Minnesota acquired Mike LaHood from the St. Louis Cardinals…
Minnesota acquired Mike LaHood from the St. Louis Cardinals in August 1971 and sent linebacker Jim Hargrove the other way. LaHood did not establish meaningful regular-season value for the Vikings, while Hargrove appeared for St. Louis in both 1971 and 1972. The Cardinals received the more useful player from the straight swap, earning a modest but clear win.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Jim Hargrove
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Mike LaHood
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Minnesota and St. Louis completed a direct player swap on August 11, 1971. The Vikings received Mike LaHood, while the Cardinals acquired Jim Hargrove. Contemporary reporting and transaction histories support the one-for-one exchange. With no draft choices involved, the retrospective question is unusually simple: which club received the player who supplied more useful NFL service afterward.
Minnesota Vikings Return
LaHood did not establish a meaningful regular-season role for Minnesota. That makes the Vikings' side difficult to defend in hindsight because they surrendered another rostered player rather than a remote draft choice. The D+ grade reflects the fact that the acquisition did not become a useful piece of the Vikings lineup after the trade.
Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals Return
Hargrove gave St. Louis the better practical return. He appeared on the Cardinals' rosters in 1971 and 1972 and provided actual linebacker service after the exchange. His contribution was not star-level and does not justify a high grade, but simply receiving usable multi-season roster value creates a clear advantage over Minnesota's limited result from LaHood.
Value in Hindsight
Straight player swaps can be judged more cleanly than pick chains because there is less downstream noise. Here, the Cardinals got the player who remained useful to their roster, while the Vikings did not receive a comparable contribution. The trade was small and did not materially alter either franchise, but the direction of the value is still identifiable.
Final Verdict
St. Louis wins, B- to D+. Hargrove's continued Cardinals service gives the club a solid return from a modest transaction. Minnesota's acquisition failed to produce similar regular-season value, so the prior even grade was too generous to the Vikings. The margin is clear without treating the deal as a major franchise event.