Los Angeles got 32 games and 18 starts from Eric Harris,…

The Exchange

The 1983 Rams-Chiefs exchange sent Eric Harris and Steve Fuller to Los Angeles for Lucious Smith, Jewerl Thomas and the Rams' 1985 fifth-round pick, No. 133. Kansas City's own media guide records that full package. The later asset trails matter because Fuller, Thomas and No. 133 all moved again, and none of those branches should be confused with the eventual player sitting at the original draft slot.

Los Angeles Rams Return

Los Angeles received its strongest direct value from Harris. NFL records credit him with 32 Rams games and 18 starts from 1983 through 1985, including four interceptions and 63 tackles in 1983. Fuller never appeared in a Rams regular-season game, but Los Angeles traded him to Chicago in April 1984 for No. 293 in 1984 and No. 161 in 1985. The latter became Mike Young, who played 51 Rams games from 1985-88 with 35 catches, 421 yards and four touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs Return

Kansas City got a productive 1983 season from Smith: 16 games, 13 starts, 39 tackles, three interceptions and an interception-return touchdown. Thomas played 10 games with one start, rushing for 115 yards and adding 51 receiving yards. The Chiefs then traded Thomas for 1985 No. 180, used on Vince Thomson, who was released before the regular season. No. 133 was packaged with No. 153 and a conditional 1986 pick to Houston for Bob Hamm and 1986 No. 87.

Value in Hindsight

That No. 133 branch produced additional service but must be credited proportionally because Kansas City added other assets to the Houston deal. Hamm played 14 games with five starts and one sack for the Chiefs in 1985. No. 87 became center Tom Baugh, who played 29 games with 16 starts for Kansas City from 1986-88. Those are meaningful downstream results, but not outcomes created by No. 133 alone.

Final Verdict

Los Angeles Rams Win narrowly, B+ to B. Kansas City received an immediate starting corner, a short running-back stint and partial downstream value from the fifth-round branch. Los Angeles received Harris' 32 games and 18 starts plus a Fuller trade branch that included four Rams seasons from Mike Young. The Rams created the stronger aggregate return, but both clubs realized useful value.