New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans… #1
New Orleans Saints and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans completed this trade on 1971-01-25. Burrough became the defining asset, spending eleven seasons with Houston, reaching the Pro Bowl and leading NFL wide receivers with 1,063 yards in 1975. New Orleans received volume, but no comparable long-term centerpiece. The post-trade results provide the clearest measure of what each club gained from the exchange. The historical return supports a Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans Win verdict, with New Orleans Saints graded C+ and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans graded A.
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Hoyle Granger
- player Terry Stoepel
- player Charlie Blossom
- pick 1971 second round pick (#31-Sam Holden)
Tennessee Titans Received
- player David Rowe
- player Ken Burrough
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
New Orleans received Hoyle Granger, Terry Stoepel, Charlie Blossom and the 1971 second-round pick used on Sam Holden. Houston received Dave Rowe and first-round receiver Ken Burrough. The original transaction matters because later pick movement can blur what each club actually received. This version keeps the identified assets attached to the correct side.
What New Orleans Saints Received
New Orleans Saints came away with Hoyle Granger, Terry Stoepel, Charlie Blossom, 1971 second round pick (#31-Sam Holden). Burrough became the defining asset, spending eleven seasons with Houston, reaching the Pro Bowl and leading NFL wide receivers with 1,063 yards in 1975. New Orleans received volume, but no comparable long-term centerpiece. The grade reflects both the quality of that return and how directly it benefited the franchise.
What Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans Received
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans received David Rowe, Ken Burrough. The comparison is not based only on the apparent value of the package on trade day. It weighs what those assets became, how long the player contribution lasted, whether a draft choice produced usable service, and whether either side quickly moved on without meaningful return.
How the Value Aged
Burrough became the defining asset, spending eleven seasons with Houston, reaching the Pro Bowl and leading NFL wide receivers with 1,063 yards in 1975. New Orleans received volume, but no comparable long-term centerpiece. That is the key separator in the hindsight grade. The transaction can still have made sense for both clubs at the time, especially when veterans, roster needs and future choices were valued differently than they are today. The verdict instead measures the football value each franchise ultimately captured from the assets received in this specific exchange.
Final Verdict
The best hindsight result is Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans Win. New Orleans Saints earns a C+ and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans earns a A. Flips decisively to Houston because Ken Burrough became a long-term star while the Saints package aged quickly. The grade spread stays proportional to the actual impact: a clear but modest advantage remains modest, while a long-term starter or star compared with little return creates a wider separation.