New York acquired starting linebacker Ralph Heck and…
New York acquired starting linebacker Ralph Heck and defensive tackle Joe Szczecko from Atlanta on June 24, 1969 for the Giants' 1970 seventh- and eighth-round draft choices. Heck became a three-year Giants contributor, starting all 28 games in 1969 and 1970 and five more in 1971, while Szczecko played all 14 games with 10 starts in 1969. The two veterans gave New York immediate defensive value.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- pick 1970 seventh round pick (#169-Gary Orcutt)
- pick 1970 eighth round pick (#194-Larry Brewer)
New York Giants Received
- player Ralph Heck
- player Joe Szczecko
Trade Analysis
The legacy row is fundamentally correct but carries two unsupported undisclosed-consideration fields that should not be part of the transaction. Pro Sports Transactions identifies the June 24, 1969 exchange directly: Atlanta sent linebacker Ralph Heck and defensive tackle Joe Szczecko to New York for the Giants' 1970 seventh- and eighth-round draft choices. The Falcons' own historical media guide independently describes Heck and Szczecko going to the Giants for two draft choices. The 1970 draft ledger then traces those choices to No. 169 Gary Orcutt and No. 194 Larry Brewer. That evidence supports a clean two-players-for-two-picks reconstruction with no additional consideration.
The Giants received the only substantial realized NFL value in the deal. Ralph Heck immediately became a full-time starter in New York. NFL and Pro Football Reference records show him playing and starting all 14 games in 1969, doing the same in 1970 and then appearing in 11 games with five starts in 1971. He intercepted two passes in his first Giants season and ultimately logged 39 games with 32 starts for New York. That is meaningful multi-year service from a veteran linebacker acquired for late-round draft capital.
Joe Szczecko added a shorter but still useful return. NFL records list him in all 14 Giants games in 1969, and Pro Football Reference credits him with 10 starts at defensive tackle. He did not continue with New York beyond that season, but he supplied a year of starting-line defensive depth alongside a transaction in which Heck was already providing sustained value. The two incoming veterans therefore produced far more immediate contribution than the old generic C+/C language reflects.
Atlanta's compensation is fully traceable. The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 1970 draft record lists Gary Orcutt at No. 169 and Larry Brewer at No. 194 as Falcons selections from New York, matching Pro Sports Transactions. Pro Football Reference's Atlanta draft page shows no NFL regular-season career totals for either player. Orcutt's college record confirms he was a USC receiver selected in the seventh round, while Brewer was a Louisiana Tech tight end taken in the eighth. The Falcons converted two established defenders into two late-round prospects, but neither pick generated documented NFL playing value.
In hindsight, New York clearly won the exchange. Heck alone supplied three seasons and 32 starts for the Giants, and Szczecko added another 14 games with 10 starts in 1969. Atlanta's two draft choices became players with no recorded NFL regular-season contribution. A B for the Giants and D+ for the Falcons recognizes the large realized-value gap while accounting for the fact that New York paid only seventh- and eighth-round choices rather than premium capital.