Minnesota acquired former No. 5 overall pick Bob Ferguson…
Minnesota acquired former No. 5 overall pick Bob Ferguson from Pittsburgh in October 1963 for its 1965 third-round selection. Ferguson's Vikings stay amounted to only two games and one rushing yard. Pittsburgh later used the No. 36 pick as part of the package that brought Bill Saul and Marv Woodson from Baltimore, giving the Steelers the more useful and flexible return.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Bob Ferguson
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 1965 third round pick (#36) [later traded with Lou Michaels to Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts for Bill Saul and Marv Woodson]
Trade Analysis
What the Trade Did
Pittsburgh sent fullback Bob Ferguson to Minnesota during the 1963 season and received the Vikings' third-round choice in the 1965 draft. Minnesota was buying pedigree: Ferguson had been the fifth overall selection in 1962 after a celebrated Ohio State career. The NFL production never matched that status. He played only two games for Minnesota, carried three times for one yard, and did not appear in another NFL season.
Why Minnesota Lost the Bet
The Vikings gave up a future third-rounder for virtually no on-field return. That is the central problem with the deal. Ferguson had shown a brief flash with Pittsburgh in 1963, including 171 rushing yards in five games, but Minnesota received none of that production. A D reflects the combination of real draft cost and almost nonexistent payoff rather than any criticism of the logic behind taking a chance on a recent top-five pick.
How Pittsburgh Preserved Value
The Steelers did not simply turn the selection into one ordinary rookie. The No. 36 pick later became part of a trade with Baltimore: Pittsburgh sent Lou Michaels and the third-rounder to the Colts for defensive back Marv Woodson and linebacker Bill Saul. That downstream flexibility matters because the original Ferguson asset continued to produce transaction value after the player himself was gone.
Final Verdict
Pittsburgh wins with a C+ because it recovered a meaningful future selection and later used that asset in another veteran exchange. Minnesota earns a D because Ferguson's Vikings career lasted two games and yielded one rushing yard. The return was not a franchise-changing haul for Pittsburgh, but the Steelers clearly extracted more football value from a player whose career was nearly finished.