Buffalo moved down five spots in the 1981 first round,…
Buffalo moved down five spots in the 1981 first round, sending No. 23 to the Raiders for No. 28 and a third-round selection. The Bills used those choices on Booker Moore and Robert Geathers, while the Raiders selected Curt Marsh at No. 23. None became a transformational NFL player, leaving the exchange without enough separation for a clear winner.
Buffalo Bills Received
- pick 1981 first round pick (#28-Booker Moore)
- pick 1981 third round pick (#83-Robert Geathers (a))
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1981 first round pick (#23-Curt Marsh)
Trade Analysis
Draft-day move-ups are easiest to judge when one side lands a star or the extra selection becomes a major contributor. That did not happen here. The Raiders wanted to move from No. 28 to No. 23 in the first round of the 1981 draft and paid Buffalo a third-round choice to make the jump. Oakland used the higher selection on Curt Marsh, while Buffalo used No. 28 on Booker Moore and the added third-rounder on Robert Geathers.
Marsh gave the Raiders some value as an offensive lineman, but his career did not become the kind of high-end outcome that would justify calling the move-up a decisive success. Buffalo likewise failed to turn the two selections into a major advantage. Moore's NFL career was limited, and Geathers did not become a long-term difference-maker who could swing the transaction heavily toward the Bills.
The underlying value exchange was reasonable for both teams. Oakland paid a meaningful but not excessive premium to secure the player it preferred in the first round. Buffalo accepted the small slide and gained another top-100 selection, a sensible way to increase the number of chances in a draft. The problem for both sides was simply that the resulting players never created much surplus value.
That makes C+ grades appropriate. Neither front office made an obviously reckless value decision, but neither converted the trade into a lasting competitive edge. With modest contributions on both sides and no standout player emerging from the three picks, an Even Trade verdict better reflects the outcome than forcing a winner from a transaction that remained relatively flat.