The Bears' Bruce Craft purchase was inexpensive enough that…
The Bears' Bruce Craft purchase was inexpensive enough that the miss did little damage, but it was still a miss. Chicago surrendered $100 and did not receive meaningful regular-season production in return. Dallas' gain was equally small, yet it was tangible, so the Cowboys get the better grade without treating the transaction as more important than it was.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Bruce Craft
Dallas Cowboys Received
- other $100 cash
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On August 7, 1974, Chicago acquired Bruce Craft from Dallas for $100 cash. Transaction records show the same simple consideration from both sides: the Bears received Craft and the Cowboys received the small cash payment. The unusual dollar figure makes this a useful example of how little-stakes roster transactions should be graded.
Chicago Bears Return
The Bears' Bruce Craft purchase was inexpensive enough that the miss did little damage, but it was still a miss. Chicago surrendered $100 and did not receive meaningful regular-season production in return. Dallas' gain was equally small, yet it was tangible, so the Cowboys get the better grade without treating the transaction as more important than it was.
Dallas Cowboys Return
Chicago acquired Bruce Craft from Dallas on August 7, 1974, for just $100 cash. The Bears risked almost nothing, but Craft did not turn the purchase into meaningful regular-season NFL value. Dallas at least converted a player outside its plans into a concrete return, giving the Cowboys a narrow C+ to D+ hindsight victory.
Value in Hindsight
The transaction's tiny scale matters. Dallas cannot claim a major victory from $100, and Chicago did not sacrifice meaningful capital. But hindsight grading still asks which side got more from the exchange. With Craft failing to establish an NFL contribution for the Bears, the Cowboys' nominal cash return is the only realized value.
Final Verdict
The final call is Dallas Cowboys Win. Dallas Cowboys receives a C+ grade and Chicago Bears receives a D+ grade. The separation reflects documented post-transaction value rather than the reputation of either player before the move, and the grades stay proportional to the limited scale of the exchange. That standard keeps a minor historical transaction from being graded like a franchise-changing blockbuster.