The Cardinals received Green Bay's rights to Bob Reynolds for…
The Cardinals received Green Bay's rights to Bob Reynolds for Lou Gordon in August 1936. Reynolds did not provide a comparable regular-season contribution for the franchise, while Gordon became a useful Green Bay lineman with 12 games and five starts in 1936 and continued service the next season. The Cardinals' realized return was therefore minimal relative to what they surrendered.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Bob Reynolds (a)
Green Bay Packers Received
- player Lou Gordon
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Green Bay acquired lineman Lou Gordon from the Cardinals in August 1936 in exchange for the Packers' rights to Bob Reynolds. This is a useful example of why a rights-for-player transaction has to be judged by realized service rather than by the apparent symmetry of the paperwork.
Green Bay Packers Return
Gordon immediately became a useful Packers lineman. He appeared in 12 games with five starts in 1936 and remained with Green Bay into 1937, adding another season of service. That gave the Packers both immediate availability and some continuity from an asset that could easily have produced little in an era when rights transactions often involved uncertain roster outcomes.
Arizona Cardinals Return
The Cardinals received the rights to Reynolds, but the available record does not show a comparable Cardinals regular-season contribution from him. There is no supportable multi-season Cardinals role, significant production, or downstream asset that can be credited to that side. The return therefore remains largely unrealized.
Value in Hindsight
Green Bay clearly extracted the stronger football value. Gordon became a multi-season contributor and started games immediately, while Reynolds did not generate an equivalent Cardinals outcome. The value gap is driven by actual roster service rather than hindsight speculation about player rights. Gordon's continued presence into 1937 also matters because it shows the Packers received more than a temporary preseason look.
Final Verdict
Green Bay Packers Win. Green Bay earns a B+ because Gordon provided 12 games, five starts, and continued service into the following season. The Cardinals earn a D+ because the rights to Reynolds did not translate into comparable regular-season value.