Buffalo Bills received 1988 conditional late-round pick…
Buffalo Bills received 1988 conditional late-round pick (selection not identified) from New York Jets, while New York Jets received Don Smith in the 1987-09-07 deal. In hindsight, Buffalo Bills's return did not separate far enough from New York Jets to justify a higher grade. The final grades are C for Buffalo Bills and C for New York Jets, producing a verdict of Even Trade. The rating reflects the documented package, the certainty of the consideration, and the football value that can actually be assigned in hindsight.
Buffalo Bills Received
- pick 1988 conditional late-round pick (selection not identified)
New York Jets Received
- player Don Smith
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1987-09-07, Buffalo Bills received 1988 conditional late-round pick (selection not identified), while New York Jets received Don Smith. That exact package is the baseline for the hindsight grade. Later movement of a draft choice is treated as downstream context rather than rewritten as if the acquiring club directly selected every eventual player attached to that asset.
Buffalo Bills Return
Buffalo Bills received 1988 conditional late-round pick (selection not identified) from New York Jets, while New York Jets received Don Smith in the 1987-09-07 deal. In hindsight, Buffalo Bills's return did not separate far enough from New York Jets to justify a higher grade. The final grades are C for Buffalo Bills and C for New York Jets, producing a verdict of Even Trade. The rating reflects the documented package, the certainty of the consideration, and the football value that can actually be assigned in hindsight.
New York Titans/Jets Return
New York Jets received Don Smith from Buffalo Bills, while Buffalo Bills received 1988 conditional late-round pick (selection not identified) in the 1987-09-07 deal. In hindsight, New York Jets's return did not separate far enough from Buffalo Bills to justify a higher grade. The final grades are C for New York Jets and C for Buffalo Bills, producing a verdict of Even Trade. The rating reflects the documented package, the certainty of the consideration, and the football value that can actually be assigned in hindsight.
Value in Hindsight
The Jets acquired Don Smith and Buffalo received a conditional late-round 1988 choice. The unresolved condition and modest player outcome do not create a defensible winner. That distinction matters in historical trade analysis because the goal is not to force a winner from every transaction; it is to identify real separation when the evidence supports it and preserve uncertainty when it does not.
Final Verdict
The final call is Even Trade. Neither side produced enough clearly superior realized value to justify assigning the win. Buffalo Bills is graded C, and New York Jets is graded C. The verdict remains proportional to the stakes: a useful starter, durable contributor or clearly superior pick outcome can move the grade, while thin evidence and unresolved consideration cannot.