New Orleans sent Jim Flanigan to New England on June 29, 1972…
New Orleans sent Jim Flanigan to New England on June 29, 1972 and received the 1973 sixth-round choice later used on Marty Shuford at No. 134. Flanigan did not make a regular-season impact for the Patriots, while Shuford also failed to become a meaningful NFL contributor. The Saints at least recovered a draft asset, giving them a slight edge in an otherwise low-value exchange.
New England Patriots Received
- player Jim Flanigan Sr.
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 1973 sixth round pick (#134-Marty Shuford)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
New Orleans traded linebacker Jim Flanigan to New England on June 29, 1972 and received a 1973 sixth-round choice. Saints draft history identifies that selection as No. 134, Marty Shuford. The transaction is therefore a veteran-for-future-pick deal with a clearly traceable draft outcome.
What New England Received
Flanigan had been a productive professional earlier in his career, but the Patriots did not receive that earlier version of him. Historical accounts show his New England stint ending before he could provide meaningful regular-season production. That sharply limits the football return even though acquiring an experienced linebacker made sense as a summer depth move.
What New Orleans Received
The Saints converted a player they were prepared to move into a future draft selection. Shuford did not develop into a significant NFL contributor, so New Orleans did not turn the sixth-rounder into a major success. Still, the club preserved some roster-building value rather than simply losing Flanigan, and the pick remained a tangible asset through the following draft. The sixth-round slot was not a premium asset, but preserving any future selection for a veteran who did not help his new club was still a small piece of favorable roster management.
Final Verdict
This is a low-separation trade. Neither side produced a lasting contributor from what it received, so there is no basis for a strong grade. New Orleans gets the slight edge because it recovered a draft choice from a player whose New England tenure yielded little, while the Patriots received almost no realized regular-season value. C+ for the Saints and C for New England captures that small distinction.