Baltimore sent tackle Tom Finnin to the Cardinals for a 1958…
Baltimore sent tackle Tom Finnin to the Cardinals for a 1958 fifth-round pick and used that selection on Ole Miss defensive back Ray Brown. Finnin spent only the 1957 season with Chicago, while Brown started as a rookie, intercepted eight passes, handled punting duties, and became a starter on the Colts’ back-to-back 1958 and 1959 NFL championship teams.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Tom Finnin
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1958 fifth round pick (#50-Ray Brown (Lloyd))
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
The 1957 agreement sent tackle Tom Finnin from Baltimore to the Chicago Cardinals in exchange for the Cardinals’ 1958 fifth-round choice. Pro Sports Transactions identifies the pick as No. 50 overall, which the Colts used on Ole Miss defensive back Ray Brown. The structure was straightforward: Chicago bought immediate line experience, while Baltimore accepted a future mid-round selection and trusted its drafting and development.
What Baltimore Received
Brown became an unusually strong fifth-round payoff. The Colts’ own historical account credits him with starts in all 12 games as a rookie, eight interceptions and three fumble recoveries in 1958. He also served as the primary punter and produced a championship-game record average of 50.8 yards on four punts in the celebrated 1958 title victory over the Giants. Brown followed with five more interceptions in 1959 and again started for an NFL champion. Even though knee trouble limited his career to three seasons, Baltimore received high-impact defensive and special-teams play during the exact window in which the club won consecutive championships.
What Chicago Received
Finnin gave the Cardinals a veteran tackle for 1957, and official Cardinals historical material lists him on that season’s roster. His stay was brief. He did not become a long-term starter around whom the franchise built, and by late 1957 he had moved on. That makes the cost of the fifth-round selection look much larger in hindsight than it would have appeared at the moment of the deal.
Final Verdict
Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts Win. Baltimore turned one season of a veteran tackle into a starting defensive back, ball hawk and punter on two championship teams. Brown’s career was short, but his peak value arrived immediately and mattered in the biggest games. The Colts earn an A for extracting championship-level production from a fifth-rounder. The Cardinals earn a D+ because Finnin provided real short-term depth, yet nothing close to the value surrendered through the pick.