Las Vegas Raiders received Leon McQuay in the deal with New…

The Exchange

On 1976-04-28, Las Vegas Raiders received Leon McQuay, while New England Patriots received 1977 tenth round pick (#279-Giles Alexander). The transaction was modest in scale, so the result is best judged by the NFL service, starts, production and draft value that can be tied directly to those assets. The comparison stays proportional to what the deal actually produced rather than inflating a small exchange into a franchise-changing event. Las Vegas Raiders Return Leon McQuay did not appear in a Raiders regular-season game after the transaction and instead finished the 1976 season with New Orleans. The D grade reflects the quality and duration of that return for Las Vegas Raiders. Where a downstream draft identity is uncertain, only the value that can be connected confidently is counted, which keeps the assessment tied to the known result of the transaction. New England Patriots Return The tenth-round choice became Giles Alexander, who did not establish an NFL regular-season career. The D grade applies the same standard to New England Patriots. Brief service or a player who never established a regular-season role keeps the return modest, while sustained starts, production or useful draft value raises it when the historical record supports that connection. Value in Hindsight Neither McQuay nor Alexander delivered regular-season value to the club that acquired him or his selection. The outcome is appropriately treated as an even, low-impact exchange. Hindsight matters here because the original assets were not equal simply by label; what each club ultimately received on the field or through a clearly connected draft asset determines the separation. The grade spread therefore reflects realized football value, with uncertainty treated as a limit rather than filled in with assumptions. Final Verdict The final call is Even Trade. Las Vegas Raiders receives D, and New England Patriots receives D. The decision follows the documented contribution attached to the exchanged player or pick, the duration of that contribution and the confidence of the downstream connection. That keeps the verdict appropriately scaled to a minor transaction while still distinguishing a meaningful edge when one side produced more usable value.