New Orleans received 1974 fourth round pick (#88-Rod…
New Orleans received 1974 fourth round pick (#88-Rod McNeill), 1974 fifth round pick (#113-Joel Parker), while San Francisco received Danny Abramowicz. The hindsight grades are B- for New Orleans and C+ for San Francisco. The verdict is grounded in the actual starts, production, tenure and downstream draft results produced by those assets.
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 1974 fourth round pick (#88-Rod McNeill)
- pick 1974 fifth round pick (#113-Joel Parker)
San Francisco 49ers Received
- player Danny Abramowicz
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1973-09-25, New Orleans received 1974 fourth round pick (#88-Rod McNeill), 1974 fifth round pick (#113-Joel Parker), while San Francisco received Danny Abramowicz. Hindsight is unusually useful here because the acquired assets now have a concrete NFL record. The grades can therefore be tied to what those players and picks actually produced for their new teams.
San Francisco 49ers Return
San Francisco acquired Danny Abramowicz late in his career. He still started 11 games in 1973, catching 35 passes for 442 yards and a touchdown, then started all 14 games in 1974 with 25 catches for 369 yards and another score. The 49ers received two seasons of regular starting work. Those results support San Francisco 49ers's C+ grade.
New Orleans Saints Return
New Orleans drafted Rod McNeill and Joel Parker. McNeill played 25 Saints games over 1974-75, rushing for 296 yards and three touchdowns and catching 23 passes for 202 yards and two scores. Parker supplied 50 catches for 578 yards and six touchdowns in his first two Saints seasons, with 18 starts. That combined return supports New Orleans Saints's B- grade.
Value in Hindsight
The trade is best understood through those specific outcomes. The meaningful comparison is the actual games, starts, statistics, longevity and downstream draft use created by each side's return. A pick that was moved again is credited through the supported transaction chain, not by pretending the original team drafted a player it never selected.
Final Verdict
New Orleans Saints Win. New Orleans receives B- for the combined McNeill and Parker returns, while San Francisco receives C+ for two useful seasons from Abramowicz. The difference follows the documented football production each club realized from the assets it acquired.