Denver sent Wendell Hayes and Goldie Sellers to Kansas City…
Denver sent Wendell Hayes and Goldie Sellers to Kansas City for third- and fourth-round picks in the 1968 draft. The Broncos used those selections on Bob Vaughan and Drake Garrett, but the draft return did not produce comparable value. Hayes and Sellers both became part of Kansas City's Super Bowl IV championship team, giving the Chiefs useful veteran contributions during an important competitive window.
Denver Broncos Received
- pick 1968 third round pick (#75-Bob Vaughan)
- pick 1968 fourth round pick (#102-Drake Garrett)
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player Wendell Hayes
- player Goldie Sellers
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Denver sent Wendell Hayes and Goldie Sellers to Kansas City in early 1968 while accumulating draft choices under Lou Saban. Broncos history ties the return to the third-round choice used on Bob Vaughan and the fourth-round choice used on Drake Garrett. The package is stated only to the level that published football histories can support, so an unidentified choice stays unidentified instead of being attached to an uncertain player. That keeps the exchange coherent while still allowing the football value on each side to be judged from the assets that are known.
What Denver Broncos Received
Denver received two defined draft assets, satisfying its goal of adding younger roster opportunities. Neither selection produced enough value to match what the two outgoing veterans contributed for Kansas City. The grade weighs both the price paid and the practical value that followed. A named draft choice is credited only when the selection can be connected to the exchange, while a general future choice remains general. That approach makes the historical comparison useful without overstating details that surviving accounts do not settle.
What Kansas City Chiefs Received
Hayes and Sellers both became members of the Chiefs team that won Super Bowl IV. Sellers contributed in the secondary and return game, while Hayes gave Kansas City experienced backfield depth during its championship build. The other side is judged by the same standard: immediate games, starting value, later career impact, and the quality of any draft assets received. Where one part of the package produced little or no NFL value, that matters even if the original transaction looked balanced on paper.
Final Verdict
Kansas City earns an A- because both acquired veterans became pieces of a Super Bowl champion. Denver received legitimate third- and fourth-round value, but the selections did not outweigh the championship-era contribution of Hayes and Sellers. The verdict reflects the strongest supportable version of the transaction and the career value that followed. It does not depend on assigning an uncertain pick to a player simply to make the package look more complete. The result is a full historical evaluation of the trade that can stand on the known facts.