Arizona Cardinals: St. Louis converted the pick into Ike…
Arizona Cardinals: St. Louis converted the pick into Ike Harris, who later delivered three productive Cardinals seasons and posted 52 catches for 782 yards in 1976. The B+ grade reflects only value tied directly to this transaction, including production or draft value the club itself controlled. Against Detroit Lions, that supported return leads to the final verdict of Arizona Cardinals Win.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- pick 1974 fourth round pick (#91- Ike Harris )
Detroit Lions Received
- player Miller Farr
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Detroit acquired Miller Farr from St. Louis on September 7, 1973 for a 1974 fourth-round selection. The Cardinals used No. 91 on Ike Harris. The hindsight comparison stays tied to assets that remained connected to this deal. Later success counts only when the club still controlled the player or draft capital produced by the trade, which keeps a modest exchange from being inflated by unrelated moves.
Arizona Cardinals Return
St. Louis converted the pick into Ike Harris, who later delivered three productive Cardinals seasons and posted 52 catches for 782 yards in 1976. The B+ grade reflects the duration, role, and usefulness of that return. Immediate roster value matters, but short stays or assets that failed to produce meaningful game value limit the ceiling. The grade is scaled to the modest acquisition cost rather than judged against a blockbuster standard.
Detroit Lions Return
Detroit received Miller Farr, but his Lions tenure was short and did not approach the value Harris eventually supplied to the Cardinals. The D+ grade applies the same measure. Draft choices receive credit for what the club actually obtained or directly converted, while player returns are judged by games, starts, role, and sustained usefulness. That creates a consistent comparison across two very different forms of value.
Value in Hindsight
Harris' sustained receiving production gives the Cardinals the clear win. The result is driven by documented direct value rather than hypothetical alternatives. A low-cost trade can still be a clear win when one side receives useful seasons and the other gets almost nothing, while similarly small returns support an even result.
Final Verdict
The final call is Arizona Cardinals Win. Final grades: Arizona Cardinals B+, Detroit Lions D+. The judgment reflects the supported trade package, direct production, and any downstream draft value the acquiring club itself controlled. It does not assign credit for unrelated later success or penalize either club for outcomes outside this transaction.