production from Matthews. New York's 1983 media guide says he saw extensive action in the first two 1982 preseason games before suffering a knee injury against Pittsburgh, undergoing arthroscopic surgery and spending the rest of the season on injured reserve. Pro Football Archives records him on Giants injured reserve in 1982 and again in 1983 before his release that September. His NFL regular-season record ends with New England in 1981, so the Giants' side produced no post-trade regular-season games despite acquiring a player who had been a productive Patriots starter the year before.
New England converted the draft asset into James Williams, a Wyoming tight end selected 264th overall in 1983. The Patriots' 1983 media guide explicitly says Williams was chosen with the Giants pick obtained in the Matthews trade. Pro Football Archives shows that New England signed Williams in May 1983 and released him on August 29 before the regular season. Williams later had opportunities with the USFL, Buffalo and the Jets, but he did not appear in an NFL regular-season game for the Patriots. His later transactions therefore do not create realized New England field value from this trade.
With Matthews never appearing in a regular-season game for the Giants and Williams never appearing in one for the Patriots, the hindsight result is effectively even. Matching C- grades reflect that both teams acquired legitimate assets that failed to translate into regular-season production. New England did preserve the value long enough to make a draft selection, but that selection did not make the roster. The legacy New England win is therefore too strong. Confidence is high because the final pick identity, Matthews' Giants injury history and Williams' Patriots release are all documented.