On 1971-08-23, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles…
On 1971-08-23, New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles completed a deal that sent Richard Harvey to New Orleans Saints and Jim Ward (Edgar Harold) to Philadelphia Eagles. Neither player became a significant long-term contributor for his new club. Harvey appeared only briefly for New Orleans, while Ward's Eagles regular-season production was similarly slight, leaving little durable separation between the sides. That realized value supports a Even Trade verdict, with New Orleans Saints graded C and Philadelphia Eagles graded C.
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Richard Harvey
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- player Jim Ward ( Edgar Harold )
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
New Orleans and Philadelphia completed a one-for-one player swap, with defensive back Richard Harvey going to the Saints and Jim Ward going to the Eagles. The duplicate Harvey alias in the older entry describes the same player and is removed. 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 Richard Harvey. Neither player became a significant long-term contributor for his new club. Harvey appeared only briefly for New Orleans, while Ward's Eagles regular-season production was similarly slight, leaving little durable separation between the sides. The grade reflects both the quality of that return and how directly it benefited the franchise.
What Philadelphia Eagles Received
Philadelphia Eagles received Jim Ward (Edgar Harold). 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
Neither player became a significant long-term contributor for his new club. Harvey appeared only briefly for New Orleans, while Ward's Eagles regular-season production was similarly slight, leaving little durable separation between the sides. 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 Even Trade. New Orleans Saints earns a C and Philadelphia Eagles earns a C. Removes duplicate Richard Harvey alias and regrades the low-value one-for-one exchange to Even. 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.