Minnesota acquired running back Jerry Latin from the Los…
Minnesota acquired running back Jerry Latin from the Los Angeles Rams on June 13, 1979 for an undisclosed draft choice. Contemporary transaction reporting confirms the player-for-pick structure. Latin never appeared in a Vikings regular-season game and was waived on August 16, so Minnesota received no regular-season production from the acquisition.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick undisclosed draft pick (round and selection not identified)
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Jerry Latin
Trade Analysis
Contemporary United Press International transaction reporting provides a source-safe structure for this deal: Los Angeles traded running back Jerry Latin to Minnesota in June 1979 for an undisclosed draft choice. That means the older TradeVerdicts row was directionally correct but too thin to support an Even Trade conclusion. The compensation should remain a single undisclosed draft pick because the reviewed public record does not identify its round, year, selection number or downstream player. Latin had been a useful reserve before the move. NFL career statistics show that he appeared in 14 games for the Rams in 1978, carrying 18 times for 64 yards after beginning that season with St. Louis. Across his NFL career he played 51 games and rushed for 560 yards, so Minnesota was acquiring an experienced depth back rather than an untested camp player. The Vikings did not realize any regular-season value from the acquisition. Transaction records show Minnesota waived Latin on August 16, 1979, before the regular season. NFL career logs contain no Minnesota regular-season entry, and Northern Illinois historical records likewise list his 1979 NFL stop with Minnesota without any corresponding game production. Minnesota therefore surrendered a draft asset for a player who never appeared in a regular-season game for the club. The Rams' exact realized return cannot be reconstructed because the draft choice remains undisclosed. TradeVerdicts does not assign a speculative round or draftee. Even so, Los Angeles clearly converted a reserve back into draft capital while Minnesota received zero regular-season games before releasing the player. That supports a modest Rams advantage without overstating the unknown downstream value. Los Angeles receives a C+ for extracting a draft asset whose exact use cannot be traced; Minnesota receives a D for spending that asset on a player who did not make the regular-season roster. Confidence is medium because the transaction and Latin's lack of Vikings game production are well supported, while the precise draft compensation remains unresolved.