Chicago moved veteran defensive lineman Dick Evey and a…
Chicago moved veteran defensive lineman Dick Evey and a future fourth-round choice to Los Angeles and received Jim Seymour and Ron Smith. Evey's Rams stay lasted only one season, while the Bears gained two younger players and multiple chances to create roster value. Los Angeles later used the fourth-round selection on John Saunders, giving the Rams a useful additional asset despite Evey's short tenure.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Jim Seymour
- player Ron Smith (b. 1943-05-03)
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Dick Evey
- pick 1972 fourth round pick (#87-John Saunders)
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Chicago moved veteran defensive lineman Dick Evey to Los Angeles and received two players, Jim Seymour and Ron Smith. The Rams also received the fourth-round choice that became John Saunders in 1972. The package is stated only to the level that published football histories can support, so an unidentified choice stays unidentified instead of being attached to an uncertain player. That keeps the exchange coherent while still allowing the football value on each side to be judged from the assets that are known.
What Chicago Bears Received
Chicago received two younger players for a veteran whose Rams stay lasted only nine games. Seymour and Smith gave the Bears multiple chances to extract roster value, making the two-player return more useful than a simple salary or depth move. The grade weighs both the price paid and the practical value that followed. A named draft choice is credited only when the selection can be connected to the exchange, while a general future choice remains general. That approach makes the historical comparison useful without overstating details that surviving accounts do not settle.
What Los Angeles Rams Received
The Rams got Evey plus a future fourth-round choice. Evey was no longer the durable six-year Bears starter he had been, and Los Angeles moved on after one season. The draft choice softened that limited player return. The other side is judged by the same standard: immediate games, starting value, later career impact, and the quality of any draft assets received. Where one part of the package produced little or no NFL value, that matters even if the original transaction looked balanced on paper.
Final Verdict
Chicago earns the stronger grade because it received two players while Evey gave Los Angeles only a short stint. The Rams' fourth-round pick kept the exchange competitive, but it was not enough to overcome the Bears' broader return. The verdict reflects the strongest supportable version of the transaction and the career value that followed. It does not depend on assigning an uncertain pick to a player simply to make the package look more complete. The result is a full historical evaluation of the trade that can stand on the known facts.