Oakland acquired running back Jeff Queen from San Diego on…
Oakland acquired running back Jeff Queen from San Diego on July 31, 1972 for the 1973 third-round choice that became Dan Fouts at No. 64. Queen contributed only briefly to the Raiders, while Fouts spent 15 seasons with the Chargers, threw for 43,040 yards and reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The extraordinary gap makes this one of the clearest Chargers wins in the historical set.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- player Jeff Queen
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- pick 1973 third round pick (#64-Dan Fouts)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
San Diego traded running back Jeff Queen to Oakland on July 31, 1972 for a third-round selection in the 1973 draft. Chargers historical material traces that choice through Oakland and Atlanta to pick No. 64, which San Diego used on Oregon quarterback Dan Fouts. Pro Sports Transactions records the same Queen-for-pick exchange. The direct package was modest; the eventual draft result was anything but modest.
What Oakland Received
Queen did reach the Raiders roster and appeared in 14 games during the 1972 season, but his offensive role was extremely limited. NFL statistics record only four rushing attempts for ten yards that year. He appeared in nine more games in 1973. Oakland therefore received some depth and special-teams availability, but nothing approaching sustained starting or high-impact offensive value from the player acquired.
What San Diego Received
Fouts became one of the defining players in franchise history. The Pro Football Hall of Fame credits him with 15 NFL seasons, all with the Chargers, 43,040 passing yards, 254 touchdown passes and six Pro Bowl selections. He led one of the league’s most prolific passing attacks and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. The No. 64 selection therefore became a genuine franchise quarterback and all-time great.
Final Verdict
The Chargers win overwhelmingly. Oakland received two seasons of limited work from Queen, while San Diego used the acquired third-round choice on a Hall of Fame quarterback who defined the franchise for more than a decade. An A+ for the Chargers and D for the Raiders properly captures an enormous realized-value gap without pretending Oakland received nothing at all.