1976 NFL Expansion Draft

The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers each selected 39 players in an expansion draft held on March 30-31, 1976. The other 26 NFL teams each froze 29 players from its roster. Seattle and Tampa Bay alternated selections from the remaining pool of players. When the first player was chosen from a team, that team then froze two new players. The Buccaneers and Seahawks continued with their selections until three players had been picked from each of the existing teams.

The Seahawks picked veteran linebacker Mike Curtis (left) from the Baltimore Colts. The moved paid off as Curtis blocked a last-second field goal to preserve the Seahawks' first ever regular season win. The Buccaneers selected defensive end Pat Toomay (right) from the Buffalo Bills' roster. Toomay started all 14 games at right defensive end for Tampa Bay in its inaugural season. He contributed three sacks that year.