Cleveland received Ernie Green, who became a long-term Browns…
Cleveland received Ernie Green, who became a long-term Browns back and a major offensive contributor. His multi-season role made him by far the most productive piece to emerge from the exchange and turned a late-round cost into meaningful value. That outcome supports a A grade within the Cleveland Browns Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.
Cleveland Browns Received
- player Ernie Green
Green Bay Packers Received
- pick 1963 seventh round pick (#93-Gary Kroner)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1962-08-13, Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers completed an exchange in which Cleveland Browns received Ernie Green, while Green Bay Packers received 1963 seventh round pick (#93-Gary Kroner). The later careers and downstream use of those assets make the hindsight comparison meaningful. The strongest evaluation comes from weighing what each side actually received and what those pieces produced after the deal.
Cleveland Browns Return
Cleveland received Ernie Green, who became a long-term Browns back and a major offensive contributor. His multi-season role made him by far the most productive piece to emerge from the exchange and turned a late-round cost into meaningful value. That outcome supports a A grade within the Cleveland Browns Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.
Green Bay Packers Return
Green Bay received the 1963 seventh-round choice at No. 93 and selected Gary Kroner. Kroner did not make the Packers' regular-season roster, so Green Bay realized essentially no comparable football return. That outcome supports a D grade within the Cleveland Browns Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.
Value in Hindsight
Cleveland and Green Bay histories agree the Packers sent Ernie Green to the Browns for their 1963 seventh-round choice, No. 93 Gary Kroner. Green became a long-term Browns back and major offensive contributor, while Kroner did not make Green Bay's regular-season roster, creating a decisive Cleveland advantage. That evidence makes the relative value easier to judge with the benefit of completed careers and documented transaction history. It also keeps the comparison proportional to the scale of the deal instead of overstating a modest exchange.
Final Verdict
Cleveland Browns Win. The grades reflect the difference in realized football value while keeping the size and era of the transaction in perspective. Where both returns were limited, the grading stays modest; where one side produced a durable contributor, the advantage is correspondingly larger.