Buffalo acquired tight end Billy Masters from Kansas City on…
Buffalo acquired tight end Billy Masters from Kansas City on September 6, 1967, for its 1968 fourth-round draft choice, which became No. 90 Mickey McCarty. Masters played three seasons for the Bills, catching 61 passes for 762 yards and three touchdowns and starting all 14 games in 1969. McCarty appeared in only three NFL games, making Buffalo the clear winner.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Billy Masters
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 1968 fourth round pick (#90-Mickey McCarty)
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Kansas City selected Billy Masters in the third round of the 1967 draft, but the rookie did not remain with the Chiefs into the regular season. On September 6, Kansas City sent Masters to Buffalo for the Bills' 1968 fourth-round selection. The Chiefs' own media guide identifies Buffalo's acquired fourth-rounder as the choice used on Mickey McCarty, and draft-transaction history matches the deal to No. 90 overall. That closes the compensation as one fourth-round pick rather than the extra unidentified selection previously attached to the trade.
What Buffalo Received
Masters immediately became part of Buffalo's offense. He played all 14 games in 1967, caught 20 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, and followed with another full season in 1968. His best Bills season came in 1969, when he started all 14 games and produced 33 receptions for 387 yards and a touchdown. Across three Buffalo seasons, Masters totaled 61 catches, 762 receiving yards, and three touchdowns before moving on to Denver. That is meaningful multi-year value from a player Kansas City moved before his rookie season began.
What Kansas City Received
The fourth-round choice became McCarty, a TCU tight end selected 90th overall in 1968. His NFL career was extremely brief. Pro Football Reference credits him with only three regular-season games, all for Kansas City in 1969, with no starts and an Approximate Value of zero. The Chiefs therefore converted Masters into a real draft asset, but the player chosen with that asset supplied almost no regular-season return.
Final Verdict
Buffalo Bills Win. The Bills earn a B+ for turning a fourth-round pick into three seasons of useful receiving production and a full-time starter by 1969. Kansas City gets a C- because obtaining a fourth-round choice was reasonable value for a rookie, but McCarty's three-game career left the Chiefs with little realized return. Masters' sustained Buffalo production makes the hindsight gap substantial.