Houston sent defensive end Russell Price to Miami on November…
Houston sent defensive end Russell Price to Miami on November 23, 1971 for the Dolphins' 1972 tenth-round pick, No. 259 overall. The Oilers used the selection on Tulsa tight end Jim Butler, but Pro Football Reference records no NFL regular-season games for Butler. With neither returned asset producing documented regular-season value, Houston's realized return was effectively neutral.
Miami Dolphins Received
- player Russell Price
Tennessee Titans Received
- pick 1972 tenth-round pick, No. 259 overall, used on Jim Butler
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Miami's own historical transaction ledger records the November 23, 1971 deal clearly: the Dolphins sent their 1972 tenth-round pick to Houston for defensive end Russell Price. ProSportsTransactions traces that selection to No. 259 overall in the 1972 draft, where the Oilers used it on Tulsa tight end Jim Butler. That corrects the old record, which showed Houston receiving no compensation at all.
Miami's Return
Price was not an established veteran. Houston had selected him in the tenth round, No. 237 overall, of the 1971 draft out of North Carolina Central. Pro Football Reference's 1971 Houston draft ledger shows no NFL regular-season games credited to Price, and its career draft data likewise records no regular-season production. Miami was buying a developmental defensive end late in the season rather than an immediate starter.
Houston's Return
The Oilers converted Price into the No. 259 pick in the following draft. Houston selected Jim Butler, a Tulsa tight end, with that choice. Pro Football Reference lists Butler as a tenth-round Oilers selection but credits him with no NFL regular-season games. Pro Football Archives shows that Butler signed with Houston and was later released, then signed and released again, confirming that the pick reached camp but did not become a regular-season contributor.
Value in Hindsight
The transaction is a useful example of a low-cost developmental swap in which neither side generated durable NFL value. Miami gave up only a tenth-round selection, so the failed player acquisition carried little opportunity cost. Houston at least transformed a player who did not enter its regular-season plans into another prospect, but that prospect also failed to produce a regular-season appearance.
Final Verdict
Even Trade, with C grades for both teams. Houston received a real draft asset and used it, which fixes the previous incomplete ledger, but Butler produced no documented regular-season value. Miami likewise received no documented regular-season production from Price. With both sides ending at essentially zero realized NFL value, there is no defensible basis for separating the grades.