Baltimore acquired return specialist Herb Mul-Key from…
Baltimore acquired return specialist Herb Mul-Key from Washington for a 1977 fourth-round choice, but Mul-Key did not make the Colts' regular-season roster. Washington later moved that fourth-round asset, along with Charley Harraway's rights, to Miami for tight end Marv Fleming, who also failed to make Washington's roster. Neither club converted the exchange into lasting on-field value.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Herb Mul-Key
Washington Commanders Received
- pick 1977 fourth round pick (#110) [later traded with rights to Charles Harraway / Charley Harraway / Charlie Harraway to Miami Dolphins for Marv Fleming]
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Baltimore acquired Herb Mul-Key from Washington on June 2, 1975, for a fourth-round choice in the 1977 draft. The Colts viewed Mul-Key as a potential return specialist after his earlier success in Washington, while the Redskins chose future draft capital for a player whose recent availability had been limited.
What Baltimore Received
Mul-Key arrived with legitimate return credentials, including a 1,011-yard kickoff-return season in 1973. The anticipated payoff never reached the regular season for Baltimore. He did not become part of the Colts' 1975 regular-season production, leaving the club without meaningful realized value from the player it acquired.
What Washington Received
Washington held a future fourth-round asset, but it did not ultimately use that choice on a drafted player. The club later sent the pick, together with the rights to Charley Harraway, to Miami for veteran tight end Marv Fleming. Contemporary reporting before the 1977 draft noted that Fleming did not make Washington's team. The pick therefore became trade currency, but the next transaction also failed to produce durable value.
Why Neither Side Separates
The important distinction is between acquiring an asset and turning it into football production. Baltimore's bet on Mul-Key did not yield regular-season value. Washington preserved optionality with the draft choice, yet its later use of that asset led to a veteran who did not make the roster. Neither side can point to a sustained starter, meaningful draft success, or a lasting secondary return.
Final Verdict
Both clubs receive D+ grades and the trade is even. Washington's future pick had more flexibility than Baltimore's short-lived player acquisition, but the eventual result of that flexibility was also negligible. With no durable football payoff on either branch, there is no credible winner.