The Rams received Johnny Gilden, but he did not produce a…
The Rams received Johnny Gilden, but he did not produce a comparable playing return for the club. That absence of meaningful realized value left Los Angeles behind Pittsburgh's multi-season contribution from Maras. That outcome supports a D+ grade within the Pittsburgh Steelers Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Johnny Gilden
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- other rights to Joe Maras
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1938-04-10, Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers completed an exchange in which Los Angeles Rams received Johnny Gilden, while Pittsburgh Steelers received rights to Joe Maras. The later careers and downstream use of those assets make the hindsight comparison meaningful. The strongest evaluation comes from weighing what each side actually received and what those pieces produced after the deal.
Los Angeles Rams Return
The Rams received Johnny Gilden, but he did not produce a comparable playing return for the club. That absence of meaningful realized value left Los Angeles behind Pittsburgh's multi-season contribution from Maras. That outcome supports a D+ grade within the Pittsburgh Steelers Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.
Pittsburgh Steelers Return
Pittsburgh acquired the rights to Joe Maras. Maras then appeared in 17 games for the Steelers from 1938 through 1940, giving Pittsburgh multiple seasons of actual roster value from the transaction. That outcome supports a B- grade within the Pittsburgh Steelers Win verdict. The grade reflects realized football value rather than the size of the original package.
Value in Hindsight
Pro Sports Transactions records Pittsburgh acquiring the rights to Joe Maras from the Rams for Johnny Gilden in April 1938. Maras then appeared in 17 games for Pittsburgh from 1938 through 1940, while Gilden did not produce a comparable Rams playing return, supporting a Pittsburgh win. That evidence makes the relative value easier to judge with the benefit of completed careers and documented transaction history. It also keeps the comparison proportional to the scale of the deal instead of overstating a modest exchange.
Final Verdict
Pittsburgh Steelers Win. The grades reflect the difference in realized football value while keeping the size and era of the transaction in perspective. Where both returns were limited, the grading stays modest; where one side produced a durable contributor, the advantage is correspondingly larger.