Pittsburgh traded guard Larry Gagner to New York on July 31,…
Pittsburgh traded guard Larry Gagner to New York on July 31, 1971 for two 1972 draft choices: the Giants' fourth-round pick, No. 80 Lorenzo Brinkley, and seventh-round pick, No. 159 Joe Colquitt. Neither Brinkley nor Colquitt appeared in an NFL regular-season game, so the Steelers realized no on-field production from either selection despite receiving two draft assets.
New York Giants Received
- player Larry Gagner
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 1972 fourth round pick (#80-Lorenzo Brinkley)
- pick 1972 seventh round pick (#159-Joe Colquitt)
Trade Analysis
Pittsburgh's official trade history resolves the compensation that the legacy row treated as ambiguous. The Steelers list their July 31, 1971 trade of Larry Gagner to the Giants for two 1972 selections: New York's fourth-round pick at No. 80, used on defensive back Lorenzo Brinkley, and seventh-round pick at No. 159, used on defensive end Joe Colquitt. The Pro Football Hall of Fame's 1972 draft record independently marks both Pittsburgh selections as coming from the Giants. TradeVerdicts therefore replaces the vague single-pick entry and duplicate undisclosed-consideration placeholders with the two documented choices.
Gagner did not provide a regular-season return for New York. Pro Football Reference shows his NFL playing record ending with Pittsburgh in 1969, followed by no 1970 or 1971 regular-season appearances, then seven games with Kansas City in 1972. Contemporary biographical accounts describe a serious 1970 automobile injury that prevented his return to full health, but the trade evaluation does not need to rely on those medical details. The decisive team-value fact is simpler: Gagner never appeared in a Giants regular-season game.
Pittsburgh's first acquired selection also failed to produce game value. The Steelers used No. 80 overall on Missouri defensive back Lorenzo Brinkley. Pro Football Reference's 1972 draft ledger shows Brinkley with no NFL regular-season career statistics or appearances. The Pro Football Hall of Fame draft record confirms both his selection and the Giants origin of the pick. Thus, the higher of the two choices produced no realized Steelers field contribution.
The seventh-round selection followed the same path. Pittsburgh selected Kansas State defensive end Joe Colquitt at No. 159. Pro Football Reference's Steelers draft page lists Colquitt with no NFL regular-season career, and Kansas State's NFL draft history confirms Pittsburgh selected him in the seventh round at No. 159. The Steelers therefore converted both Giants selections into players who never appeared in an NFL regular-season game.
The proper hindsight result is an Even Trade rather than a winner created from draft-capital optics alone. New York surrendered two selections for a veteran who never played for the club, but Pittsburgh used both selections without receiving a regular-season appearance from either draftee. The direct realized team value was effectively zero on both sides. C- grades reflect that failed conversion while preserving the factual difference between receiving two draft opportunities and receiving an unavailable veteran.