Indianapolis acquired tight end Robert Tyler from the Los…
Indianapolis acquired tight end Robert Tyler from the Los Angeles Raiders on August 20, 1991 for a conditional 1992 ninth-round selection. Tyler did not appear in a regular-season game for the Colts, and the condition was not satisfied, so Indianapolis never surrendered the pick. Neither side ultimately received meaningful realized football value from the low-cost transaction.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Robert Tyler / Bob Tyler
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1992 conditional ninth round pick (not exercised)
Trade Analysis
Why the Deal Happened
Indianapolis acquired tight end Robert Tyler from the Raiders on August 20, 1991 for a conditional ninth-round choice in the 1992 draft. The Colts were taking a low-cost look at a tight end who had previously started for Seattle, while Los Angeles accepted a conditional future asset. The condition was not satisfied, so the Raiders never received an exercised draft choice from the deal.
What Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Raiders Received
Tyler also did not produce a regular-season contribution for Indianapolis. His recorded NFL career consists of nine games and 14 receptions for Seattle in 1989, with no Colts regular-season statistics after the trade. That leaves both sides without a tangible on-field or draft return: Indianapolis acquired a player who did not become part of its regular-season offense, and Los Angeles received no exercised selection.
How the Value Developed
A conditional trade can still be rational even when it yields nothing. Indianapolis risked almost no draft capital because the condition protected the club if Tyler failed to stick, while the Raiders created a chance to receive a pick for a player they were willing to move. Once the condition went unexercised and Tyler failed to play for the Colts, however, there was no meaningful realized advantage for either organization.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Indianapolis and Los Angeles each receive a C-. The Colts did not lose a draft choice, but they also did not gain regular-season production. The Raiders moved on from Tyler without receiving the conditional ninth-rounder. With essentially zero realized football value on both sides, a winner label would be artificial. The modest grades reflect a sensible low-risk transaction whose outcome ultimately became a wash.
Neither Tyler nor the unexercised conditional pick produced realized value, leaving both clubs without meaningful return for either team.