Cincinnati sent Speedy Thomas to Philadelphia for defensive…
Cincinnati sent Speedy Thomas to Philadelphia for defensive tackle Jerry Ellison on July 9, 1973. Contemporary reporting confirms the Eagles as the trade partner, but Thomas was released before Philadelphia's regular season and later played for New Orleans. Ellison did not create a documented Bengals regular-season contribution. With neither acquiring club receiving meaningful direct production, the exchange grades even.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- player Jerry Ellison (a)
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- player Louis Thomas / Speedy Thomas
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
A contemporary July 10, 1973 newspaper transaction report states that Philadelphia acquired wide receiver Speedy Thomas from Cincinnati for defensive tackle Jerry Ellison. That evidence is important because later summaries can blur Thomas's subsequent move to New Orleans. The Eagles were the trade partner on July 9; Thomas's Saints tenure came only after Philadelphia released him.
Philadelphia Return
Thomas had been a productive Bengals receiver, but Philadelphia did not receive those earlier seasons. The Eagles released him before the 1973 regular season, and his NFL statistics show no Philadelphia games. He later appeared in six games for New Orleans in 1973 and one in 1974. Those Saints appearances came after the Eagles had parted with him and therefore do not count as Philadelphia value from this exchange.
Cincinnati Return
Ellison was a young defensive tackle who had been in Philadelphia's 1973 offseason group. The available professional record does not show a meaningful Bengals regular-season contribution after the transaction. Cincinnati therefore did not turn Thomas into a lasting rotation player or starter. The Bengals did move on from an aging receiver, but roster-clearing logic alone is not enough to create a winning grade when the incoming player produced no clear regular-season return.
Final Verdict
This is an even trade. Philadelphia acquired a veteran receiver but released him before he played a regular-season game for the club, while Cincinnati's incoming defender did not create a documented on-field return. C grades for both sides best fit a swap in which neither team converted the exchanged player into lasting value.