New Orleans acquired linebacker Adrian Young from Detroit on…
New Orleans acquired linebacker Adrian Young from Detroit on April 9, 1973, for the Saints’ 1974 sixth-round pick, No. 139, later used on Willie Burden. Young was released before the season and never played a regular-season game for New Orleans. Burden also never appeared in an NFL regular-season game for Detroit. Neither side turned the trade into meaningful NFL value.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick 1974 sixth round pick (#139-Willie Burden)
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Adrian Young
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Adrian Young had joined Detroit during the 1972 season after several years with Philadelphia. New Orleans sought linebacker help and acquired him in early April 1973 for a future sixth-round choice. The exact day is clarified by contemporary reporting: an Associated Press item published Tuesday, April 10 says the Saints acquired Young “in a deal Monday,” making the transaction date April 9. Pro Football Archives and Pro Sports Transactions also use April 9, while Detroit’s later transaction history records April 10.
What New Orleans Received
Young reached the Saints and appeared on the club’s 1973 preseason depth chart at right linebacker, but the move never generated regular-season value. Pro Football Archives records New Orleans releasing him on September 11. NFL career records show Young’s only 1973 regular-season appearances came later with Chicago, where he played two games. In practical terms, the Saints surrendered a future draft choice for a player who did not appear in a regular-season game for them.
What Detroit Received
The sixth-round pick became No. 139 overall in the 1974 draft, which Detroit used on North Carolina State running back Willie Burden. Burden did not play an NFL regular-season game for the Lions. He went on to a highly productive Canadian Football League career, but that success did not create NFL value for Detroit. The Lions therefore received a real draft asset and made a legitimate selection, yet the on-field NFL return was also zero.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Both teams receive C- grades because neither side converted its asset into regular-season NFL production for the acquiring club. New Orleans got no games from Young, while Detroit got no NFL games from Burden. The Lions at least controlled a sixth-round selection, and the Saints had a plausible veteran depth target, but hindsight leaves no meaningful football advantage for either side.