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The Green Bay Packers Monday acquired quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and a second-round selection in the 2005 draft from the New Orleans Saints for cornerback Mike McKenzie and a future conditional draft choice, GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman announced.
O'Sullivan, a 6-2, 220-pound passer out of Cal-Davis, is fresh off a spectacular campaign in NFL Europe. The third-year NFL player led the Frankfurt Galaxy to the 2004 World Bowl championship game, ranking second in NFLE with a 91.9 passer rating (120-for-196, 1,527 yards, 10 TDs, five INTs).
The Packers have been interested in O'Sullivan since the Saints took him in the sixth round of the 2002 draft.
The quarterback, inactive for his first 36 NFL games, has worked in New Orleans under Mike McCarthy, the Saints' offensive coordinator who has tutored Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon and Matt Hasselbeck, among others.
O'Sullivan, 25, has led the Saints in preseason passing each of the last two years. A mobile quarterback, he also scrambled for 138 yards during the 2004 NFLE season.
McKenzie, 28, is a 6-0, 194-pound cornerback out of Memphis. The Packers' first of two selections in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, he earned a starting role as a rookie and held the left cornerback position for five seasons.
The Packers removed McKenzie from the reserve/did not report list Sept. 15, and he made his 2004 debut as a reserve defensive back Sept. 19 vs. Chicago. A hamstring injury, sustained Sept. 23, kept him out of Green Bay's last two games, Sept. 26 at Indianapolis and Sunday vs. the N.Y. Giants.
McKenzie signed a five-year contract extension (through 2006), on Jan. 7, 2002.
The deal is the Packers' first mid-season trade involving active players from both teams in 23 years. On Sept. 17, 1981, Bart Starr obtained wide receiver John Jefferson from the Chargers for wide receiver Aundra Thompson and three draft choices.