Arizona Cardinals–Green Bay Packers Trade History

Green Bay completed a September 7, 1928 deal sending guard Ray Marelli to the Chicago Cardinals. Transaction listings describe the consideration as possible cash, while contemporary Packers coverage says no players came back to Green Bay, so the payment should be treated as reported rather than certain. Marelli played only two games with one start for Chicago, leaving little evidence that either side captured a major advantage.

The Cardinals received Green Bay's rights to Bob Reynolds for Lou Gordon in August 1936. Reynolds did not provide a comparable regular-season contribution for the franchise, while Gordon became a useful Green Bay lineman with 12 games and five starts in 1936 and continued service the next season. The Cardinals' realized return was therefore minimal relative to what they surrendered.

The Cardinals acquired the rights to Johnny Hall from Green Bay in exchange for the Packers' rights to Earl Brown. Hall immediately became useful, playing 11 games with seven starts in 1940 and repeating that 11-game, seven-start workload in 1941. He also produced offensive and defensive scoring value. Brown did not provide comparable Packers service, giving the Cardinals the clear realized edge.

Chicago purchased backs Jimmy Richardson and Jim Strasbaugh from Green Bay on August 24, 1946, for an undisclosed cash price. Contemporary coverage confirms both players reported to the Cardinals, and Strasbaugh appeared in all 11 games that season with one start. The amount Green Bay received is unknown, which limits the certainty of the comparison, but Chicago obtained the only clearly measurable post-transaction football contribution.

Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals received Marvin Johnson from Green Bay Packers, giving up Don Coleman. The Cardinals received Marvin Johnson. His inclusion makes this a balanced veteran exchange, and the available outcome supports the same C grade rather than a stronger win-or-loss call. That return supports a C grade for Chicago/St. Louis Cardinals. The final verdict is Even Trade.

Green Bay acquired veteran quarterback Lamar McHan from the Chicago Cardinals on May 22, 1959, in a conditional deal that cost the Packers a 1960 third-round pick only if McHan made the roster. He did, and the pick became No. 29 Charley Elley. McHan played 24 games for Green Bay across Vince Lombardi’s first two seasons, throwing for 1,322 yards and 11 touchdowns. Elley produced no comparable NFL regular-season value.

The Cardinals received an undisclosed draft choice for Dick Nolan. The surviving evidence does not identify the round, selection or eventual player, so the downstream value must remain unresolved. Even without inventing the pick chain, Arizona obtained a future asset while Green Bay received no regular-season service from Nolan.

Chicago Cardinals received 1960 tenth round pick (#113-Paul Oglesby) from Green Bay Packers in the 1959-09-22 exchange. Ken Beck played 24 games for Green Bay across 1959 and 1960, while Paul Oglesby did not create comparable NFL value from the pick obtained by the Cardinals. Measured by what Chicago Cardinals actually realized after the deal, the return supports a D+ grade and represents the weaker realized return. The overall judgment is Green Bay Packers Win.

On 1960-09-09, Arizona Cardinals received conditional draft pick (selection not identified), while Green Bay Packers received Larry Hickman. The final verdict is Even Trade, with Arizona Cardinals graded C+ and Green Bay Packers graded C+. The hindsight view follows the documented consideration and later traceable value without treating every named pick outcome as if it had been directly exchanged on trade day. Any conditional, undisclosed, or unidentified component is credited only to the extent that the surviving evidence establishes it.

St. Louis acquired defensive lineman Fred Heron from Green Bay in the 1966 deal and, after the related 1967 pick settlement, also received Green Bay’s fourth-round selection at No. 105. Heron became a seven-season Cardinal, playing 79 games with 56 starts. The Cardinals gave up the 1968 third-round pick that became Bill Stevens, making the veteran-quality player return the decisive piece.

St. Louis sent its 1968 third-round pick to Green Bay and received two fourth-round choices in the 1967 draft. The Cardinals gained two immediate selections and used them on Mike Barnes and Andy Bowling. Green Bay received the nominally higher future pick, but the player ultimately selected there, Billy Stevens, appeared in only three NFL games, keeping the practical returns on both sides modest.

Arizona Cardinals received Donny Anderson while Green Bay Packers received MacArthur Lane. The Cardinals received Donny Anderson, who delivered strong rushing, receiving, and touchdown production over multiple seasons after the swap. St. Louis obtained a versatile veteran back who became a meaningful part of its offense rather than a short-term stop. That outcome supports a B+ grade for Arizona Cardinals in this trade.

St. Louis Cardinals received Frank Patrick in the 1973-05-25 exchange with Green Bay Packers, giving up Rocky Wallace. St. Louis acquired Frank Patrick in exchange for linebacker Rocky Wallace. That return supports a C grade for St. Louis Cardinals. The final verdict is Even Trade, based on the football value tied directly to the assets in this deal.

Arizona Cardinals received conditional draft pick (selection not identified) from Green Bay Packers, while Green Bay Packers received Jim Germany in the 1975-09-09 deal. In hindsight, Arizona Cardinals's return did not separate far enough from Green Bay Packers to justify a higher grade. The final grades are C+ for Arizona Cardinals and C+ for Green Bay Packers, producing a verdict of Even Trade. The rating reflects the documented package, the certainty of the consideration, and the football value that can actually be assigned in hindsight.

On 1976-06-11, Arizona Cardinals received draft pick (selection not identified), while Green Bay Packers received Earl Thomas (Lewis). The hindsight verdict is Green Bay Packers Win, with Arizona Cardinals graded C+ and Green Bay Packers graded B. The evaluation follows the documented consideration and the football value that can be traced from it, while keeping unverified downstream pick identities or conditional outcomes out of the final judgment.

The Cardinals received defensive back Perry Smith when they sent Terdell Middleton's rights to Green Bay. Smith gave St. Louis a veteran return, but his value did not approach Middleton's later production for the Packers, including a 1,116-yard rushing season. The Cardinals still received a legitimate NFL player, so a C grade reflects a usable but clearly inferior return.

Green Bay traded quarterback Scott Brunner to the Cardinals and received the 1986 sixth-round pick used on linebacker Burnell Dent. Dent became a meaningful NFL contributor after the selection, giving the Packers a durable return from a late-round asset. That outcome was stronger than the brief role Brunner filled for the Cardinals and supports a B grade for Green Bay.

Arizona Cardinals received 1992 sixth round pick (#146-Brian Brauninger) from Green Bay Packers. Phoenix received the 1992 sixth-round selection used on Brian Brauninger, but that choice did not create comparable Cardinals NFL value. That outcome supports a D grade for Arizona Cardinals when the trade is measured by the football value actually realized after the exchange.