Chicago Bears received Mel Tom from Philadelphia Eagles in…
Chicago Bears received Mel Tom from Philadelphia Eagles in the 1973-10-16 trade. Philadelphia received the 1974 fifth-round pick used on Jim Cagle at No. 108. Philadelphia Eagles's return was 1974 fifth round pick (#108-Jim Cagle). Chicago acquired Mel Tom, a veteran defensive end, giving the Bears the immediate player side of the exchange but not a long-term core piece. Those realized outcomes, rather than the labels on the assets alone, drive the hindsight grade.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Mel Tom
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick 1974 fifth round pick (#108-Jim Cagle)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1973-10-16, Chicago Bears received Mel Tom, while Philadelphia Eagles received 1974 fifth round pick (#108-Jim Cagle). Hindsight turns on what those assets actually produced for the acquiring clubs, not on the abstract value of a player name or draft slot.
Philadelphia Eagles Return
Philadelphia received the 1974 fifth-round pick used on Jim Cagle at No. 108; Cagle did not become a meaningful Eagles regular-season contributor. That result supports Philadelphia Eagles's C grade. The grade follows the realized value of Philadelphia's acquired selection rather than the value of Chicago's separate player return.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago acquired Mel Tom, a veteran defensive end, giving the Bears the immediate player side of the exchange but not a long-term core piece. That result supports Chicago Bears's C grade. The grade follows the value Chicago realized from Tom rather than the outcome of Philadelphia's separate draft selection.
Value in Hindsight
The comparison is therefore specific to this exchange. Chicago Bears's result came from Mel Tom; Philadelphia Eagles's came from 1974 fifth round pick (#108-Jim Cagle). The chain stops when an asset leaves the club, unless the club received another identifiable asset in that downstream move. That prevents the evaluation from assigning a later player's career to the wrong franchise.
Final Verdict
The supported grades are Chicago Bears C and Philadelphia Eagles C, producing Even Trade. Philadelphia received the 1974 fifth-round pick used on Jim Cagle at No. 108, while Chicago acquired veteran defensive end Mel Tom. Those limited team-specific outcomes support the equal grades.