New Orleans Saints–Tennessee Titans Trade History

New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans completed this trade on 1971-01-25. Burrough became the defining asset, spending eleven seasons with Houston, reaching the Pro Bowl and leading NFL wide receivers with 1,063 yards in 1975. New Orleans received volume, but no comparable long-term centerpiece. The post-trade results provide the clearest measure of what each club gained from the exchange. The historical return supports a Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans Win verdict, with New Orleans Saints graded C+ and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans graded A.

New Orleans sent defensive lineman Mike Tilleman to Houston and received Glen Ray Hines, Jess Lewis and two future draft choices. The Saints used the 1972 second-rounder on Willie Hall and later moved the 1973 third-round asset in another transaction. Houston received a dependable starter in Tilleman, while New Orleans gained several useful avenues of value through players and draft capital.

New Orleans acquired quarterback Kent Nix and defensive tackle Ron Billingsley from Houston for Edd Hargett, Dave Parks and Tom Stincic in March 1973. Neither Nix nor Billingsley played a regular-season game for the Saints, while Parks made five appearances for Houston. The Oilers therefore receive a slight edge, though the transaction produced little lasting value for either club.

New Orleans traded running back James Ford to Houston on August 1, 1973 for sixth- and tenth-round choices in the 1974 draft. Houston released Ford before the regular season, while the Saints retained two future selections. Because the Oilers received no regular-season contribution and New Orleans recovered two draft assets, the Saints hold a straightforward but still modest hindsight win.

New Orleans acquired defensive lineman Leo Brooks from Houston on August 20, 1973 in a straight player-for-player trade for running back Bob Gresham. Brooks did not become a regular-season Saints contributor and soon moved on, while Gresham immediately started 10 games for the Oilers and produced 400 rushing yards plus 244 receiving yards in 1973. Houston received the clearly stronger first-year return.

New Orleans traded rookie punter Cliff Parsley to the Houston Oilers on September 12, 1977 for a draft choice that became the 1978 sixth-round pick at No. 157 overall, Francis Chesley. The choice had originated with Washington before moving through Houston. Parsley became Houston's punter for six seasons and 82 games, while Chesley never played a regular-season game for New Orleans.

New Orleans ended the Archie Manning era by sending its longtime quarterback to Houston for offensive tackle Leon Gray. Gray was already an accomplished offensive lineman and quickly gave the Saints a Pro Bowl season in 1983, while Manning's Oilers stay lasted only two games. The combination of immediate line quality and greater staying power makes New Orleans the clear winner.

Houston moved Earl Campbell to New Orleans for a 1985 first-round pick that became Richard Johnson, turning a declining franchise legend into a useful starting cornerback. The Saints reunited Campbell with Bum Phillips, but the move chased nostalgia more than remaining value. Campbell was no longer the dominant back from his Oilers peak, and New Orleans burned premium draft capital for a short, limited return.

New Orleans acquired running back Allen Pinkett from the Houston Oilers in January 1992 for a fifth-round pick in that year's draft. Houston used the transferred selection at No. 133 on linebacker Joe Bowden. Pinkett was added to strengthen a Saints backfield coming off an NFC West title, but a preseason knee injury prevented the deal from producing the hoped-for immediate return.

New Orleans moved from pick No. 107 to Nos. 116 and 165, then selected wide receiver Keith Poole and offensive lineman Nick Savoie. Poole became the useful piece: he played 48 games for the Saints and caught 11 touchdowns. Savoie appeared only briefly, but Poole alone supplied more New Orleans production than Tennessee received from Pratt Lyons, making the trade-down worthwhile.