Minnesota sent tight end Bob Brown to New Orleans in…
Minnesota sent tight end Bob Brown to New Orleans in September 1972 for two future selections. The Vikings used the 1973 sixth-round pick on Doug Kingsriter and the 1974 fourth-round choice on Mike Townsend, but neither became a major long-term contributor. Brown played all 14 games for New Orleans in 1972 and remained with the Saints into 1973, giving them the stronger direct return.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- pick 1973 sixth round pick (#139-Doug Kingsriter)
- pick 1974 fourth round pick (#86-Mike Townsend)
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Bob Brown (Earl)
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Minnesota sent tight end Bob Brown to New Orleans in September 1972 for two future choices. The Vikings' own draft history ties the return to 1973 sixth-rounder Doug Kingsriter and 1974 fourth-rounder Mike Townsend. This treatment uses the most specific contemporaneous or club-history description available and leaves any genuinely unidentified draft choice unnamed rather than attaching a speculative player.
What Minnesota Vikings Received
Minnesota received two defined draft assets, including a fourth-round selection. Kingsriter and Townsend gave the Vikings two opportunities to turn a veteran into younger talent, but neither became a major long-term difference-maker. The return is evaluated on the assets that can be tied directly to the transaction, not on later guesses about uncertain pick chains. That keeps the historical package readable while preserving the limits of what can be established.
What New Orleans Saints Received
New Orleans acquired Brown and received immediate offensive use from him. He played all 14 games in 1972 and remained with the Saints into 1973, giving New Orleans direct roster value from the exchange. The football result matters because a trade grade should reflect both the price paid and what the acquired asset actually delivered. Immediate roster value, later movement and retained draft capital all shape the comparison.
Final Verdict
New Orleans earns an A and Minnesota a C-. The Vikings received legitimate draft capital, but Brown supplied the Saints with useful immediate production and neither Minnesota selection generated enough impact to swing the deal back. The grade is based on the strongest documented version of the exchange and the subsequent value each club received. Where later histories disagree on a peripheral detail, the uncertain detail is left general instead of being presented as settled fact.
Brown's immediate Saints contribution exceeded Minnesota's two draft selections in realized value.