Baltimore sent veteran defensive back Jerry Logan to Los…

Why the Trade Happened

Baltimore's contemporary 1973 guide dates Jerry Logan's move to Los Angeles on February 1 and describes the return as an undisclosed draft choice. Later Colts histories and the 1974 draft trail identify that choice as the tenth-round selection used on Glenn Ellis. This treatment uses the most specific contemporaneous or club-history description available and leaves any genuinely unidentified draft choice unnamed rather than attaching a speculative player.

What Baltimore Colts Received

The Colts converted a long-time defensive back into future draft capital during a major roster transition. The eventual selection was late, but Baltimore at least received an asset that reached the draft board rather than losing Logan for nothing. The return is evaluated on the assets that can be tied directly to the transaction, not on later guesses about uncertain pick chains. That keeps the historical package readable while preserving the limits of what can be established.

What Los Angeles Rams Received

Los Angeles acquired a veteran with a decade of Colts experience, but Logan retired in July 1973 before playing a regular-season game for the Rams. That erased nearly all of the intended on-field benefit. The football result matters because a trade grade should reflect both the price paid and what the acquired asset actually delivered. Immediate roster value, later movement and retained draft capital all shape the comparison.

Final Verdict

Baltimore earns a B and Los Angeles a D+. A tenth-round choice was modest compensation, yet it became concrete value while Logan never appeared in a Rams regular-season game. The retirement turns the exchange into a clear Colts advantage. The grade is based on the strongest documented version of the exchange and the subsequent value each club received. Where later histories disagree on a peripheral detail, the uncertain detail is left general instead of being presented as settled fact.