Phoenix traded running back Terrence Flagler to San Francisco…
Phoenix traded running back Terrence Flagler to San Francisco on August 12, 1991, for a conditional draft choice that was not ultimately exercised. Flagler was cut by the 49ers later that month and soon returned to Phoenix, so the Cardinals received no draft asset and quickly regained the player. The unusual sequence left Phoenix with little lasting gain or loss.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- pick conditional draft choice (trade criteria not met)
San Francisco 49ers Received
- player Terrence Flagler
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
San Francisco reacquired running back Terrence Flagler from Phoenix on August 12, 1991, in exchange for a conditional draft choice. Contemporary reporting confirms the player movement, while the later transaction sequence shows why the condition mattered. The 49ers were taking another look at a player they knew, and Phoenix was attempting to recover compensation for someone it was willing to move during camp.
San Francisco’s Return
The 49ers’ experiment ended quickly. Flagler was released later in August, before he could provide regular-season value for San Francisco. Because his stay was so brief, the condition attached to the draft choice was not satisfied. The 49ers therefore avoided an exercised pick cost, but they also received no lasting production. Their practical benefit was limited to a short training-camp evaluation.
Phoenix’s Return
Phoenix did not receive the conditional draft asset, so there is no downstream selection to credit to the Cardinals. The unusual twist is that Flagler soon returned to Phoenix after San Francisco released him. That sequence largely restored the Cardinals to where they had started, aside from the temporary roster movement. Phoenix neither converted the player into draft value nor permanently lost him through this transaction.
Value in Hindsight
Once the conditional pick and subsequent release are accounted for, the trade loses most of its apparent significance. San Francisco briefly acquired Flagler and then moved on without paying draft capital. Phoenix failed to trigger compensation but regained the player soon afterward. No exercised selection, sustained contribution, or important downstream asset emerged. The temporary nature of the entire sequence makes the realized value essentially even.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Phoenix and San Francisco each receive a C-. The 49ers gained only a short look at Flagler, and the Cardinals never collected the conditional pick. Because Flagler returned to Phoenix after being released and no draft choice changed hands, neither organization produced enough lasting football value to claim a meaningful win.