Detroit sold Dave Smukler's playing rights to the Boston…
Detroit sold Dave Smukler's playing rights to the Boston Yanks in 1944 for cash. Smukler never appeared for the Lions after Detroit acquired his rights, then played only two games with one start for Boston, rushing twice for seven yards. The sale price is not identified in the available record, leaving the existing C+/C+ grades and Even Trade verdict reasonable.
Detroit Lions Received
- other cash
New York Yanks Received
- player Dave Smukler
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Detroit held Dave Smukler's rights after acquiring them in 1940, but Smukler entered the Army and never played a game for the Lions. After his military service, Detroit sold those rights to the Boston Yanks in 1944. The receiving-team outcomes can be evaluated without inventing a sale price: Boston got a brief comeback from Smukler, while Detroit converted dormant rights into cash.
Detroit Lions Return
Detroit received cash. Pro Football Researchers Association's profile of Smukler states that the Lions sold his rights to Boston after his military service. The available sources do not identify the amount, so the return cannot be valued as a specific dollar figure. What can be said concretely is that Detroit received monetary consideration for a player who never appeared in a Lions regular-season game. That is a real transaction outcome, but the unknown amount limits how strongly it can move the grade.
Boston/New York Yanks Return
Boston received Smukler and did get him onto the field. Pro Football Reference records two games and one start for the 1944 Yanks, with two rushing attempts for seven yards. The PFRA account says he appeared in two games before being suspended again, after which he never played another NFL game. Boston therefore realized some roster use, but it was exceptionally brief and produced little on-field value.
Value in Hindsight
Neither side generated a meaningful long-term football return. Detroit monetized rights to a player it had never used, but the cash figure is unavailable. Boston turned those rights into two appearances, one start, and seven rushing yards before the comeback ended. Those facts are more informative than Smukler's earlier Philadelphia career, which did not belong to either receiving team's post-trade outcome.
Final Verdict
Even Trade remains appropriate at C+ for Detroit and C+ for the Yanks. Detroit extracted something from otherwise dormant rights, while Boston received only a two-game contribution. The evidence supports modest value on both sides but no clear separation large enough to justify changing the existing verdict.