Detroit received Dick Evey and got 11 games, eight starts and…
Detroit received Dick Evey and got 11 games, eight starts and an estimated one sack from him in 1971. Los Angeles used the 1972 No. 120 pick on guard Bob Childs, who never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. Evey's Lions stint lasted only one season, so the return stops at B-, but a genuine starting role clearly outweighs a draft selection that produced no league games.
Detroit Lions Received
- player Dick Evey
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick 1972 fifth round pick (#120-Bob Childs / Bobby Childs)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Detroit acquired veteran defensive lineman Dick Evey from the Rams in September 1971 for the Lions' 1972 fifth-round choice. Draft-transaction records trace that exact selection to No. 120, where Los Angeles chose Kansas guard Bob Childs. The trade therefore has a clean two-asset hindsight comparison: Evey's one Detroit season against the NFL outcome of the player selected with the Rams' pick.
Detroit Lions Return
Evey immediately became part of Detroit's defensive front. Pro Football Reference credits him with 11 regular-season games and eight starts in 1971, plus an estimated one sack. The Lions' roster page lists him as the primary left defensive tackle for eight starts. His NFL career ended after that season, so Detroit received a useful short-term starter rather than a multi-year building block.
Los Angeles Rams Return
Los Angeles did not turn the fifth-rounder into comparable football value. The Rams used No. 120 on Bob Childs, but their draft history records no NFL regular-season career for him. Childs never appeared in a league game for Los Angeles or another NFL club. That leaves the Rams with zero games, zero starts and no downstream transaction value from the selection acquired for Evey.
Value in Hindsight
The gap is meaningful even though Detroit's return was brief. Eleven appearances and eight starts from a veteran defensive tackle are tangible roster value. A fifth-round pick that never reaches a regular-season game is a complete on-field miss. Evey's one-season tenure keeps Detroit out of the higher grades, but there is no concrete Rams production that can balance the comparison.
Final Verdict
Detroit Lions Win. Detroit receives B- for Ed Evey's 11 appearances and eight starts in 1971. Los Angeles receives D because No. 120 Bob Childs never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. Evey's useful one-season starting role creates the clear realized-value edge, while his short tenure keeps Detroit out of the higher grades.