Los Angeles acquired rookie guard Bruce Tarbox from the New…
Los Angeles acquired rookie guard Bruce Tarbox from the New York Giants on August 31, 1961 for a future draft choice. Tarbox appeared in seven regular-season games for the Rams that year, recording three Approximate Value before his NFL career ended. Historical transaction research links the Giants return to the 1962 fifth-round pick at No. 59, used on Curtis Miranda, who never played an NFL regular-season game. The Rams received the better realized franchise value, though the exact pick linkage remains less than fully confirmed.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Bruce Tarbox
New York Giants Received
- pick 1962 fifth-round pick, No. 59 overall, used on Curtis Miranda (linkage reported as possible)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
The Giants traded rookie guard Bruce Tarbox to the Los Angeles Rams on August 31, 1961 for a future draft choice. Tarbox had been New York's second-round selection, No. 25 overall, only months earlier. ProSportsTransactions identifies the compensation as a draft pick and connects it, with a caveat, to the Giants' 1962 fifth-round selection at No. 59. New York used that choice on Florida A&M center Curtis Miranda.
Los Angeles' Return
Tarbox made the Rams roster and appeared in seven regular-season games in 1961. Pro Football Reference credits him with three Approximate Value, though no starts, and NFL records likewise list seven appearances. His NFL career did not extend beyond that season, so this was not a long-term hit. Still, Los Angeles received actual regular-season contribution from a player acquired just before the season.
New York's Return
The Giants selected Miranda at No. 59 overall in the 1962 draft. Pro Football Reference lists Miranda among New York's draftees but credits him with no NFL regular-season games. Whatever developmental value he may have offered in camp, the probable pick return produced no documented regular-season contribution for the Giants.
The Pick-Lineage Caveat
The historical transaction ledger uses the wording possibly 1962 No. 59 Curtis Miranda rather than treating the connection as certain. That means the draft asset should not be presented as an airtight fact. The underlying trade itself is clear, Tarbox's Rams outcome is clear, and Miranda's lack of NFL games is clear; only the precise identity of the Giants' return remains less than fully documented.
Final Verdict
Los Angeles Rams Win. The Rams earn a C+ because seven games and three AV represent modest realized value from a short-lived acquisition. New York earns a C because the probable fifth-round return did not produce an NFL regular-season appearance. The separation is small rather than dramatic, and the unresolved pick lineage keeps the verdict at medium confidence.