Buffalo acquired veteran defensive lineman Dave Long from New…
Buffalo acquired veteran defensive lineman Dave Long from New Orleans on August 29, 1973 for an undisclosed draft choice. Long was released before the regular season and never appeared in a Bills game. The Saints later held Buffalo's 1975 sixth-round pick at No. 149, used on Mike Lemon, and transaction research identifies the Long trade as the probable source. Buffalo received no realized regular-season value.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Dave Long
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 1975 sixth-round pick, No. 149 overall, used on Mike Lemon (probable linkage)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Contemporary Associated Press reporting says New Orleans traded veteran defensive lineman Dave Long to Buffalo on August 29, 1973 for an undisclosed draft choice. Long had been a multi-year Saints starter but was coming off the 1972 season as his last regular-season campaign.
Buffalo's Return
The Bills did not receive regular-season production. Contemporary September reporting says Buffalo released Long before the season, and Pro Football Reference shows his NFL career ending with New Orleans in 1972. For hindsight purposes, Buffalo's player return is therefore zero games and zero starts.
New Orleans' Probable Return
The 1975 draft ledger shows New Orleans owning Buffalo's sixth-round selection, No. 149 overall. Saints draft history independently labels Mike Lemon as a sixth-round choice from Buffalo. ProSportsTransactions identifies the Long deal as the possible source of that pick. The linkage is not airtight, so it should be described as probable rather than certain.
What the Pick Became
New Orleans selected Kansas linebacker Mike Lemon at No. 149. Pro Football Archives credits Lemon with two regular-season games for the Saints in 1975 and no starts before his release. He later played elsewhere, including Tampa Bay, but those later games do not count as Saints franchise value.
Final Verdict
New Orleans Saints Win, narrowly. Buffalo earns a C because Long never appeared in a Bills regular-season game. New Orleans earns a C+ because the probable draft return became a player who at least reached the Saints roster and appeared twice. The small separation and less-than-certain pick lineage keep confidence at medium.