Cincinnati sent tight end Mike Kelly to New Orleans for a…
Cincinnati sent tight end Mike Kelly to New Orleans for a future 1974 sixth-round pick, which became No. 153 and was used on William 'Bill' Bryant. Kelly appeared in only one Saints game in 1973, while Bryant did not become a Bengals regular-season contributor. Neither club extracted meaningful direct value, so the transaction is best graded as even.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1974 sixth round pick (#153-William Bryant / Bill Bryant)
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Mike Kelly
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Cincinnati's official draft history identifies the 1974 sixth-round choice at No. 153 as a selection acquired from New Orleans in a trade on April 10, 1973. The outgoing Cincinnati player was tight end Mike Kelly. The Bengals used the acquired choice on defensive back William Bryant, also listed as Bill Bryant. The club's own draft chronology provides a clear link between the player transaction and the later selection.
Cincinnati Return
Bryant did not become a regular-season contributor for Cincinnati. The Bengals had successfully turned Kelly into a future draft choice, but the sixth-round selection did not create measurable Bengals playing value. That makes the return limited to the opportunity represented by the pick rather than an on-field payoff. Because the choice came in the sixth round, the lack of a long career is not a severe loss of value, but it also does not support a winning grade.
New Orleans Return
Kelly's Saints contribution was similarly small. His career statistics show only one New Orleans appearance in 1973 and no meaningful receiving production attached to the stint. The Saints therefore received an NFL player, but not one who became a useful part of their offense. That single appearance is marginally more visible than a draft choice that did not produce a Bengals contributor, yet the difference is too slight to justify separating the clubs in a standard hindsight grade.
Final Verdict
The trade is even. New Orleans received one game from Kelly, while Cincinnati received a sixth-round opportunity that did not turn into regular-season Bengals value. Neither side found a lasting contributor, neither surrendered premium capital, and the direct outcomes remain close. Matching C grades appropriately recognize that both teams completed a plausible low-cost exchange without gaining a meaningful long-term football advantage.