Chicago moved the 1976 selections that became Mel Mitchell…
Chicago moved the 1976 selections that became Mel Mitchell and Sanders Shiver's slot arrangement while receiving the choices used on Wayne Rhodes and, through the documented fifth-round routing, Sanders Shiver. The direct player outcomes were modest. Because the later provenance of Miami's 1977 No. 126 choice is disputed, that pick is not credited with an unsupported downstream gain.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 1976 fourth round pick (#108-Wayne Rhodes)
- pick 1976 fifth round pick (#134-Sanders Shiver)
Miami Dolphins Received
- pick 1976 fourth round pick (#98-Melvin Mitchell / Mel Mitchell)
- pick 1977 fifth round pick (#126)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Miami and Chicago rearranged 1976 draft capital and included a future 1977 fifth-round choice. The Dolphins received No. 98 and the future fifth, while the Bears received No. 108 and a 1976 fifth-round slot. The clearly documented 1976 selections became Mel Mitchell, Wayne Rhodes and Sanders Shiver.
What Miami Received
Miami used No. 98 on Mel Mitchell. Pro Football Archives records show that Mitchell appeared in 12 games for the Dolphins as a rookie without making a start, and his overall NFL career remained limited. Miami also held the future No. 126 selection, but its later path is not assigned extra value here because durable historical records disagree about the provenance of the later Mike Watson transaction.
What Chicago Received
Chicago obtained No. 108, which became Wayne Rhodes, and the fifth-round slot associated with Sanders Shiver. Hall of Fame draft records list Shiver at No. 134 and note the multi-club routing around that selection. Those assets did not produce a clearly superior long-term return for Chicago.
Why the Grades Stay Even
The safest comparison is the supportable direct package. Neither side turned the identified 1976 choices into a major long-term contributor, and Miami's future fifth cannot responsibly be stretched into a disputed downstream chain. Removing that uncertain later claim eliminates the basis for declaring a clear Miami win.
Final Verdict
Chicago receives a C and Miami receives a C. The trade is an Even Trade because the documented direct returns were modest on both sides and the uncertain later provenance of the 1977 fifth-rounder is not used to manufacture extra value.