Bobby Layne

Detroit acquired reigning star Bill Dudley and tackle Jack Dugger from Pittsburgh. The Lions surrendered Bob Cifers, Paul White, the rights to Bob Chappuis, and their 1948 first-round choice, which became No. 3 overall Bobby Layne. Dudley and Dugger both contributed in Detroit, so the Lions received genuine immediate value, but the broad package they paid keeps their grade just below Pittsburgh's despite Pittsburgh's later handling of the Layne rights.

Chicago acquired the rights to Bobby Layne from Pittsburgh after the Steelers used the third overall choice in the 1948 draft on the Texas quarterback. The Bears gave up the rights to Ray Evans. Layne spent only one season in Chicago, but the Bears later moved him for two first-round choices, extending the value of the asset. Evans had one productive Pittsburgh season, so Chicago wins without making Pittsburgh's return worthless.

Detroit acquired Bobby Layne from the New York Yanks on April 8, 1950. The initial return was fullback Camp Wilson, but Wilson refused to report, and Detroit later substituted receiver Bob Mann as the payment. Layne became the defining quarterback of Detroit’s championship era, helping the Lions win NFL titles in 1952, 1953, and 1957. Even accounting for the changed compensation, Detroit won decisively.

Detroit sent Bob Mann to the New York Yanks in early August 1950 as the replacement payment for Bobby Layne after fullback Camp Wilson, the player in the original April agreement, refused to report. Green Bay's official history of Mann confirms that sequence. Layne became a Hall of Fame quarterback and championship centerpiece in Detroit, while Mann was released by New York before the regular season.

Pittsburgh acquired Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne from Detroit for Earl Morrall, a 1959 second-round pick, and a 1960 fourth-round pick. Layne gave the Steelers credibility, production, and a different competitive identity in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Detroit did receive value, including Roger Brown, but the Lions moved a franchise icon and watched Pittsburgh get the player who defined the trade's legacy.