New England Patriots received Brian Stenger in the exchange…
New England Patriots received Brian Stenger in the exchange with Pittsburgh Steelers. Brian Stenger appeared in ten Patriots games with two starts, giving New England a modest but tangible return. Against the other side's return of 1974 tenth round pick (#243-Jim Kregel), that outcome supports a C+ grade. The transaction is ultimately judged as New England Patriots Win, with the grade reflecting realized football value rather than the name or nominal value of the asset on the trade date.
New England Patriots Received
- player Brian Stenger
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 1974 tenth round pick (#243-Jim Kregel)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers completed this transaction on 1973-09-10. New England Patriots received Brian Stenger, while Pittsburgh Steelers received 1974 tenth round pick (#243-Jim Kregel). Historical transaction records support the package, allowing the deal to be judged by the football value each asset eventually produced rather than by its reputation on the trade date.
New England Patriots Return
Brian Stenger appeared in ten Patriots games with two starts, giving New England a modest but tangible return. That result supports the C+ grade assigned to New England Patriots. The mark stays proportional to the size of the deal and measures only the value traceable to this exchange, whether that came through playing time, starts, or the downstream use of a draft choice.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return
The tenth-round choice became Jim Kregel, who did not generate a comparable Steelers regular-season return. That outcome supports a D+ grade for Pittsburgh Steelers. The same standard applies here: the asset is credited for what it actually became after the trade, not for hypothetical upside or name recognition that did not turn into additional football value.
Value in Hindsight
The documented exchange is clear enough to compare by actual return. Brian Stenger appeared in ten Patriots games with two starts, giving New England a modest but tangible return. The tenth-round choice became Jim Kregel, who did not generate a comparable Steelers regular-season return. Taken together, those results explain the grade spread and whether the transaction produced a clear winner or remained close to even. The verdict follows the stronger realized return while still giving the other club credit for any useful contribution it received.
Final Verdict
New England Patriots Win. New England Patriots receives a C+, while Pittsburgh Steelers receives a D+. The grades reflect the documented package and the value that followed from it, with the margin scaled to the actual importance of the transaction.