Dallas recovered a 2011 seventh-round pick for a veteran…

The Exchange

Dallas traded wide receiver Patrick Crayton to the Chargers at the September 2010 roster deadline. The return was a 2011 seventh-round pick, not a 2010 seventh. Chargers trade history and draft records trace that selection to No. 220, which Dallas used on Shaun Chapas. Sources differ by one day on announcement and processing, with the Chargers ledger using September 3 and other transaction references using September 4.

Dallas Cowboys Return

Dallas recovered a 2011 seventh-round pick for a veteran receiver it was willing to move and selected Shaun Chapas at No. 220. The asset recovery was sensible, but the player outcome was limited. The grade remains tied to documented value for the acquiring club, without assigning credit for unresolved or hypothetical downstream consideration.

San Diego Chargers Return

The Chargers acquired Patrick Crayton for a seventh-round pick and received immediate receiving production across two seasons. The low acquisition cost makes the move a clear positive in hindsight. The grade remains tied to documented value for the acquiring club, without assigning credit for unresolved or hypothetical downstream consideration.

Value in Hindsight

This is a classic late-pick trade in which the veteran easily outperformed the drafted return. The acquisition cost was low, and Crayton supplied more than 750 receiving yards across two Chargers seasons. Dallas’ logic in taking a pick for a crowded receiver room was understandable, but hindsight evaluates what the assets became. No. 220 produced far less value than Crayton did for the acquiring team.

Final Verdict

The Chargers win. A B reflects two useful seasons of receiving depth for a seventh-round choice. Dallas gets a D+ because turning a movable veteran into draft capital was preferable to getting nothing, but Shaun Chapas did not create enough value to balance Crayton’s production.