Chicago acquired Doug Flutie's NFL rights and the Rams' 1987…
Chicago acquired Doug Flutie's NFL rights and the Rams' 1987 fourth-round pick for its 1987 third- and sixth-round choices. Flutie played only four regular-season games for the Bears in 1986 plus one in 1987 before being traded to New England, while No. 101 Sean Smith had a short Bears career. The Rams leveraged No. 82 into more picks, including linebacker Larry Kelm, and also drafted Jon Embree at No. 166.
Chicago Bears Received
- other rights to Doug Flutie
- pick 1987 fourth round pick (#101-Sean Smith (Lamar))
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick 1987 third round pick (#82-Jeff Jaeger)
- pick 1987 sixth round pick (#166-Jon Embree)
Trade Analysis
Why Chicago Wanted Flutie
The Bears acquired the NFL rights to Doug Flutie on October 14, 1986 and also received the Rams' 1987 fourth-round pick. In return, Los Angeles received Chicago's 1987 third- and sixth-round selections. Flutie was a celebrated quarterback prospect, and Chicago chose to buy his rights while still receiving one draft choice back.
What Chicago Received
Flutie played four regular-season games for Chicago in 1986, making one start and throwing for 361 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. His Bears tenure remained brief; he appeared once in 1987 before Chicago traded him to New England for an eighth-round pick. The fourth-round choice from Los Angeles, No. 101, became defensive lineman Sean Smith, who played 26 career NFL games and did not become a long-term Bears starter.
What Los Angeles Received
The Rams used No. 166 on tight end Jon Embree, who appeared in 13 games for Los Angeles. More importantly, the Rams did not use No. 82 on Jeff Jaeger themselves. They traded that selection to Cleveland for multiple later picks. One became linebacker Larry Kelm, who played 88 NFL games and spent six seasons with the Rams, providing durable defensive value from the trade chain.
How the Value Settled
Chicago's acquisition was understandable, but Flutie produced only a short NFL stint for the Bears and Smith added limited value. Los Angeles converted the higher draft asset into several chances and found a multi-year contributor in Kelm.
Final Verdict
The Rams earn a B+ and Chicago a C+. Flutie's Bears chapter was too brief to justify the price on realized value, while Los Angeles multiplied the third-round asset into longer-lasting roster production. That downstream conversion gives the Los Angeles Rams the win.