Cleveland sent defensive end Mike St. Clair to New England on…
Cleveland sent defensive end Mike St. Clair to New England on February 7, 1980, for the Patriots' sixth-round selection, No. 154 overall. Cleveland later included that choice in a draft-day package with the Rams, while New England received the veteran player. Because the pick became useful trade capital but neither side produced a clearly dominant standalone outcome, the exchange fits best as an even result.
Cleveland Browns Received
- pick 1980 sixth round pick (#154-Mike Guman)
New England Patriots Received
- player Mike St. Clair
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On February 7, 1980, Cleveland traded defensive end Mike St. Clair to New England for the Patriots' sixth-round selection in that year's draft. The choice was No. 154 overall. The transaction needs to be considered on its own terms: it was St. Clair for one sixth-round pick, separate from the Ernie Price transaction between the same clubs.
Cleveland Browns Return
Cleveland received a real, identifiable draft asset and did not simply hold it until making a selection. On April 29, the Browns included No. 154 in a larger exchange with the Los Angeles Rams while moving around the first round and collecting additional choices. The Rams ultimately used No. 154 on Penn State running back Mike Guman. For Cleveland, therefore, the value of the St. Clair trade was the flexibility that sixth-round selection supplied in a later package rather than Guman's career itself.
New England Patriots Return
New England received St. Clair directly. The Patriots chose a veteran player over retaining a late-round selection, a reasonable form of roster building for a team seeking immediate depth. The historical record does not support assigning St. Clair a major Patriots impact large enough to overwhelm the value of the pick Cleveland received.
Value in Hindsight
Late-round choices rarely create obvious winners by themselves, and this one was subsequently folded into another transaction. Cleveland preserved useful draft currency; New England obtained the player it targeted. Neither result produced the kind of standout performance or premium downstream asset that would justify a wide grade difference.
Final Verdict
This remains an Even Trade at C/C. Cleveland can point to transferable draft value, and New England can point to the immediate veteran acquisition. The evidence supports a balanced outcome rather than forcing a winner from a small 1980 exchange.