Minnesota acquired center Doug Dumler from New England for a…
Minnesota acquired center Doug Dumler from New England for a 1976 eighth-round pick and a 1977 sixth-round pick. Dumler appeared in every regular-season game for the Vikings across 1976 and 1977, providing two seasons of useful line depth. New England used the first pick on Stu Betts and later traded the second for Marlin Briscoe. The Patriots found some secondary value, but Minnesota received the steadier direct return.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Doug Dumler
New England Patriots Received
- pick 1976 eighth round pick (#235-Stu Betts)
- pick 1977 sixth round pick (#166) [later traded to Detroit Lions for Marlin Briscoe ]
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On April 9, 1976, Minnesota acquired center Doug Dumler from New England for an eighth-round choice in the 1976 draft and a sixth-round choice in 1977. The 1976 pick became No. 235 and Stu Betts. The future sixth-rounder became No. 166, but New England traded that selection to Detroit later in 1976 as the price for veteran Marlin Briscoe.
Minnesota Vikings Return
Dumler gave Minnesota exactly the kind of utility a veteran depth acquisition is supposed to provide. He appeared in all 14 regular-season games in 1976 and again in all 14 in 1977. He was not a long-term starter or a franchise-changing lineman, but 28 games of availability for a contender represented concrete value. Minnesota received two full seasons of a usable offensive lineman for two late picks.
New England Patriots Return
Betts did not produce an NFL regular-season career, so the immediate eighth-round pick yielded no direct return. The future sixth-rounder did retain value because New England used it to acquire Briscoe from Detroit. That downstream move gives the Patriots more credit than simply assigning them the career of Reggie Pinkney, whom Detroit eventually selected with No. 166. Pinkney's later production belonged to Detroit, not New England.
Value in Hindsight
The comparison favors actual service received. Minnesota turned two late selections into a veteran who dressed every week for two seasons. New England's first pick failed to produce, and the second became trade currency for a short-term veteran addition. The Patriots did not receive nothing, but their combined outcome was less durable than Dumler's Minnesota tenure.
Final Verdict
Minnesota wins, B- to C. The price was modest and the Vikings received dependable two-year depth. New England preserved some value through the Briscoe transaction, but not enough to match the direct return.