St. Louis acquired veteran linebacker Thomas Howard from…
St. Louis acquired veteran linebacker Thomas Howard from Kansas City on September 1, 1984 for the seventh-round choice that became No. 185 in the 1985 draft. Howard stepped directly into the Cardinals’ defense, playing 15 games with 13 starts in 1984 and adding two interceptions and a fumble-return touchdown. He appeared in three more games in 1985 before his NFL career ended.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Thomas Howard
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- pick 1985 seventh-round pick (#185, later traded to Washington; Lionel Vital selected)
Trade Analysis
Why Kansas City Moved Him
Thomas Howard was not a marginal player when Kansas City traded him. The Chiefs had drafted him in the third round in 1977, and he became a long-term starter, including a stretch of 53 consecutive starts. By 1984, however, Howard and Kansas City had not reached new contract terms. St. Louis acquired the veteran on September 1 for a future draft choice.
Resolving the Pick
The future selection can be followed to the 1985 seventh round. Kansas City historical material identifies the return as St. Louis’ seventh-round pick, which the Chiefs subsequently traded to Washington. Draft records place that choice at No. 185, where Washington selected running back Lionel Vital. The later Washington transaction belongs to Kansas City’s downstream handling of the asset, not to St. Louis’ original package.
Howard’s Cardinals Value
Howard immediately provided more than short-term depth. He appeared in 15 games and started 13 for St. Louis in 1984, intercepted two passes and returned a fumble 29 yards for a touchdown. He returned for three games and two starts in 1985. That was a brief Cardinals tenure, but it gave the club a proven starter during the 1984 season rather than a developmental lottery ticket.
Kansas City’s Return
The Chiefs deserve credit for converting a veteran at a contract impasse into draft capital. Because No. 185 was moved again, the original trade did not itself produce a named Chiefs draftee. That keeps Kansas City’s grade respectable but limited.
Final Verdict
St. Louis Cardinals Win. St. Louis earns a B+ for getting immediate starting production from Howard. Kansas City receives a C+ for recouping a seventh-round asset from a veteran relationship that was already nearing its end.
Howard's immediate Cardinals starting role exceeded Kansas City's indirect late-round return from the transaction in direct team value.