Cincinnati moved quarterback Dave Ragone to St. Louis for a…
Cincinnati moved quarterback Dave Ragone to St. Louis for a conditional 2007 late-round selection, but the condition required Ragone to make the Rams' roster and the pick never conveyed. With no draft choice transferred and no regular-season contribution from Ragone, the exchange is best treated as a roster-management move rather than a meaningful talent transfer.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick Conditional 2007 7th round pick (not conveyed)
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Dave Ragone
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Cincinnati moved quarterback Dave Ragone to St. Louis for a conditional 2007 late-round selection, but the condition required Ragone to make the Rams' roster and the pick never conveyed. At the time, each club had a practical roster reason for acting, and the price was small enough or targeted enough to make the exchange understandable before the later results were known.
What the Returns Produced
Ragone gave St. Louis another camp arm with familiarity in Scott Linehan's offense, yet he did not make the regular-season roster and therefore produced no regular-season value for the Rams. Cincinnati cleared a crowded quarterback room and created the possibility of a draft return, but because the condition was not satisfied, the Bengals ultimately received no pick. Looking only at the names exchanged on the transaction date misses part of the story, because actual playing time, role, longevity and any later use of draft capital determine how much football value each side ultimately created.
How the Value Developed
With no draft choice transferred and no regular-season contribution from Ragone, the exchange is best treated as a roster-management move rather than a meaningful talent transfer. The longer view matters most here: a short burst of production can still justify a modest acquisition cost, while a draft choice can become more valuable when it is converted into a durable starter or additional selections.
Why This Trade Still Matters
This deal is a useful reminder that trade value should follow the complete return rather than stop at the first transaction line. Later pick movement, roster tenure and meaningful postseason or starting contributions all belong in the comparison. That approach gives both teams credit for what their assets actually became instead of grading only the original labels.
Final Verdict
Even Trade is the best fit. Cincinnati Bengals earns a C-, while St. Louis Rams earns a C-. Those marks account for the cost paid, the direct production received, the length of each contribution and any important downstream draft value. The gap is intentionally narrow when both sides found useful returns and wider when one club received little lasting football value.