The Cardinals received John 'Johnny' Hall in the 1943 player…
The Cardinals received John 'Johnny' Hall in the 1943 player exchange. Hall contributed after the move, but his Cardinals value was concentrated primarily in that season and did not match the multi-year return Detroit received from Bob Keene. The direct package was simple and legitimate; the difference comes from how much useful football each player supplied after changing clubs.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player John Hall (a) / Johnny Hall
Detroit Lions Received
- player Bob Keene
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1943-07-26, Arizona Cardinals received John Hall (a) / Johnny Hall, while Detroit Lions received Bob Keene. The comparison is limited to the consideration each club controlled directly after the transaction. Later movement of an acquired pick or player is useful for tracing provenance, but it is a separate transaction and is not counted as extra compensation in this verdict.
Arizona Cardinals Return
The Cardinals received John 'Johnny' Hall in the 1943 player exchange. Hall contributed after the move, but his Cardinals value was concentrated primarily in that season and did not match the multi-year return Detroit received from Bob Keene. The direct package was simple and legitimate; the difference comes from how much useful football each player supplied after changing clubs. The useful question is how much durable football value that direct return created for the franchise.
Detroit Lions Return
Detroit acquired Bob Keene and received useful production across multiple seasons from 1943 through 1945. Keene contributed as a receiver and scorer and also added defensive interceptions in the two-way era. That broader, longer post-trade contribution gives Detroit a real but not overwhelming advantage over the shorter Cardinals return from Johnny Hall. The same standard applies here: realized playing value and retained draft value matter more than later unrelated movement.
Value in Hindsight
Bob Keene gave Detroit a multi-season return from 1943 through 1945, including receiving production, touchdowns and defensive interceptions. Johnny Hall's post-trade Cardinals contribution was much smaller and concentrated in 1943. Detroit owns a modest historical-value edge. The grade reflects that direct-package value without crediting later unrelated transactions as though they were part of the original exchange.
Final Verdict
Arizona Cardinals receives a C and Detroit Lions receives a B-. The verdict is Detroit Lions Win. This conclusion weighs the direct assets, the useful football value each side actually realized, and the scale of the transaction. Where the evidence shows only a small gap, the grades stay close; where one return produced clearly more durable value, the separation is larger.