Washington sent linebacker Bob Grant and its 1973…
Washington sent linebacker Bob Grant and its 1973 eighth-round pick, No. 207, to New Orleans on June 16, 1972 for the Saints' 1973 third-round choice, No. 54. Washington later moved No. 54 to Cleveland for tackle Mitch Johnson and a 1974 eighth-round pick, No. 196 Darwin Robinson. Neither Johnson nor Robinson produced a Washington regular-season appearance.
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Bob Grant
- pick 1973 eighth-round pick (#207-Doug Winslow)
Washington Commanders Received
- pick 1973 third-round pick (#54; later traded to Cleveland for Mitch Johnson and 1974 eighth-round pick #196 Darwin Robinson)
Trade Analysis
The June 16, 1972 Saints-Washington exchange can be reconstructed more cleanly than the legacy row, though the surviving records contain conflicting later-pick attributions that should not be imported into the package. Pro Sports Transactions identifies New Orleans' 1973 third-round choice, No. 54, as moving to Washington in the Bob Grant deal. The Saints' own 1973 draft material shows its third-round choice had been traded to Washington, and later draft ledgers trace No. 54 through Washington and Cleveland before Denver used it on Paul Howard. New Orleans' 1973 media guide also identifies its second eighth-round selection, No. 207 Doug Winslow, as a choice acquired from Washington in the Bob Grant deal. Those primary and transaction sources support the core package: Bob Grant plus Washington's 1973 eighth-round choice to New Orleans for the Saints' 1973 third-round choice.
The legacy row attaches uncertain 1974 picks to New Orleans' side. Pro Sports Transactions discusses possible later Washington choices, including selections that became Charlie Battle, William Bryant, or Greg Hare, but labels those links unconfirmed and notes conflicting chains. Those speculative assets should not be treated as established components of this trade. Keeping them would inflate the package beyond what the strongest team-source evidence supports. The corrected row therefore stops at the Grant-plus-No. 207 exchange for No. 54.
Washington did not keep No. 54 through the 1973 draft. The transaction ledger shows the club traded that Saints pick to Cleveland on July 31, 1972 for tackle Mitch Johnson and a 1974 eighth-round choice, No. 196. Washington's 1972 roster records list Johnson with zero regular-season games, so he produced no realized on-field value for the team. The later eighth-round choice became running back Darwin Robinson. Washington's draft history confirms Robinson at No. 196, but he never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. The downstream return from the Saints' third-round asset therefore produced no regular-season contribution for Washington.
New Orleans also received little, but not literally nothing. Bob Grant's Pro Football Reference career ends with six Washington games in 1971, so he did not record a Saints regular-season appearance after the trade. Doug Winslow, selected with the Washington-derived No. 207 pick, appeared in 12 games for New Orleans as a rookie in 1973 and caught four passes for 45 yards. He later appeared for Washington in 1976, but that later stint is not credited to New Orleans.
The realized results give the Saints a narrow hindsight edge. Neither club extracted major value, and none of the direct or downstream assets became an important contributor for the acquiring team. New Orleans at least received one season of roster service from Winslow, while Washington's conversion of No. 54 into Johnson and Robinson produced no regular-season appearances. A C- for New Orleans and D+ for Washington reflects that small difference without overstating a low-impact trade.