San Francisco traded Joe Conwell's NFL negotiation rights to…
San Francisco traded Joe Conwell's NFL negotiation rights to Philadelphia on August 20, 1986 for the Eagles' 1987 eleventh-round pick. Conwell signed immediately and became useful offensive-line depth, playing 28 games with 21 starts over two Eagles seasons. San Francisco later moved the acquired pick to the Raiders, who used No. 288 on Chris McLemore, so McLemore was not a 49ers selection. Philadelphia clearly received the stronger direct return.
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- other NFL negotiation rights to Joe Conwell
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 1987 eleventh-round pick (later traded; No. 288 used by Raiders on Chris McLemore)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Philadelphia acquired Joe Conwell's NFL negotiation rights from San Francisco on August 20, 1986 for an eleventh-round choice in the 1987 draft. The pick later passed through San Francisco to the Raiders, who ultimately exercised No. 288. The documented transaction date and downstream pick movement establish the package used for hindsight evaluation.
Philadelphia Eagles Return
Philadelphia converted the acquired rights into a real starting contribution. Conwell played all 16 games in 1986 and started nine at right tackle, then played 12 games and started all 12 in 1987. Across those two seasons he totaled 28 games and 21 starts for the Eagles. For a transaction involving only an eleventh-round future choice, that is meaningful direct roster value.
San Francisco 49ers Return
San Francisco received Philadelphia's 1987 eleventh-round pick, but the 49ers did not use it on Chris McLemore. The pick later passed to the Raiders, who exercised No. 288. San Francisco therefore receives credit only for the asset and supported downstream transaction value it realized before the selection left the club, not for a player selected by another team.
Value in Hindsight
Philadelphia obtained 28 games and 21 starts from Conwell. San Francisco acquired an eleventh-round asset but did not turn the original selection into comparable 49ers regular-season production before it moved again. The documented August 20 date and the downstream Raiders selection keep the receiving-team credit attached to the correct clubs.
Final Verdict
Philadelphia Eagles Win, C+ to C-. Conwell gave Philadelphia 28 games and 21 starts, while San Francisco's acquired eleventh-round asset did not produce comparable 49ers regular-season value. The grade gap follows those receiving-team outcomes.