Atlanta Falcons–Minnesota Vikings Trade History

Atlanta sent Billy Martin to Minnesota on January 24, 1968, for defensive lineman Jerry Shay. Martin gave the Vikings one season, appearing in all 14 games with 10 catches, 101 receiving yards, one touchdown, and regular punting work. Shay became an immediate Atlanta starter and opened 28 games across 1968 and 1969, giving the Falcons the better long-term return.

Minnesota traded quarterback Ron Vander Kelen to Atlanta on January 30, 1968 for the Falcons' 1968 seventh-round pick and 1969 fifth-round pick. Those selections became running back Oscar Reed at No. 167 and guard Jim Barnes at No. 106. Barnes never played an NFL regular-season game, but Reed spent seven seasons with Minnesota, appearing in 79 games with 34 starts and producing 2,644 yards from scrimmage and 11 offensive touchdowns.

Atlanta acquired quarterback Ron VanderKelen from Minnesota for two future draft choices. VanderKelen had been a reserve for the Vikings, and Atlanta did not receive a long-term return that matched the value Minnesota created from the picks. The Vikings used the 1968 seventh-round selection on Oscar Reed and the 1969 fifth-round selection on Jim Barnes, turning one reserve quarterback into two roster opportunities.

Atlanta acquired quarterback Ron Vander Kelen from Minnesota during the 1968 draft for its 1968 seventh-round pick and a 1969 draft choice. Vander Kelen never appeared in a regular-season game for the Falcons and moved to Calgary in the CFL later that year.

Atlanta acquired John Pentecost and Jim Overman from Minnesota for a draft choice whose exact selection remains unidentified in the surviving record. The Falcons received two players, but the available history does not establish a major long-term contribution from either one. Because the downstream Minnesota pick also cannot be tied securely to a specific player, the documented value remains too uncertain and too close to separate the teams.

Atlanta received an unidentified 1969 draft choice in the August 1968 transaction that sent Bucky Pope to Minnesota. Player transaction records show the move was voided one week later, so the exchange did not produce a lasting Vikings tenure, and the exact Falcons selection cannot be traced securely. With the deal effectively undone and no reliable downstream advantage established, Atlanta does not have enough documented value to separate from Minnesota.

Minnesota sold rookie tight end Mike Donohoe to Atlanta on September 3, 1968, after drafting him in the ninth round that spring. Donohoe immediately made the Falcons' roster, played all 14 games as a rookie and remained with Atlanta for three seasons. The cash return gave Minnesota something for a player it did not keep, but Atlanta obtained several years of useful depth and wins the exchange.

Atlanta acquired Bob Berry from Minnesota for cash in a late-preseason 1968 transaction. The available transaction record establishes the player-for-cash exchange but does not provide a secure downstream asset trail that creates a substantial long-term difference. No additional player or draft selection is tied to the documented package, leaving the football value limited on both sides.

Atlanta acquired linebacker Don Hansen from Minnesota for a draft choice in April 1969. Hansen became a seven-season Falcons regular, appearing in 95 games with 94 starts and recording 10 interceptions from 1969 through 1975. The exact selection sent to Minnesota has not been identified, so the Vikings' downstream return cannot be measured completely, while Hansen's long starting run is firmly documented.

Atlanta sent running back Billy Harris to Minnesota for a draft choice whose exact selection remains unidentified. Harris appeared in 13 games for the Vikings in 1969 but carried only six times for 13 yards and caught two passes for 13 more. Minnesota received some roster depth, but the small offensive contribution does not create meaningful separation from Atlanta's unresolved draft asset.

Atlanta acquired rookie defensive back Tom McCauley from Minnesota for rookie guard Jon Sandstrom on August 27, 1969. McCauley made the Falcons and played 32 games over three seasons, starting 16, intercepting two passes, and returning a punt for a touchdown in 1970. Sandstrom did not play an NFL regular-season game for Minnesota and later continued his career in Canada. Atlanta received the only meaningful NFL production.

Atlanta acquired veteran running back Oscar Reed from Minnesota for a 1976 fifth-round choice. Reed played only seven games for the Falcons, rushing 14 times for 40 yards. Minnesota used the pick on defensive back Steve Wagner but released him before the 1976 season; his later 61-game NFL career came with Green Bay and Philadelphia. Neither club realized lasting value.

Minnesota traded the second pick in the 1985 draft to Atlanta for selections No. 4 and No. 60. The Falcons used No. 2 on elite guard Bill Fralic, while the Vikings selected Chris Doleman at No. 4 and Tim Meamber at No. 60. Fralic became an outstanding lineman, but Doleman's Hall of Fame pass-rushing career gives Minnesota the slight edge in a trade that benefited both teams.

Minnesota traded Chris Doleman and the 45th pick to Atlanta for the 40th selection plus Atlanta's 1995 first-rounder. The Vikings used their return on Derrick Alexander and David Palmer, both useful multi-year contributors. Atlanta received the most accomplished player in Doleman and also selected Bert Emanuel, who became a productive receiver for the Falcons.

Minnesota moved up three spots in the 2007 second round and selected wide receiver Sidney Rice at No. 44, sending Atlanta Nos. 41 and 121. Rice developed into Brett Favre's top deep threat during the Vikings' 2009 NFC Championship run, posting 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns that season. Atlanta used No. 41 on cornerback Chris Houston, whose uneven three-year Falcons tenure left Minnesota with the stronger payoff.

Minnesota sent pick No. 168 to Atlanta in the 2014 draft for picks No. 182 and No. 220. Atlanta selected linebacker Marquis Spruill, while Minnesota took defensive back Antone Exum and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen. Stephen became a long-term NFL lineman and multi-year Vikings starter, easily providing the strongest return in the transaction. Exum added further depth, making Minnesota's trade-down a clear success.

Minnesota sent pick No. 137 to Atlanta for Nos. 146 and 185. The Vikings used No. 146 on Stefon Diggs, who became a star receiver and later brought back another major draft package. Atlanta selected Grady Jarrett at No. 137, landing a two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and long-term franchise cornerstone. When both sides turn fifth-round territory into elite players, neither deserves to be called the loser.