Baltimore sent Eldridge Dickey to Kansas City on July 23,…
Baltimore sent Eldridge Dickey to Kansas City on July 23, 1972, for the Chiefs' 1973 third-round pick, later No. 67 overall. The Colts then sent that selection to Cleveland for center Fred Hoaglin; Cleveland used No. 67 on Bob Crum. Dickey never appeared in another NFL game, while Hoaglin played all 14 games for Baltimore in 1973, giving the Colts the better return.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1973 third round pick (#67-Bob Crum) [later traded to Cleveland Browns for Fred Hoaglin ]
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player Eldridge Dickey
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Baltimore had acquired Eldridge Dickey from Oakland in January 1972, but his NFL career was already at a crossroads. The former first-round pick had been moved from quarterback to receiver by the Raiders and had not appeared after the 1971 season. On July 23, the Colts sent Dickey to Kansas City for the Chiefs' 1973 third-round selection. The Colts' historical transaction history and the draft-pick transaction trail agree on the date and the one-pick return.
What Baltimore Received
Kansas City's third-round choice became No. 67 overall. Baltimore did not make the selection itself. In January 1973, the Colts sent that pick to Cleveland for veteran center Fred Hoaglin, and the Browns used No. 67 on defensive end Bob Crum. Hoaglin played all 14 games for Baltimore in 1973, starting once and contributing as a reserve center and specialist. The Colts later traded him to Houston in 1974, so the asset produced tangible value beyond the original Dickey transaction.
What Kansas City Received
The Chiefs received Dickey, whose athletic ability had once made him a groundbreaking first-round selection. The move did not revive his playing career. Contemporary career histories show that his last NFL game came in 1971, and he never appeared in a regular-season game for Kansas City. That leaves the Chiefs without on-field production from the player they acquired.
Final Verdict
Indianapolis Colts Win. Baltimore earns a B- and Kansas City a C+. The Colts did not turn the pick into a long-term cornerstone, so the margin should remain modest. Still, they converted a player who never appeared again in the NFL into a third-round asset and then into a veteran center who played a full season for them. Kansas City surrendered usable draft capital without receiving regular-season production in return.