New England Patriots received 1985 seventh round pick…
New England Patriots received 1985 seventh round pick (#192-Nick Haden), while Washington Commanders received Ricky Smith (b). The September 11, 1984 Ricky Smith trade and the resulting 1985 seventh-round No. 192, used on Nick Haden. That return earns a C grade for New England Patriots, and the overall verdict is Even Trade.
New England Patriots Received
- pick 1985 seventh round pick (#192-Nick Haden)
Washington Commanders Received
- player Ricky Smith (b)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1984-09-11, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders completed a deal in which New England Patriots received 1985 seventh round pick (#192-Nick Haden), while Washington Commanders received Ricky Smith (b). The exchange was modest in scale, but it still created a direct comparison between the service one club obtained and the player or draft value returned to the other. The supported package provides a clear basis for judging both sides.
New England Patriots Return
New England Patriots came away with 1985 seventh round pick (#192-Nick Haden). That side receives a C. The grade reflects direct service for the acquiring club and, where a selection was involved, the identifiable value produced by that choice. A useful role in a smaller transaction deserves credit, but the evaluation stays proportional to the size of the deal and the length of the contribution.
Washington Commanders Return
Washington Commanders received Ricky Smith (b), which earns a C. The same standard applies here: actual playing time, starting value, or a productive draft result counts more than theoretical value that never reached the field. A short stay or a late selection can still help, but it does not receive outsized credit simply because the exchange is easy to trace decades later.
Value in Hindsight
The September 11, 1984 Ricky Smith trade and the resulting 1985 seventh-round No. 192 are directly supported, and Smith played 11 games with one interception for Washington. The exact downstream custody of No. 192 is less certain because New England had separately obligated a 1985 seventh to the Raiders in the Mike Haynes transaction. Hindsight therefore favors the return that produced the stronger supported value for the original club. Later movement of a player or selection can explain what the consideration became, but unrelated success after another transaction is not credited twice. Where historical sources differ on a minor detail, the comparison uses the strongest supported description without inventing information that the record does not establish.
Final Verdict
The final call is Even Trade. New England Patriots receives C, while Washington Commanders receives C. The result follows the stronger direct return supported by the transaction history and the players or selections that actually reached the field. The grades are measured for the scale of the trade, separating a useful edge from a truly lopsided outcome.