Arizona Cardinals received $200 cash. St. Louis received $200…
Arizona Cardinals received $200 cash. St. Louis received $200 in cash, a nominal return that carried little direct football significance for the Cardinals. That outcome supports a D grade because the return is measured by the direct football value Arizona Cardinals actually received after the deal, compared with the asset sent the other way.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- other $200 cash
Detroit Lions Received
- player Charlie Potts
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1974-08-07, Arizona Cardinals received $200 cash, while Detroit Lions received Charlie Potts. This was a relatively small transaction, but the later results provide enough information to compare what each club actually gained. The verdict focuses on direct football value after the deal, including clearly traceable draft outcomes, rather than on reputation or hypothetical value that never reached the acquiring team.
Arizona Cardinals Return
Arizona Cardinals received $200 cash. St. Louis received $200 in cash, a nominal return that carried little direct football significance for the Cardinals. That outcome supports a D grade because the return is measured by the direct football value Arizona Cardinals actually received after the deal, compared with the asset sent the other way.
Detroit Lions Return
Detroit Lions received Charlie Potts. Charlie Potts was later released by Detroit without creating meaningful regular-season value after the Lions reacquired him. That outcome supports a D grade because the return is measured by the direct football value Detroit Lions actually received after the deal, compared with the asset sent the other way.
Value in Hindsight
The Cardinals' $200 and Detroit's short-lived reacquisition of Potts were both too small to create a meaningful advantage. The difference between D and D comes from the durability and usefulness of the returns, not from the fame of the names involved. For a transaction of this scale, the documented results support a measured distinction rather than an exaggerated one.
Final Verdict
The final call is Even Trade. Arizona Cardinals earns D, and Detroit Lions earns D. Those grades reflect the package each club received, the service that followed, and the downstream value that can be tied confidently to the original exchange. That is enough to separate the teams where the results do so, while preserving an even result when neither side gained meaningful football value.