Minnesota acquired veteran halfback Billy Ray Barnes from…
Minnesota acquired veteran halfback Billy Ray Barnes from Philadelphia for the 1966 20th-round selection that became No. 298 Gerald Circo. Barnes played 16 games with four starts for the Vikings across 1965 and 1966, totaling 199 scrimmage yards and one touchdown. Circo never appeared in an NFL regular-season game, so Minnesota gained the only tangible field value and earns the edge.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Billy Ray Barnes / Bill Barnes (a) / Billy Barnes
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick 1966 20th round pick (#298-Gerald Circo / Jerald Circo)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Minnesota acquired veteran halfback Billy Ray Barnes from Philadelphia on August 30, 1965. The Eagles received the Vikings' 1966 20th-round selection, which became No. 298 Gerald Circo. Minnesota's official draft history identifies the choice as the one sent to Philadelphia for Barnes, and the transaction trail supplies the same date and downstream selection. That makes the exchange straightforward to judge by what Barnes and Circo actually produced.
What Minnesota Vikings Got
Barnes was past his most productive NFL seasons by the time he reached Minnesota, but he still contributed. In 1965 he played all 14 games, started three, rushed for 148 yards and added 15 receiving yards. He returned for two games and one start in 1966, adding 36 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown. Across his Vikings tenure, Barnes produced 16 games, four starts, 199 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. That is limited veteran depth, yet it is real usage from a very late-round acquisition.
What Philadelphia Eagles Got
Philadelphia turned the 20th-round choice into Gerald Circo, a kicker from Cal State-Chico, with the 298th overall selection. Pro Football Reference lists Circo in the Eagles' 1966 draft class but credits him with no NFL regular-season games. The pick therefore produced no field contribution for Philadelphia. At that depth of the draft, a miss is hardly catastrophic, but it left the Eagles without an NFL return from the asset they acquired.
Final Verdict
Minnesota Vikings Win fits the evidence. Barnes was not a difference-maker, so Minnesota should receive only a C+. Even so, 16 games, four starts and a touchdown are more valuable than a 20th-round selection that never produced an NFL appearance. Philadelphia receives a C-. The trade belongs in the small-win category: Minnesota extracted useful short-term depth from a late asset, while the Eagles did not convert their selection into a player who reached the regular-season field.