Minnesota acquired veteran cornerback Dick Westmoreland from…
Minnesota acquired veteran cornerback Dick Westmoreland from Miami in May 1970 for guard Bookie Bolin. Westmoreland had been a productive Dolphins defender, but Minnesota released him before the regular season. Bolin’s NFL career had effectively ended after the 1969 season, so Miami also received no on-field return. With neither incoming player producing regular-season value for his new club, the exchange finishes essentially even.
Miami Dolphins Received
- player Gene Bolin / Bookie Bolin
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Dick Westmoreland
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Miami sent veteran cornerback Dick Westmoreland to Minnesota in exchange for guard Bookie Bolin in May 1970. Dolphins historical material lists the transaction on May 1, while Westmoreland’s transaction log records his move to Minnesota several days later. The substance of the exchange is consistent: one veteran defender for one veteran offensive lineman, with no draft compensation attached.
What Minnesota Received
Westmoreland had been a significant player before the trade. He started regularly for Miami after arriving in the 1966 expansion season and had 10 interceptions in 1967. That earlier résumé made the acquisition understandable for a Vikings team built to contend. The move did not generate a regular-season return, however. Westmoreland was released by Minnesota before the 1970 season began and never appeared in another NFL regular-season game. His prior accomplishments therefore should not be counted as value created by the Vikings.
What Miami Received
Bolin also brought substantial experience, including years as a starting guard with the Giants and time with Minnesota. By 1970, though, his playing career was effectively finished. His final NFL appearances came with the Vikings in 1969, and he did not play a regular-season game for Miami. The Dolphins therefore did not turn the trade into usable on-field production either. Miami moved a veteran it was prepared to part with, but the return did not become a contributor.
Final Verdict
This is a clean example of a trade whose names were more accomplished than its post-trade results. Minnesota received no regular-season snaps from Westmoreland, while Miami received no regular-season snaps from Bolin. Neither club surrendered a draft asset that later changed the equation. An Even Trade with C grades for both teams best reflects the realized value: understandable veteran-for-veteran logic, but essentially no lasting football return on either side.