Green Bay acquired the rights to Fred Shirey and got a small…
Green Bay acquired the rights to Fred Shirey and got a small amount of real football value: Shirey appeared in three games for the Packers in 1940 before moving on. That was limited service, but it was more tangible than Philadelphia's return and gives Green Bay a slight edge in a low-impact rights exchange.
Green Bay Packers Received
- other rights to Fred Shirey
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- other rights to Millard White
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Green Bay and Philadelphia swapped player rights in April 1940: the Packers received the rights to Fred Shirey, while the Eagles received the rights to Millard White. Because this was a rights-for-rights transaction rather than an exchange of established NFL production, the hindsight question is straightforward: did either club turn the acquired rights into actual roster value?
Green Bay Packers Return
Green Bay did. Shirey appeared in three games for the Packers during the 1940 season before his NFL path continued elsewhere. Three appearances do not make the trade important, and there is no case for a premium grade, but the Packers at least converted the acquired rights into a player who reached their regular-season roster. That is the concrete outcome the earlier generic wording failed to state.
Philadelphia Eagles Return
Philadelphia received White's rights. White had been Green Bay's seventh-round pick in the 1940 draft, but the available NFL player and draft records do not show him producing regular-season service for the Eagles. The correct return story is therefore not that White was merely an uncertain prospect; it is that Philadelphia acquired a rights asset that did not become documented NFL game value for the club.
Value in Hindsight
The difference is small but identifiable. Green Bay received three games from Shirey, while Philadelphia's White rights did not turn into documented Eagles regular-season production. Neither side landed a lasting contributor, so the grades should remain modest. Still, actual roster service is more valuable than a rights asset that never generated an NFL appearance for the acquiring club.
Final Verdict
Green Bay gets the slight hindsight win, C+ to C-. The Packers realized a few games of service from Shirey; Philadelphia did not receive comparable on-field value from White. The result is minor, but the team-specific outcomes create enough separation to move this away from a purely generic Even Trade description.