Las Vegas Raiders received 1979 tenth round pick (#259-Ricky…

The Exchange

On 1978-08-28, Las Vegas Raiders received 1979 tenth round pick (#259-Ricky Smith), while New Orleans Saints received Floyd Rice. The transaction was modest in scale, so the result is best judged by the NFL service, starts, production and draft value that can be tied directly to those assets. The comparison stays proportional to what the deal actually produced rather than inflating a small exchange into a franchise-changing event. Las Vegas Raiders Return The tenth-round choice became Ricky Smith, who did not establish an NFL regular-season career after the selection. The D grade reflects the quality and duration of that return for Las Vegas Raiders. Where a downstream draft identity is uncertain, only the value that can be connected confidently is counted, which keeps the assessment tied to the known result of the transaction. New Orleans Saints Return Floyd Rice played 15 games for New Orleans in 1978, giving the Saints a season of veteran linebacker service. The C+ grade applies the same standard to New Orleans Saints. Brief service or a player who never established a regular-season role keeps the return modest, while sustained starts, production or useful draft value raises it when the historical record supports that connection. Value in Hindsight This was a small transaction, yet one side received 15 games from a veteran while the other side's selected player produced no NFL regular-season career. Hindsight matters here because the original assets were not equal simply by label; what each club ultimately received on the field or through a clearly connected draft asset determines the separation. The grade spread therefore reflects realized football value, with uncertainty treated as a limit rather than filled in with assumptions. Final Verdict The final call is New Orleans Saints Win. Las Vegas Raiders receives D, and New Orleans Saints receives C+. The decision follows the documented contribution attached to the exchanged player or pick, the duration of that contribution and the confidence of the downstream connection. That keeps the verdict appropriately scaled to a minor transaction while still distinguishing a meaningful edge when one side produced more usable value.