Boston acquired Ezell Jones from the Jets in August 1969 for…
Boston acquired Ezell Jones from the Jets in August 1969 for a future draft choice. The compensation can now be identified as the Jets' 1970 fifth-round selection, No. 108, which became Cliff McClain. Jones did not generate value comparable to McClain's later rushing contribution for New York, so the Patriots' side falls short despite receiving a usable veteran player in the original exchange.
New England Patriots Received
- player Ezell Jones
New York Jets Received
- pick 1970 fifth round pick (#108-Cliff McClain)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1969-08-07, Boston Patriots received Ezell Jones, while New York Jets received 1970 fifth round pick (#108-Cliff McClain). The trade is judged by the football value each club actually realized from the assets it controlled after the exchange. When a draft choice cannot be tied confidently to a later selection, the asset remains described at the level the historical evidence supports.
Boston Patriots Return
Boston acquired Ezell Jones from the Jets in August 1969 for a future draft choice. The compensation can now be identified as the Jets' 1970 fifth-round selection, No. 108, which became Cliff McClain. Jones did not generate value comparable to McClain's later rushing contribution for New York, so the Patriots' side falls short despite receiving a usable veteran player in the original exchange.
New York Jets Return
The Jets sent Ezell Jones to Boston and received the 1970 fifth-round pick that became No. 108 Cliff McClain. McClain went on to provide meaningful rushing production for New York, turning a future mid-round asset into a useful offensive contributor. With the return now identified precisely, the Jets have the stronger realized outcome and merit the higher grade in this transaction.
Value in Hindsight
Identifying the Jets' pick changes the value comparison materially. The return was not simply a generic future choice; it was the 1970 fifth-round selection used on Cliff McClain. McClain later provided meaningful rushing production for New York, giving the Jets a real football payoff that can be compared directly with Jones' Boston tenure. The transaction still involved modest assets, so the grade remains measured, but the newly supported pick identity makes a Jets win considerably firmer than an unresolved future-choice description would allow.
Final Verdict
The final call is New York Jets Win. Boston Patriots earns C, and New York Jets earns B-. Those grades reflect the supported package, the documented post-trade production, and the relative football value each side ultimately realized from this exchange.