Today in Patriots History
Drew Bledsoe traded to Buffalo
April 21, 2002:
Patriots trade QB Drew Bledsoe to Buffalo Bills
Receive 2003 1st round draft pick in exchange
First, some stories leading up to the trade.
Dec 6, 2001:
Conventional NFL wisdom says that you never, ever trade a franchise quarterback—no matter the size of his contract nor the creakiness of his knees....
slate.com
The Bledsoe-Brady controversy is a perfect example of how the introduction of a salary cap has turned NFL conventional wisdom on its head. Indeed, the irony of the situation is that all the Boston talk-radio cranks convinced that Brady is a better quarterback are almost certainly wrong. Sure, the guy has fine mechanics and uncanny poise in the pocket. But despite his torrid start, four teams with solid pass defenses—Buffalo, Denver, Miami, and St. Louis—contained him handily. Brady’s rolled up his biggest numbers against the Colts, whose pass defense would have trouble keeping some 1-AA college teams out of the end zone.
Bledsoe, on the other hand, has about as good a stat sheet as you can compile in nine years of professional play. He made the Pro Bowl in his third year and led the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl in his fourth. In 1995, he became the youngest player ever to throw for 10,000 yards; his current career stats include 136 touchdowns and nearly 30,000 yards. And he’s done all this despite an ever-changing roster of coaches that would make George Steinbrenner blush. Belichick is Bledsoe’s third head coach; the Pats’ current offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis, is his fourth.
So if this were simply about which quarterback has more talent, you’d be a fool to choose Brady. But think about what Bledsoe could fetch if the Patriots, a team with gaping holes all over the place, traded him. In April, the Atlanta Falcons gave up a first-round draft pick and a solid wide receiver-kick returner for Michael Vick. Bledsoe would probably claim an even higher bounty: Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated football Svengali, recently suggested Bledsoe would probably fetch a starter plus two first-round draft picks.
March 19, 2002:
The market is diminishing, and the New England Patriots asking price to acquire quarterback Drew Bledsoe is not, so on Tuesday coach Bill Belichick for the first time suggested an alternative for the nine-year veteran and former starter.
www.espn.com
Some personnel directors have said that, in a shrinking market, the Patriots could have a difficult time completing a market value trade. Others contend that, because Bledsoe has indicated he won't return as the backup to Brady again, the Pats will be forced to eventually release him.
"I just don't think anyone has made them a firm offer," Donahoe said.
A few hours earlier, Belichick said the Patriots won't just give Bledsoe away. High-ranking Patriots team officials told ESPN.com earlier this week that releasing Bledsoe would be a last resort, an option the club has yet to even discuss internally. Team officials feel the market for Bledsoe will pick up just before the draft next month, but others doubt that will be the case.
"All I know is we're not going to be 'taken' on this," said one Patriots official. "We're not going to cave and just give (Bledsoe) away."
March 21, 2002:
Update: Bledsoe creating plenty of interest -- Patriots.com
After several days of deafening silence on the Drew Bledsoe trade front, reports from the annual NFL owner's meetings indicate there is much more interest in the Patriots quarterback than was previously believed.
According to a piece in Thursday's Boston Herald, several teams have interest in acquiring Bledsoe's services. In fact, the report quoted coaches from around the league and all were in agreement that the only stumbling block in any potential deal would be salary cap implications.
The flurry of activity concerning Bledsoe is a stark contradiction to reports around the NFL leading up to the meetings, which were completed yesterday in Orlando, Fla. Based on most national and local reports since the start of free agency on March 1, no teams were interested in Bledsoe. As several teams such as Seattle, Chicago and Washington opted for low-priced, mid-range quarterbacks, the conventional wisdom was that they did so believing Bledsoe wasn't worthy of their consideration.
Based on the quotes from Gruden, LeBeau, Seattle's Mike Holmgren, St. Louis' Mike Martz and San Francisco's Steve Mariucci, that couldn't be further from the truth. All agreed Bledsoe is one of the league's most talented passers and only compensation packages stood in the way of any potential deal. In other words, in Holmgren's case, when given the choice of giving up nothing for Trent Dilfer or perhaps losing two first-round picks plus having the necessary salary cap space for Bledsoe, the Seahawks opted for the former.
Now some opinions on the trade itself:
Bledsoe, expendable because of the unexpected emergence of Tom Brady, was swapped for a first-round draft choice in 2003. The trade was completed early yesterday afternoon during the second day of the NFL's annual draft after Buffalo upped its offer to include a first-round pick, which the Patriots had insisted on from the start.
Belichick said owner Robert Kraft, Vice President Andy Wasynczuk, and Director of Player Personnel Scott Pioli were involved in the trade discussions.
One unusual aspect of the trade is that the Bills play in the same division (AFC East) as the Patriots, so the teams meet twice every season. This year's games are Nov. 3 at Buffalo and Dec. 8 in New England.
From a financial standpoint, the Patriots save $1 million this season by trading Bledsoe. But under league rules, the team will still carry $6 million for Bledsoe on this year's approximate $72-million salary cap. Buffalo assumes Bledsoe's contract, a 10-year, $103-million package that was signed March 7, 2001.
When he arrived in New England in 1993, Bledsoe, who attended Washington State, was considered the centerpiece of a rebuilding effort. The Patriots were coming off a 2-14 season and replaced head coach **** MacPherson with Bill Parcells. Selecting first in the NFL Draft, Parcells chose Bledsoe over another highly regarded prospect, Rick Mirer.
Bledsoe earned a starting role immediately and became a fixture at what many consider the most important position on the field. One of his defining moments came on Nov. 13, 1994, in a 26-20 overtime win over Minnesota. The Patriots were 3-6 entering the contest and trailed the Vikings 20-0 with 58 seconds remaining in the first half. Firing 70 passes and completing 45, Bledsoe led the Patriots to a come-from-behind victory that sparked a seven-game winning streak.
Pats trade Bledsoe for 2003 first-round draft pick -- ESPN
New England had been trying to trade Bledsoe since Tom Brady, a former fourth-stringer who inherited the starting job when Bledsoe was injured, led the team to an improbable 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.
"We all knew what the situation was: A football team can have only one starting quarterback," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "In the end, it can only be one guy. ... When you put it all together, this is probably best."
The 30-year-old three-time Pro Bowl selection leaves as the franchise's top quarterback in completions, attempts and yards for a game, season and career. But he also showed his worth by keeping quiet last season even though he was obviously irritated that he wasn't given a chance to fight for his job after recovering from a life-threatening injury.
Buffalo spent the past month pursuing Bledsoe, but surprisingly few other teams expressed interest. For the Bills, Bledsoe suddenly and significantly raises expectations after a 3-13 season -- their worst since 1985 -- and solidifies a position that had been unsettled since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly retired following the 1996 season.
On Saturday, the Bills hoped to select quarterback Patrick Ramsey of Tulane with the fourth pick in the second round, but those plans fell through when the Redskins traded down twice in the first round to take Ramsey as the 32nd choice.
On Sunday morning, Bills management decided to upgrade their offer. Conversations didn't take long. Within the first hour of the draft, the Bills and Patriots agreed on the draft-choice compensation and awaited the decision by Bledsoe.
The Bills' previous two starters -- Doug Flutie and Rob Johnson -- spent three seasons in a bitter feud over who deserved the No. 1 job, eventually proving neither could hold it. Alex Van Pelt signed a five-year deal in January after a solid, half-season performance filling in for Johnson when he was injured.
"As a player I'm disappointed, for selfish reasons. But as a team player, I'm excited by him. You add a Drew Bledsoe to your team, it's huge," said Van Pelt, who was bumped to backup. "He's already done a ton in this league."
Even before the deal was announced, the Bills opened their box office to accommodate fans who heard the trade was imminent. Buffalo, which failed to sell out four of its eight home games last season, drew 504,709 fans last year, the lowest since 1987.
YES The New England Patriots continue to show the intelligence and savvy that led them to the Super Bowl. In dealing quarterback Drew Bledsoe, the Patriots made another quality personnel move that will ensure their success extends into the 2002 season. Keeping Bledsoe another year was completely...
www.usforacle.com
Trading seasoned NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bulls was moronic on the part of the New England Patriots. In a time when free agents override draft picks, players who are winners prove to be most valuable to teams if they are going to be consistent contenders.
The P men should have kept Bledsoe and traded Tom Brady, who has only started for the Patriots for less than a season. Brady may be playing good football right now, but the Pats will need more leadership and experience when the Cinderella effect wears off and they come back down to football earth and perform to the level they are really worth.
Brady has only showed that he can perform to the level of his teammates, averaging a mediocre 189 yards per game, while Bledsoe has been the consistent leader of the Pats’ struggling offense. In addition, Bledsoe has proven that he can overcome poor blocking from his offensive line, a lack of a ground game and dropped passes, and he was still able to win 41 games in 4 seasons.
Patriots’ management had a lapse in judgment again when they decided to trade Bledsoe to a division rival. Did they forget that they have to play the Bills twice a year, sometimes when the elements take control of football games? And Bledsoe is obviously no foreigner to the rain, snow and winds after playing in Foxboro for so long.
In trading him to the Bills, the Patriots have helped the Bills rebuild their team, and that will haunt the Patriots next season.
LOL, talk about your freezing cold takes!
