Baltimore sent veteran lineman Dan Sullivan to Oakland for a…
Baltimore sent veteran lineman Dan Sullivan to Oakland for a future draft choice on February 7, 1973. Sullivan retired before playing for the Raiders, and Colts historical records state that the transaction was negated. Because Oakland received no regular-season contribution and Baltimore did not realize the draft compensation, the fairest hindsight result is an even trade with neutral grades.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick future draft choice (trade later negated; no selection realized)
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- player Dan Sullivan
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
On February 7, 1973, Baltimore traded veteran offensive lineman Dan Sullivan to Oakland for an undisclosed future draft choice. Contemporary reporting confirms the transaction, while later Colts historical material explains what happened afterward: Sullivan retired and did not report, and the trade was negated. That later development is essential to the hindsight assessment because the nominal compensation did not become a normal completed player-for-pick exchange.
Indianapolis Return
The Colts were initially positioned to receive draft capital for a veteran who had played 11 seasons with Baltimore. If the transaction had completed normally, even a late future selection would have represented useful value. Instead, the team history explicitly says the deal was negated. The current record's tentative 1974 14th-round description should therefore be understood as unrealized or conditional compensation, not as a pick the Colts definitively converted into a player.
Las Vegas Return
Oakland acquired Sullivan's rights, but he never played a regular-season game for the Raiders. Professional records show the February trade followed by his retirement in July 1973. The Raiders therefore received no on-field production from the veteran they acquired.
Final Verdict
An even trade is the most accurate outcome because neither side realized meaningful lasting value. Oakland did not get games from Sullivan, and Baltimore did not retain a completed draft return once the transaction was negated. C grades for both teams reflect a neutral administrative outcome rather than a competitive win or loss. The trade remains historically notable, but its football value effectively disappeared before the 1973 season began.