Baltimore sent rookie receiver Dave Hazel to Minnesota in…

The Exchange

Baltimore traded rookie wide receiver Dave Hazel to Minnesota during 1975 training camp for a 1976 eighth-round draft choice. Colts historical material places the transaction on July 29. Hazel had been Baltimore's 11th-round pick, No. 261 overall, only months earlier. The round of Minnesota's return is established, but the exact eighth-round selection and downstream player should not be assigned without stronger evidence.

Minnesota Vikings Return

Minnesota was buying a low-cost look at a young receiver from Ohio State. An eighth-round pick was meaningful but far from premium capital in the 17-round draft era, and Hazel offered the upside of a recent NFL draftee. The move fit a contender's attempt to improve the bottom of the roster, but surviving career records do not show Hazel becoming a substantial regular-season contributor for the Vikings.

Baltimore Colts Return

Baltimore effectively turned a late-round rookie it was willing to move into a future eighth-round choice. That is a reasonable piece of roster management, although the exact 1976 selection is not securely identified. Without a traceable downstream impact, the Colts' side should be credited for recovering draft capital but not elevated into a major win.

Value in Hindsight

Neither team appears to have extracted lasting football value. Minnesota paid a late-round choice for an evaluation opportunity, while Baltimore recycled a recent 11th-round pick into future capital. The exchange makes sense for both roster situations, but the lack of a notable player outcome and the unidentified later selection keep the hindsight stakes low.

Final Verdict

The grades settle at C for both teams, producing an Even Trade. Baltimore recovered future draft value from a player it was prepared to move, and Minnesota took a defensible chance on a young receiver at modest cost. No supportable downstream result creates enough separation to call either club a clear winner.