Baltimore sent George Wright to San Diego and received a…
Baltimore sent George Wright to San Diego and received a package that included the 1972 eighth-round pick used on Al Qualls, a 1973 fourth-round pick used on Ollie Smith, a 1973 eighth-round pick used on Ray Oldham, and other compensation described incompletely in the surviving record. The documented return gave Baltimore multiple assets, but the uncertain details and modest downstream results limit any clear separation.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1972 eighth round pick (#191-Al Qualls)
- pick 1973 fourth round pick (#85- Ollie Smith )
- pick 1973 eighth round pick (#189-Ray Oldham)
- player other compensation (details not specified in source record)
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- player George Wright
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers made this deal during the 1972 football year. Baltimore Colts received 1972 eighth round pick (#191-Al Qualls), 1973 fourth round pick (#85-Ollie Smith), 1973 eighth round pick (#189-Ray Oldham), other compensation (details not specified in source record), while San Diego Chargers received George Wright. The exchange fits the roster-building logic of the era, when clubs regularly moved veteran rights and future draft capital to solve immediate needs. The terms are stated exactly at the level carried by the transaction record, without turning uncertain draft links into facts.
What Baltimore Colts Received
Baltimore Colts came away with 1972 eighth round pick (#191-Al Qualls), 1973 fourth round pick (#85-Ollie Smith), 1973 eighth round pick (#189-Ray Oldham), other compensation (details not specified in source record). The grade considers whether that return created usable roster value, a meaningful draft opportunity, or a later asset that can be traced with confidence. Baltimore acquired the eighth-round selection that became No. 191 Al Qualls as part of the George Wright transaction with San Diego. Draft-trade reconstruction supports that specific pick, while surviving media-guide accounts differ on other pieces of the broader package, so this record is graded narrowly and cautiously. Where the downstream path is uncertain, the evaluation stops at the strongest documented point rather than awarding credit for a speculative connection.
What San Diego Chargers Received
San Diego Chargers received George Wright. Its grade is measured by the same standard: practical football value, durability of the return, and any securely traceable later movement. Historical trades from this period can have incomplete paper trails, so the comparison favors documented outcomes over assumptions. That keeps both sides on equal footing and avoids overstating what the surviving evidence can prove.
Final Verdict
The final grades are Baltimore Colts B- and San Diego Chargers B-. The verdict is Even Trade. Neither side has a sufficiently clear documented advantage to justify separating the grades, so the exchange lands as an even result. This is a complete historical judgment of the recorded deal while preserving uncertainty where the old transaction trail does not support a stronger claim.