Arizona Cardinals received Joe O'Donnell, while Buffalo Bills…
Arizona Cardinals received Joe O'Donnell, while Buffalo Bills received Irv Goode. Joe O'Donnell retired rather than play for St. Louis after the trade. The Cardinals likewise failed to turn their return into meaningful on-field production. In hindsight, that direct return supports a D grade for Arizona Cardinals. The grade reflects realized football value from this exchange rather than reputation alone.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Joe O'Donnell
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Irv Goode
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1972-03-04, Arizona Cardinals received Joe O'Donnell, while Buffalo Bills received Irv Goode. The deal was limited in scale, so the evaluation turns on the direct football value each club actually received. The supported package is treated as the complete exchange, and the grades stay proportional to what this transaction produced.
Arizona Cardinals Return
Arizona Cardinals received Joe O'Donnell. Joe O'Donnell retired rather than play for St. Louis after the trade. The Cardinals likewise failed to turn their return into meaningful on-field production. That result is the basis for the D grade assigned to Arizona Cardinals. The assessment focuses on contribution to the acquiring club and does not inflate value from unrelated later moves.
Buffalo Bills Return
Buffalo Bills received Irv Goode. Irv Goode suffered a preseason knee injury, missed the 1972 season, and moved to Miami the following year. Buffalo therefore received almost no usable on-field value from its side of the exchange. That result is the basis for the D grade assigned to Buffalo Bills. The assessment uses the same standard for both sides: direct contribution, duration, and usable roster value.
Value in Hindsight
Neither club converted the transaction into useful football value. Buffalo lost Goode's 1972 season to injury and soon moved on, while St. Louis never received games from O'Donnell. With both returns effectively disappearing, an even result at the low end of the grading scale fits the outcome. Because this was a relatively small exchange, the grade gap is kept in proportion to the actual difference in outcomes rather than the size of the names involved.
Final Verdict
The final judgment is Even Trade. Arizona Cardinals receives D, while Buffalo Bills receives D. The verdict follows the strongest supported comparison of what each side directly obtained. A modest deal can still produce a winner, but the grades stay scaled to the transaction's limited size and realized impact.