Detroit acquired Derrick Ramsey from Indianapolis in…

The Exchange

Detroit acquired veteran tight end Derrick Ramsey from Indianapolis on September 1, 1987. The Colts received a future twelfth-round choice that became the 1988 No. 308 selection, Aatron Kenney. A historical Detroit publication has been cited with the direction reversed, but player movement and draft-pick provenance support Ramsey going to Detroit and the pick going to Indianapolis. Detroit Lions Return Ramsey gave Detroit an experienced player who could step into the roster immediately, but the payoff was minimal. He appeared only briefly for the Lions, so the club did not receive enough playing time or production to build a strong winning case. Because the acquisition cost was a very late future choice, however, the limited contribution did not represent a major loss of capital. Indianapolis Colts Return Indianapolis turned Ramsey into the final portion of the 1988 draft, using No. 308 on Aatron Kenney. A twelfth-round selection carried little expected value even under the deeper draft format of the era. Kenney did not produce the kind of NFL career that would make the Colts' return stand out, leaving Indianapolis with a legitimate but modest asset conversion. Value in Hindsight Both sides received exactly what the trade structure suggested: a low-cost chance rather than a franchise-changing asset. Ramsey's Detroit tenure was too short to create a Lions advantage, while Kenney's outcome did not generate a Colts advantage. The isolated historical wording conflict does not change the underlying football result once the direction of the transaction is established. Final Verdict Detroit and Indianapolis each earn a C. The Lions received a veteran for a small price, and the Colts received a real draft choice, but neither side converted the exchange into durable value. The result is best classified as an Even Trade.