Baltimore acquired quarterback Bill Troup from Philadelphia…
Baltimore acquired quarterback Bill Troup from Philadelphia on April 2, 1976 for veteran tackle Dennis Nelson. The Colts' own transaction history and Philadelphia's 1976 media guide both describe the deal as Troup for Nelson, with no draft pick attached. Troup became Baltimore's long-term backup and started 11 games in 1978 when Bert Jones was unavailable.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Bill Troup
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- player Dennis Nelson
Trade Analysis
The legacy row correctly paired Bill Troup with Dennis Nelson but incorrectly added an undisclosed draft pick to Philadelphia's return. Multiple team-controlled sources resolve the compensation cleanly. The Colts' historical transaction ledger lists Dennis Nelson to Philadelphia for Bill Troup, and the Eagles' 1976 media guide says Nelson was acquired from Baltimore in an offseason trade for reserve quarterback Bill Troup. Pro Sports Transactions also records the April 2, 1976 exchange as Troup to the Colts for Nelson, although its database includes an undisclosed-pick placeholder. The two club media guides are stronger evidence for the actual package, so the unsupported pick is removed. The downstream value favors Baltimore. NFL records show Troup appearing in all 14 games in both 1976 and 1977 as Bert Jones' backup before starting 11 games in 1978. That season he completed 154 of 296 passes for 1,882 yards and 10 touchdowns, giving the Colts a functional replacement during Jones' injury-shortened year. Nelson, meanwhile, appeared in 14 Philadelphia games in 1976 without a start and then only two games with one start in 1977. He had been an experienced Baltimore starter earlier in the decade, but the Eagles received a short reserve stint rather than a multi-season starting asset. Troup was not an efficient 1978 passer—his 21 interceptions limit the grade—but three years of backup availability plus 11 emergency starts created materially more realized value than Nelson's 16-game Eagles tenure. With the transaction corrected to a straight player-for-player swap, the source-backed verdict moves from Even to Baltimore Colts Win, B- to D+.