Minnesota acquired center Chris Foote from the Giants on May…
Minnesota acquired center Chris Foote from the Giants on May 19, 1987, for a conditional 1988 draft choice. Minnesota team material places the consideration in the 12th round, while surviving draft-transfer records disagree on whether No. 323 Brendan McCormack can be assigned exclusively to this deal. Foote then played four seasons and more than 50 games for the Vikings, giving Minnesota the stronger realized return.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Chris Foote
New York Giants Received
- pick 1988 conditional 12th-round draft choice
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Minnesota acquired veteran center Chris Foote from New York on May 19, 1987, in exchange for a conditional pick in the 1988 draft. Minnesota's team records describe the compensation as a 12th-round selection. Draft-transfer histories often connect the deal to No. 323, Brendan McCormack, but Giants material also attributes that same pick to another source. The cleanest package therefore records the confirmed conditional 12th-round choice without forcing a disputed player assignment.
Minnesota's Return
Foote became a useful veteran interior lineman for the Vikings. He played from 1987 through 1990 and appeared in more than 50 regular-season games for Minnesota, giving the club several years of experienced depth and spot starting ability. For the price of a conditional last-round selection, that is a practical roster return. The value came from reliability and duration rather than honors or a high-end peak.
New York's Return
The Giants received late-round draft consideration. A 12th-round pick had modest expected value even before the league later reduced the draft, and the surviving record does not support attaching a clearly productive Giants career to this exact transaction. New York did at least recover an asset for a veteran it was willing to move, which keeps the grade from falling into failure territory.
Value in Hindsight
The comparison favors Minnesota because Foote's team-specific service is concrete while New York's downstream result is comparatively thin. This is also a case where precision matters more than pretending every pick lineage is certain. Whether or not No. 323 belonged solely to the Foote deal, the confirmed compensation was a conditional 12th-rounder. Multi-year NFL line play is a favorable conversion at that price.
Final Verdict
Minnesota Vikings Win. Minnesota receives a B for turning a very late conditional pick into four seasons of useful offensive-line service. New York earns a C+ for recovering draft consideration but not a clearly superior realized return. The disputed exact selection keeps the grade conservative, while Foote's sustained Minnesota tenure provides enough evidence to choose a winner.