Kansas City Chiefs received Tom Keating in the exchange with…
Kansas City Chiefs received Tom Keating in the exchange with Pittsburgh Steelers. Tom Keating immediately gave Kansas City substantial defensive-line playing time across the next two seasons. Against the other side's return of 1975 15th round pick (#371-Jim Thatcher), that outcome supports a B grade. The transaction is ultimately judged as Kansas City Chiefs Win, with the grade reflecting realized football value rather than the name or nominal value of the asset on the trade date.
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player Tom Keating
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 1975 15th round pick (#371-Jim Thatcher)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers completed this transaction on 1974-09-05. Kansas City Chiefs received Tom Keating, while Pittsburgh Steelers received 1975 15th round pick (#371-Jim Thatcher). 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.
Kansas City Chiefs Return
Kansas City Chiefs received Tom Keating in the exchange with Pittsburgh Steelers. Tom Keating immediately gave Kansas City substantial defensive-line playing time across the next two seasons. Against the other side's return of 1975 15th round pick (#371-Jim Thatcher), that outcome supports a B grade. The transaction is ultimately judged as Kansas City Chiefs Win, with the grade reflecting realized football value rather than the name or nominal value of the asset on the trade date.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return
Pittsburgh Steelers received 1975 15th round pick (#371-Jim Thatcher) in the exchange with Kansas City Chiefs. The fifteenth-round choice became Jim Thatcher, who did not create comparable NFL value for Pittsburgh. Against the other side's return of Tom Keating, that outcome supports a D+ grade. The transaction is ultimately judged as Kansas City Chiefs Win, with the grade reflecting realized football value rather than the name or nominal value of the asset on the trade date.
Value in Hindsight
The documented exchange is clear enough to compare by actual return. Tom Keating immediately gave Kansas City substantial defensive-line playing time across the next two seasons. The fifteenth-round choice became Jim Thatcher, who did not create comparable NFL value for Pittsburgh. 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
Kansas City Chiefs Win. Kansas City Chiefs receives a B, 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.