Trade 1
April 16, 1973
San Francisco 49ers received 1975 fourth round pick (#85-Cleveland Elam).
NFL Trade History
Cleveland Elam NFL Trade History
TradeVerdicts connects Cleveland Elam to 2 exact public NFL transactions involving New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions.
2 Recorded trades
3 Teams represented
1973–1979 Trade-history span
Player Transaction Context
Why Cleveland Elam Appears in the Trade Database
This profile follows Cleveland Elam across 2 recorded transactions from April 16, 1973 through August 20, 1979. Each connection below comes from the database relationship for that transaction rather than a name-only search.
Trade 2
August 20, 1979
Detroit Lions received Cleveland Elam.
Across this profile, the recorded verdicts are San Francisco 49ers Win. The timeline spans 1973–1979 and 3 represented teams.
How to Read This Profile
Trade History Overview
Every transaction below comes from an explicit player-to-trade relationship in the TradeVerdicts database. Name-only substring matching is not used.
The cards summarize the date, teams, assets, grades, and verdict. Open the full trade page for the complete analysis and sourcing context. Grading standards are explained in the TradeVerdicts methodology.
Chronological Timeline
2 Recorded Trades
Trade 1 of 2
New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers received 1975 fourth-round pick No. 85, Cleveland Elam; New Orleans Saints received Preston Riley. Elam became a two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman for San Francisco and started 33 games from 1976-78. Riley appeared in only one game for New Orleans in 1973 and recorded no reception. The realized outcomes support San Francisco 49ers Win, with San Francisco 49ers graded A- and New Orleans Saints graded D+.
Assets Received
San Francisco 49ers
- Pick 1975 fourth round pick (#85-Cleveland Elam)
New Orleans Saints
- Player Preston Riley
Team Grades
Trade 2 of 2
Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers
Detroit acquired defensive lineman Cleveland Elam from San Francisco and received eight games with four starts in 1979. Elam supplied some immediate help, but his short Lions tenure limited the return. San Francisco converted Detroit’s 1980 second-round pick into two selections, including the choice used on long-term linebacker Keena Turner, giving the 49ers the stronger outcome.
Assets Received
San Francisco 49ers
- Pick 1980 second round pick (#30) [later traded to Minnesota Vikings for 1980 second round pick (#39-Keena Turner) and 1980 third round pick (#65-Jim Miller (Gordon))]
Detroit Lions
- Player Cleveland Elam