New Orleans wanted veteran interior-line help and acquired…
New Orleans wanted veteran interior-line help and acquired center Frank Marchlewski from Los Angeles for a future draft choice. Transaction records identify the move on January 20, 1970; the exact Rams selection is not securely attributable, so the return stays described as a future draft choice. New Orleans gets the stronger grade because it acquired a usable veteran and then converted him into a fourth-round asset. Los Angeles recovered future capital, but the Saints extracted more identifiable football value from the player.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick draft pick (possibly 1971 #418-Randy Vataha)
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Frank Marchlewski
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
New Orleans wanted veteran interior-line help and acquired center Frank Marchlewski from Los Angeles for a future draft choice. Transaction records identify the move on January 20, 1970; the exact Rams selection is not securely attributable, so the return stays described as a future draft choice. The exchange made sense as a roster decision for both clubs at the time: Los Angeles Rams received draft pick (possibly 1971 #418-Randy Vataha), while New Orleans Saints received Frank Marchlewski. The historical terms are stated at the level the surviving team and transaction records support, without attaching an uncertain draft choice to a named player when that link is not secure.
What Los Angeles Rams Received
Los Angeles moved a player who had already spent time with both the Rams and Falcons and recovered a future selection. The choice had value, but surviving draft trails do not support attaching it confidently to one named player. For Los Angeles Rams, the grade weighs the immediate role of the acquired asset, how long it remained useful, and whether any draft capital created a later roster return. That keeps the evaluation centered on football value rather than the reputation of the names involved.
What New Orleans Saints Received
Marchlewski became Buffalo's starting center later in 1970 after New Orleans moved him again for a fourth-round choice. That second transaction shows the Saints preserved real value from the acquisition rather than simply losing the player. For New Orleans Saints, the same standard applies: games played, starting value, later movement, and the practical quality of any selection received. A late pick is not treated like a premium asset, and a veteran who never reached the regular season does not receive credit for value that never materialized.
Final Verdict
New Orleans gets the stronger grade because it acquired a usable veteran and then converted him into a fourth-round asset. Los Angeles recovered future capital, but the Saints extracted more identifiable football value from the player. The final grades are Los Angeles Rams C and New Orleans Saints B+. The verdict is based on the strongest supportable description of the transaction and the career value that followed. That produces a complete historical judgment while keeping the package faithful to what the available football records can actually establish.