Miami obtained Philadelphia's 1980 tenth-round selection, No.…
Miami obtained Philadelphia's 1980 tenth-round selection, No. 272, and used it on defensive back Ben Long. Contemporary team draft histories agree that an eleventh-round consideration went back to Philadelphia, although the exact Eagles selection is described differently by surviving references. With little NFL value produced on either side, the exchange did not create a meaningful advantage.
Miami Dolphins Received
- pick 1980 tenth round pick (#272-Ben Long)
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick 1980 eleventh round consideration (exact selection disputed in surviving team histories)
Trade Analysis
The Documented Exchange
Miami's draft history shows the Dolphins receiving Philadelphia's tenth-round choice in 1980, No. 272 overall, which Miami used on defensive back Ben Long. Historical transaction material also describes an eleventh-round consideration going to the Eagles. The difficult part is the exact identity of that return: Philadelphia-oriented material associates it with No. 302 Thomas Brown, while Miami's own draft notes point to a different late selection.
What Miami Received
The clear portion of the exchange is No. 272. Miami selected Ben Long, a defensive back from Purdue. Long did not develop into a meaningful Dolphins contributor, so the pick provided little lasting on-field value. That limits how much credit Miami can receive even though the club moved up from an eleventh-round consideration into the tenth round.
What Philadelphia Received
Philadelphia received the late-round consideration, but the surviving histories do not align perfectly on which eleventh-round choice should be attached to this transaction. That uncertainty matters when assigning a specific player to the Eagles' return. What can be said confidently is that Philadelphia did not obtain a return that created a notable long-term advantage over Miami's result.
Final Verdict
The exchange is best treated as even. Miami acquired the more clearly documented selection, but No. 272 did not become a productive NFL asset for the Dolphins. Philadelphia's exact late-round return is less certain and likewise does not establish meaningful separation. Matching C grades reflect a small draft-position exchange whose downstream football impact was minimal rather than a win for either franchise.
The identified outcomes offer no meaningful separation. Long did not become a productive Miami regular, and Philadelphia's late-round consideration cannot be tied to a comparable contributor in the documented chain. Given the minimal cost and minimal realized play on both sides, neither organization secured a durable team-specific benefit.