Atlanta traded defensive tackle Jerry Shay to the New York…
Atlanta traded defensive tackle Jerry Shay to the New York Giants on January 27, 1970 for the Giants' 1970 fifth-round draft choice, No. 112 overall. Atlanta used the pick on Rutgers back Bruce Van Ness, who never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. Shay immediately became a Giants starter and made 20 starts across the 1970 and 1971 seasons.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- pick 1970 fifth round pick (#112- Bruce Van Ness )
New York Giants Received
- player Jerry Shay
Trade Analysis
The legacy TradeVerdicts row had the right core player and draft pick but the wrong hindsight direction. Pro Sports Transactions' 1970 draft ledger traces New York's fifth-round selection, No. 112 overall, to Atlanta in the January 27, 1970 Jerry Shay trade. The Falcons used that pick on Rutgers running back Bruce Van Ness. That allows the downstream draft return to be evaluated directly rather than treated as a generic fifth-round asset. New York received substantial immediate value from Shay. NFL career records show that he started all 14 Giants games in 1970 and another six games, all starts, in 1971. Pro Football Archives independently records the same 20 Giants appearances and 20 starts after two full seasons as an Atlanta starter. The Giants therefore acquired a veteran defensive lineman who stepped directly into the starting lineup and remained there until his final NFL season. Atlanta's known draft return did not generate comparable professional value. Pro Football Reference's 1970 Falcons draft ledger identifies Bruce Van Ness as the No. 112 overall selection and records no NFL regular-season games for him. His college record at Rutgers explains why Atlanta considered him worth the fifth-round choice, but the relevant hindsight outcome is that the acquired pick produced no NFL regular-season contribution. The old row also included unsupported generic undisclosed-consideration placeholders on both sides. The transaction ledger supports the straight Shay-for-fifth-round-pick structure, so those placeholders are removed. With Shay producing 20 starts for New York and Van Ness producing zero NFL games, the realized outcome favors the Giants rather than Atlanta. New York receives a B for obtaining two seasons of starting defensive-line service with a fifth-round asset. Atlanta receives a D+ because the specific player selected with the acquired pick never appeared in an NFL game. Confidence is high because the trade chain, selection identity, Shay's Giants production and Van Ness' lack of NFL production are all independently documented.