Philadelphia acquired running back Ron Blye from the New York…
Philadelphia acquired running back Ron Blye from the New York Giants on August 22, 1969 for the Eagles' 1970 fifth-round pick, No. 112. Blye played all 14 games for Philadelphia in 1969 and returned 19 kickoffs for 370 yards. New York later traded the acquired pick to Atlanta for defensive lineman Jerry Shay, who started 20 games for the Giants across 1970 and 1971.
New York Giants Received
- pick 1970 fifth-round pick (#112; later traded to Atlanta for Jerry Shay )
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- player Ron Blye / Ronnie Blye
Trade Analysis
The August 22, 1969 trade can be reduced to a simple player-for-pick exchange. Philadelphia's official all-time draft history says the Eagles traded their fifth-round selection to the New York Giants for running back Ron Blye. Pro Sports Transactions identifies that selection as the 1970 fifth-round pick at No. 112. The legacy row's extra undisclosed-consideration entries are unsupported by those records and should be removed. The pick itself was real, traceable draft capital even though the Giants did not ultimately make the No. 112 selection.
Philadelphia received one season of useful but limited production from Blye. NFL records show him appearing in all 14 games for the Eagles in 1969. He carried eight times for 25 yards and caught two passes for minus-six yards, so his offensive role was small. His clearest contribution came on kick returns, where he handled 19 returns for 370 yards, an average of 19.5 yards. That is legitimate regular-season value, but it was not the profile of a starting or high-volume offensive player. Blye did not appear in another NFL regular-season game after 1969.
New York turned the acquired pick into more substantial downstream value. Pro Sports Transactions shows the Giants sending No. 112 to Atlanta on January 27, 1970 for defensive lineman Jerry Shay. Because that later exchange used the same identified pick directly, the Giants can reasonably receive credit for the asset chain rather than treating the fifth-rounder as disappearing. NFL and Pro Football Reference records show Shay starting all 14 games for New York in 1970 and six more in 1971. He therefore gave the Giants 20 regular-season games and 20 starts after the pick was converted into a veteran starter.
New York wins the trade in hindsight. Philadelphia received a full season of depth and return work from Blye, which merits a C+ rather than a failing grade. The Giants receive a B because the acquired fifth-round asset was immediately leveraged into Shay, who became a full-time starter and delivered 20 starts over two seasons. The gap is meaningful but not enormous because the Giants' best value came through a second transaction rather than directly from the Eagles' pick on draft day.