Arizona Cardinals received Donny Anderson while Green Bay…
Arizona Cardinals received Donny Anderson while Green Bay Packers received MacArthur Lane. The Cardinals received Donny Anderson, who delivered strong rushing, receiving, and touchdown production over multiple seasons after the swap. St. Louis obtained a versatile veteran back who became a meaningful part of its offense rather than a short-term stop. That outcome supports a B+ grade for Arizona Cardinals in this trade.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Donny Anderson
Green Bay Packers Received
- player MacArthur Lane
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1972-02-22, Arizona Cardinals received Donny Anderson, while Green Bay Packers received MacArthur Lane. The exchange was modest in scale, so the verdict depends on the football value each club actually realized from its return rather than the face value of the names or picks alone.
Arizona Cardinals Return
The Cardinals received Donny Anderson, who delivered strong rushing, receiving, and touchdown production over multiple seasons after the swap. St. Louis obtained a versatile veteran back who became a meaningful part of its offense rather than a short-term stop. That result is the basis for the B+ grade assigned to Arizona Cardinals.
Green Bay Packers Return
Green Bay received MacArthur Lane, who became central to the Packers' 1972 division-title offense and supplied substantial rushing and receiving value over multiple seasons. His immediate impact gave Green Bay a major return from the player-for-player exchange. That result is the basis for the B+ grade assigned to Green Bay Packers.
Value in Hindsight
This is a rare trade in which both clubs can be pleased with the outcome. Anderson gave the Cardinals significant multi-season production, while Lane became an important piece of a division champion in Green Bay. The February 22 date changes the historical detail, not the football judgment: both sides received substantial value. The comparison stays focused on value produced for the acquiring clubs and does not inflate unrelated later transactions or production elsewhere.
Final Verdict
The final judgment is Even Trade. Arizona Cardinals receives B+, while Green Bay Packers receives B+. The grades are scaled to the size of the deal and the amount of direct NFL value each side obtained, so a clear edge in a minor transaction does not automatically become an elite grade.