Oakland acquired the rights to Kent McCloughan and turned…
Oakland acquired the rights to Kent McCloughan and turned them into six seasons, 67 games, 15 interceptions and first-team All-AFL honors in both 1966 and 1967. Houston received the rights to Henry Pickett and Garry Porterfield, but neither produced a regular-season game for the Oilers. That stark outcome gap raises the Raiders to an A and drops Houston to a D.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- other rights to Kent McCloughan
Tennessee Titans Received
- other rights to Henry Pickett
- other rights to Gary Porterfield
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Oakland and Houston exchanged player rights in 1965: the Raiders acquired Houston's rights to Nebraska defensive back Kent McCloughan, while the Oilers received Oakland's rights to Baylor halfback Henry Pickett and Tulsa defender Garry Porterfield. Oakland's 1965 media guide records the transaction directly, eliminating the need to infer the package from later rosters.
Oakland Raiders Return
McCloughan became a major Raiders player. The franchise credits him with six Oakland seasons, 67 regular-season games and 15 interceptions. He was named first-team All-AFL by the Associated Press in both 1966 and 1967. Those are team-specific results produced after Oakland acquired his rights, not career reputation imported from somewhere else. His multi-year role and honors make him easily the transaction's most valuable realized asset.
Houston Oilers Return
Houston did not get comparable football value from either set of rights. Pro Football Reference's 1965 NFL and AFL draft records show Pickett never appeared in an AFL or NFL regular-season game. Porterfield did reach the NFL, but his entire regular-season record was two 1965 games for Dallas, which had separately drafted him in the NFL. He never appeared for Houston. The Oilers therefore realized zero regular-season games from the two incoming rights.
Value in Hindsight
The comparison is unusually clean despite the age of the transaction. Oakland converted one rights asset into a six-season defensive back who intercepted 15 passes and twice earned first-team All-AFL recognition. Houston's two rights assets produced no Oilers appearances. Porterfield's two Cowboys games cannot be credited to Houston, and Pickett's lack of a pro appearance leaves no hidden on-field return to balance McCloughan.
Final Verdict
Oakland moves from A- to A, while Houston falls from C- to D. The verdict remains an Oakland/Los Angeles/Las Vegas Raiders Win. A is warranted by McCloughan's sustained, decorated Raiders tenure; D reflects that neither player whose rights Houston acquired ever played a regular-season game for the Oilers. The grades now match the actual outcomes.