Baltimore acquired guard John Shinners from New Orleans in…
Baltimore acquired guard John Shinners from New Orleans in January 1972 for defensive back Jim Duncan, the 1972 fifth-round choice used on Bob Davies and the 1973 sixth-round choice later associated with Doug Kingsriter. Shinners remained with the Colts only until October before Baltimore traded him again, giving the club some recoverable value but not a lasting starter from the original exchange.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player John Shinners
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Jim Duncan
- pick 1972 fifth round pick (#126-Bob Davies)
- pick 1973 sixth round pick (#139-Doug Kingsriter)
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Baltimore acquired guard John Shinners from New Orleans at the end of January 1972. Colts history identifies the return as defensive back Jim Duncan, the 1972 fifth-round choice used on Bob Davies and the 1973 sixth-round choice that later became Doug Kingsriter. This treatment uses the most specific contemporaneous or club-history description available and leaves any genuinely unidentified draft choice unnamed rather than attaching a speculative player.
What Baltimore Colts Received
The Colts received Shinners but kept him for only part of the year before sending him to Cincinnati in October for another draft choice. Baltimore did recover value later, but Shinners was not a long-term Colts piece. The return is evaluated on the assets that can be tied directly to the transaction, not on later guesses about uncertain pick chains. That keeps the historical package readable while preserving the limits of what can be established.
What New Orleans Saints Received
New Orleans received a veteran defensive back plus two draft selections. The sixth-round choice later moved to Minnesota in the Bob Brown deal, giving the Saints additional flexibility beyond Duncan's player value. The football result matters because a trade grade should reflect both the price paid and what the acquired asset actually delivered. Immediate roster value, later movement and retained draft capital all shape the comparison.
Final Verdict
New Orleans earns a B+ and Baltimore a C+. The Saints received the broader package and retained multiple ways to create value, while the Colts' acquisition lasted only nine months before another trade. The grade is based on the strongest documented version of the exchange and the subsequent value each club received. Where later histories disagree on a peripheral detail, the uncertain detail is left general instead of being presented as settled fact.
New Orleans retained more usable paths to value.