Kansas City sent running back Gene Thomas to Boston on June…
Kansas City sent running back Gene Thomas to Boston on June 11, 1968, for the Patriots’ 1969 fourth-round selection, No. 84 overall. The Chiefs later used that same pick in the deal that brought Curley Culp from Denver, turning the asset into a future Hall of Fame defensive lineman. That downstream value gives Kansas City the edge even though the original return was only a fourth-round choice.
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 1969 fourth round pick (#84) [later traded to Denver Broncos for Curley Culp ]
New England Patriots Received
- player Gene Thomas
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
On June 11, 1968, the Boston Patriots acquired running back Gene Thomas from Kansas City for their fourth-round selection in the 1969 draft. Patriots historical records list the transaction, and the draft history identifies the choice as No. 84 overall. Kansas City did not simply use that pick on draft day; later in 1968 the Chiefs sent the same selection to Denver in the trade that brought defensive tackle Curley Culp to Kansas City.
What Kansas City Got
The Chiefs initially received only a future fourth-round pick, but its eventual use dramatically increased the value of the transaction. Kansas City packaged the No. 84 choice to acquire Culp, who became a major piece of the Chiefs defense, played in the Super Bowl IV championship run, and eventually entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Gene Thomas trade therefore became an important link in a larger sequence of roster building. The grade remains C+ because Culp was not acquired from Boston directly, but the pick clearly became valuable capital.
What Boston Got
The Patriots received Thomas as a veteran running back. The move addressed an immediate roster need, but his Boston tenure did not produce enough long-term impact to offset what the surrendered pick later enabled Kansas City to do. Boston’s cost was only a fourth-rounder, so a C grade is appropriate rather than something harsher. The team made a reasonable depth acquisition; the unfavorable comparison emerges from the later value created with the outgoing selection.
Final Verdict
Kansas City wins by a small but meaningful margin. The Chiefs turned Gene Thomas into a fourth-round asset and then leveraged that asset in the acquisition of a Hall of Fame defender. Boston received a player it could use, but not a comparable long-term return. Kansas City’s C+ recognizes the productive asset chain without crediting the original deal as if Culp had been part of it directly. Boston’s C reflects a defensible transaction whose opportunity cost became more valuable than the player acquired.