Detroit Lions received Roger Pillath in the 1967-08-23…
Detroit Lions received Roger Pillath in the 1967-08-23 exchange with Pittsburgh Steelers. Pillath has no recorded Detroit regular-season service after the exchange, leaving the Lions without a meaningful on-field return. Against Pittsburgh Steelers' return of Jerry Mazzanti, that outcome supports a D+ grade. The transaction is judged Pittsburgh Steelers Win, with the mark tied to the football value that actually followed from the deal.
Detroit Lions Received
- player Roger Pillath
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- player Jerry Mazzanti
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers completed this transaction on 1967-08-23. Detroit Lions received Roger Pillath, while Pittsburgh Steelers received Jerry Mazzanti. The terms are evaluated from the value each club actually realized after the exchange, including documented playing time and any downstream use of an acquired draft choice. That keeps the comparison focused on the transaction itself rather than on hypothetical value.
Detroit Lions Return
Pillath has no recorded Detroit regular-season service after the exchange, leaving the Lions without a meaningful on-field return. That result supports the D+ grade assigned to Detroit Lions. The mark gives credit for service or asset value traceable to this deal and does not inflate the return simply because a player or draft choice carried a recognizable name. The relevant question is what the club actually received from the asset after the exchange.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return
Mazzanti appeared in twelve games for Pittsburgh in 1967, giving the Steelers tangible one-season depth from an otherwise modest transaction. That result supports the C+ grade assigned to Pittsburgh Steelers. The same standard applies on this side: realized production, starts, roster utility, or a documented downstream transaction matters more than the nominal label attached to the asset. The grade therefore reflects practical football value rather than theoretical upside.
Value in Hindsight
The advantage belongs to Pittsburgh Steelers. Its verified return produced more useful service or downstream value than Detroit Lions' side, while the grade spread remains proportional to the modest scale of the original transaction. The comparison also avoids crediting either club for value that belonged to a later, unrelated team or for a downstream outcome that the club never actually controlled. That produces a cleaner measure of what this specific exchange delivered.
Final Verdict
Pittsburgh Steelers Win. Detroit Lions earns a D+, while Pittsburgh Steelers earns a C+. Pittsburgh Steelers receives the better mark because its side produced the clearer realized football return. The conclusion follows the verified service and downstream value tied to each side of the transaction, with the grades scaled to the size and impact of the deal.