Atlanta Falcons received Gary Burley, while Cincinnati…
Atlanta Falcons received Gary Burley, while Cincinnati Bengals received 1985 seventh round pick (#172-Kim Locklin). Cincinnati's official draft and transaction histories confirm the August 23, 1984 Gary Burley trade produced seventh-round No. 172, used on Kim Locklin. That return earns a B- grade for Atlanta Falcons, and the overall verdict is Atlanta Falcons Win.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- player Gary Burley
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1985 seventh round pick (#172-Kim Locklin)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1984-08-23, Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals completed a deal in which Atlanta Falcons received Gary Burley, while Cincinnati Bengals received 1985 seventh round pick (#172-Kim Locklin). The exchange was modest in scale, but it still created a direct comparison between the service one club obtained and the player or draft value returned to the other. The supported package provides a clear basis for judging both sides.
Atlanta Falcons Return
Atlanta Falcons came away with Gary Burley. That side receives a B-. The grade reflects direct service for the acquiring club and, where a selection was involved, the identifiable value produced by that choice. A useful role in a smaller transaction deserves credit, but the evaluation stays proportional to the size of the deal and the length of the contribution.
Cincinnati Bengals Return
Cincinnati Bengals received 1985 seventh round pick (#172-Kim Locklin), which earns a D+. The same standard applies here: actual playing time, starting value, or a productive draft result counts more than theoretical value that never reached the field. A short stay or a late selection can still help, but it does not receive outsized credit simply because the exchange is easy to trace decades later.
Value in Hindsight
Cincinnati's official draft and transaction histories confirm the August 23, 1984 Gary Burley trade produced seventh-round No. 172 Kim Locklin. Burley immediately gave Atlanta 12 games, eight starts, and five sacks in 1984, whereas Locklin did not generate comparable NFL production for Cincinnati, giving Atlanta the clearer return. Hindsight therefore favors the return that produced the stronger supported value for the original club. Later movement of a player or selection can explain what the consideration became, but unrelated success after another transaction is not credited twice. Where historical sources differ on a minor detail, the comparison uses the strongest supported description without inventing information that the record does not establish.
Final Verdict
The final call is Atlanta Falcons Win. Atlanta Falcons receives B-, while Cincinnati Bengals receives D+. The result follows the stronger direct return supported by the transaction history and the players or selections that actually reached the field. The grades are measured for the scale of the trade, separating a useful edge from a truly lopsided outcome.