Cincinnati acquired veteran defensive end Mel Lunsford from…
Cincinnati acquired veteran defensive end Mel Lunsford from New England on June 19, 1981. The Patriots' official transaction history records the return as cash, while Bengals history describes an additional conditional future draft choice that would have been owed only if Lunsford made Cincinnati's regular-season roster. He did not, so no draft pick was conveyed and Lunsford produced no Bengals regular-season games.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- player Mel Lunsford
New England Patriots Received
- other cash
- pick conditional future draft pick (only if Lunsford made Bengals roster; not exercised)
Trade Analysis
The surviving team records clarify a transaction that the legacy TradeVerdicts row graded in the wrong direction. New England's official all-time transaction history lists June 19, 1981 as the date the Patriots sent defensive end Mel Lunsford to Cincinnati for cash. A later Bengals transaction history adds the condition that Cincinnati would also owe an undisclosed future draft choice if Lunsford made the regular-season roster. He did not, so that pick was never transferred. Pro Sports Transactions records the same structure: cash plus a conditional draft pick tied to Lunsford making the Bengals roster, with the pick marked not exercised. Contemporary UPI reporting likewise described New England as having sold Lunsford to Cincinnati for cash. Lunsford had been a substantial player for the Patriots before the move. NFL career records show 92 regular-season games and 74 starts for New England from 1973 through 1980. He started every game in 1978 and 1979, and the 1981 Bengals media guide noted that Patriots coaches had voted him their best lineman in 1979. Cincinnati was therefore acquiring an experienced veteran rather than a fringe prospect. The acquisition did not produce regular-season value for the Bengals. Cincinnati's own later transaction history explicitly says Lunsford failed to make the regular-season roster, which is why the conditional draft choice was never owed. NFL career records contain no Cincinnati season after 1980. That leaves Cincinnati with no regular-season games from Lunsford and New England with the cash payment it received at the time of the transaction. The exact amount of cash is not disclosed, so TradeVerdicts should not overstate New England's gain. But unlike the legacy Cincinnati-win verdict, the realized outcome clearly favors the Patriots: New England converted a veteran it was moving on from into cash while avoiding any loss of a future pick condition, and Cincinnati received no regular-season production. New England receives a C+ and Cincinnati a D+. Confidence is high because the Patriots' official ledger, Bengals transaction history, Pro Sports Transactions and contemporary UPI reporting all agree on the core economics and the failed roster condition.