Denver acquired offensive tackle Bill Bain from Green Bay for…
Denver acquired offensive tackle Bill Bain from Green Bay for a 1977 third-round pick. Bain immediately became a starter, appearing in all 14 games and starting 13 for the Broncos in 1976. Green Bay used the No. 74 selection on Rick Scribner, who spent time on injured reserve and never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. Denver clearly won.
Denver Broncos Received
- player Bill Bain
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 1977 third round pick (#74-Rick Scribner)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Denver acquired offensive tackle Bill Bain from Green Bay at the end of August 1976. The Packers received a future third-round selection, which became the No. 74 choice in the 1977 draft and was used on Rick Scribner.
What Denver Received
Bain provided the kind of immediate line help Denver was seeking. Broncos historical material documents the trade, and 1976 roster records show Bain appearing in all 14 games with 13 starts. For the cost of a third-round pick, Denver obtained a player who stepped almost immediately into a starting role.
What Green Bay Received
The Packers used the acquired selection on Scribner. Pro Football Archives records him on injured reserve in 1977 and again in 1978 before his release. He never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, leaving Green Bay without realized on-field value from the third-round choice.
Why the Original Verdict Flips
A future third-round pick can be a reasonable return for a veteran lineman, but the actual outcomes matter. Denver received 13 starts in the very first season after the trade, while Green Bay's selection produced no regular-season appearances. That production gap points decisively toward the Broncos.
Historical Context
Green Bay's process was defensible because third-round selections carry meaningful upside. The outcome simply broke Denver's way: one team received immediate starts while the other never received a regular-season appearance.
Final Verdict
Denver receives a B+ and Green Bay receives a D+. The Broncos won because Bill Bain delivered immediate starting value, while the third-round pick surrendered for him did not produce a regular-season player for the Packers.