Detroit traded guard Bill Searcey to Miami on August 12, 1981…
Detroit traded guard Bill Searcey to Miami on August 12, 1981 for the Dolphins' 1982 twelfth-round selection. The exact player ultimately tied to that late pick is not secure enough to credit here, but Miami's return is clear: Searcey was released five days after the trade and never played a regular-season game for the Dolphins. Detroit wins narrowly because it recovered a draft asset for a player Miami did not use.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick 1982 twelfth round pick
Miami Dolphins Received
- player Bill Searcey
Trade Analysis
Why Miami Took the Chance
Searcey was a young offensive lineman from Alabama, and Miami paid only a future twelfth-round choice to evaluate him. At that price, the Dolphins were essentially buying a training-camp opportunity rather than making a major roster investment.
What Happened in Miami
The experiment ended almost immediately. Pro Football Archives lists Searcey as traded from Detroit to Miami on August 12 and released by the Dolphins on August 17. He did not play a regular-season game for Miami. His only NFL appearance came years later with San Diego in 1985.
What Detroit Received
Detroit's own historical material records the return as Miami's twelfth-round pick in the 1982 draft. Some later transaction compilations suggest a possible connection to the No. 331 selection, but the downstream identity is not firm enough to treat a specific drafted player as proven value from this deal. The verified value is the draft asset itself.
Why Detroit Gets a Small Edge
A twelfth-round choice carried limited expected value, so this is not an important Lions victory. Still, Detroit converted a player who lasted only five days with Miami into a future selection. Miami received no regular-season snaps in return, leaving the Dolphins with essentially no realized value.
Final Verdict
Detroit gets a C- and Miami a D. The Lions win because they recovered a draft asset while Searcey's Dolphins stay ended before the regular season. The uncertain downstream identity of the pick keeps Detroit's grade modest and prevents the trade from being presented as a major success.