New York used Houston's acquired No. 214 pick on Karl Henke,…
New York used Houston's acquired No. 214 pick on Karl Henke, who played six games without a start for the 1968 championship Jets and recorded an estimated one sack. Houston received the AFL rights to Rich 'Bud' Marshall, then got 22 games and nine starts from him across 1967-68, including nine starts and an estimated two sacks in 1967. The longer, larger role flips the result to Houston/Tennessee, B- to C.
New York Jets Received
- pick 1968 eighth round pick (#214- Karl Henke )
Tennessee Titans Received
- other rights to Richard Marshall
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
The Jets held AFL rights to defensive lineman Richard 'Bud' Marshall after selecting him in the 1965 AFL redshirt draft, while Marshall initially played in the NFL. New York later sent those rights to Houston for the Oilers' 1968 eighth-round choice. Jets draft history identifies the acquired selection as No. 214, used on Karl Henke, and the 1968 draft transaction record independently ties that pick to the Marshall-rights exchange.
New York Jets Return
New York got one short season from Henke. He appeared in six games for the 1968 Jets without a start and is credited by Pro Football Reference with an estimated one sack. Henke was part of the Super Bowl III championship roster, but his later 1969 production came for Boston and cannot be credited to the Jets. For this trade, New York's realized return is six reserve appearances during the championship season.
Houston Oilers Return
Houston received substantially more playing time from Marshall. Pro Football Reference credits him with 22 Oilers games across 1967 and 1968, including nine starts. All nine starts came in 1967, when Houston won the AFL East; Marshall is credited with an estimated two sacks that season. He returned for 11 more games in 1968 as a reserve. The Oilers therefore converted the rights into two seasons of actual defensive-line service.
Value in Hindsight
The old Jets-win framing leaned too heavily on Henke being drafted by a championship team. Team membership is not the same as trade value. Henke made six appearances and no starts for New York, while Marshall started nine games and played 22 for Houston. The Oilers did not acquire Marshall's prior Packers, Washington or Atlanta production; the comparison uses only the 1967-68 Houston stint created by the transferred AFL rights.
Final Verdict
Houston/Tennessee moves from C to B- and New York from B- to C, changing the verdict to Tennessee Titans Win. Marshall's two-season, nine-start role gives the Oilers the clear edge, but B- keeps the result proportional to a useful rotational/starter tenure rather than star-level performance. Henke's six championship-season appearances still merit a C instead of a failing Jets grade.