Philadelphia sent rookie end Winfred Tillery to Green Bay on…
Philadelphia sent rookie end Winfred Tillery to Green Bay on August 5, 1955 with a conditional return: the Eagles would receive a 1956 Packers draft choice only if Tillery made Green Bay's regular-season club. He did not appear on the Packers' 1955 regular-season roster, so the condition failed and Philadelphia received no draft selection.
Green Bay Packers Received
- player Winfred Tillery
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick conditional 1956 draft choice if Winfred Tillery made Green Bay regular-season roster (condition not met; no pick conveyed)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Green Bay acquired rookie end Winfred Tillery from Philadelphia on August 5, 1955. Contemporary Green Bay reporting described the consideration precisely: Philadelphia would receive a Packers choice in the 1956 draft only if Tillery made Green Bay's club. That condition matters because this was not an unconditional sale of a future pick.
The Condition
Tillery arrived in camp with opportunity but also with two injured ankles, according to the same period reporting. Green Bay could evaluate him before committing draft capital. The Packers' regular-season roster for 1955 does not include Tillery, which establishes the practical outcome of the condition: no 1956 selection was owed or transferred to Philadelphia.
Philadelphia's Return
The Eagles received no pick because the condition never vested. That sounds empty, but Philadelphia also did not surrender a player who became a productive Packers regular. Tillery never appeared in a Green Bay regular-season game, so the Eagles' opportunity cost was limited to giving another club a camp look at a fringe player.
Green Bay's Value
For Green Bay, the structure was favorable. The Packers obtained a preseason evaluation at essentially no final acquisition cost. They did not find a keeper, but the conditional framework protected the club from paying for a player who failed to make the roster. That is useful roster management even without a lasting on-field payoff.
Final Verdict
Green Bay Packers Win. The Packers earn a B for securing a risk-free evaluation with no draft choice ultimately conveyed. Philadelphia receives a C-plus because it received no return, although Tillery's failure to make Green Bay kept the lost value modest.
Winfred Tillery did not make Green Bay's regular-season roster, so Philadelphia's conditional draft compensation never triggered, leaving the Packers with only a no-cost preseason evaluation and neither club with lasting on-field value. The practical result remained close to value-neutral for both clubs.