San Francisco acquired defensive back Melvin Morgan from…
San Francisco acquired defensive back Melvin Morgan from Cincinnati for a 1980 seventh-round pick, and the Bengals used No. 167 on linebacker Ron Simpkins. Morgan gave the 49ers 14 games and 12 starts across 1979-80. Simpkins became the more durable return, playing 84 games for Cincinnati with 22 starts through 1986. Both sides received real value, but the late-round pick developed into the longer Bengals asset.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick 1980 seventh round pick (#167-Ron Simpkins)
San Francisco 49ers Received
- player Melvin Morgan
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
San Francisco acquired defensive back Melvin Morgan from Cincinnati on July 16, 1979 for a seventh-round choice in the 1980 draft. The 49ers’ own historical trade ledger identifies the pick, and draft transaction records trace it to No. 167, where Cincinnati selected linebacker Ron Simpkins. The downstream identity is therefore part of the completed package rather than speculative pick attribution.
Cincinnati Bengals Return
Cincinnati turned a veteran defensive back into a late-round selection and then extracted substantial service from that pick. Simpkins appeared in 84 games for the Bengals from 1980 through 1986 and made 22 starts, including 11 in 1984 and nine in 1985. He was not a star, but six seasons of linebacker depth and intermittent starting work from pick No. 167 is a strong return for a player the club chose to move.
San Francisco 49ers Return
Morgan also helped San Francisco. He appeared in eight games with seven starts in 1979 and six games with five starts in 1980, giving the 49ers 12 starts over two seasons. That is legitimate value for a seventh-round pick. The issue is duration: Morgan’s San Francisco tenure was much shorter than the years Cincinnati received from Simpkins, so the 49ers did not maximize the long-term side of the exchange.
Value in Hindsight
This trade produced value for both teams, which keeps San Francisco comfortably above a losing grade. A seventh-rounder becoming 12 starts at defensive back is a reasonable outcome. Cincinnati simply did better with the asset it received, turning No. 167 into six seasons and more than eighty games. The Bengals’ drafting success, not a failure by Morgan, creates the hindsight advantage.
Final Verdict
Cincinnati wins. The Bengals earn a B+ for converting Morgan into a seventh-round pick that became a long-tenured contributor. San Francisco receives a C+ because Morgan delivered two seasons and 12 starts at a very low acquisition cost. The return gap is real, but this is a productive trade on both sides rather than a mistake by the 49ers.