On 1978-08-27, Arizona Cardinals received Jim Thaxton (James…
On 1978-08-27, Arizona Cardinals received Jim Thaxton (James Ivory Thaxton), while New Orleans Saints received 1979 seventh round pick (selection not identified). The hindsight verdict is Even Trade, with Arizona Cardinals graded C and New Orleans Saints graded C. The evaluation follows the documented consideration and the football value that can be traced from it, while treating conditional terms and later draft outcomes as context rather than as assets exchanged directly on trade day.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Jim Thaxton (James Ivory Thaxton)
New Orleans Saints Received
- pick 1979 seventh round pick (selection not identified)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1978-08-27, Arizona Cardinals received Jim Thaxton (James Ivory Thaxton), while New Orleans Saints received 1979 seventh round pick (selection not identified). That documented package anchors the hindsight judgment. Conditional terms and later pick identities are treated as downstream context, not as assets directly exchanged on the original date.
St. Louis Cardinals Return
Arizona Cardinals's return was Jim Thaxton (James Ivory Thaxton). The side is graded C. The grade reflects the usable football value traceable to that consideration rather than package size alone. For a player, the analysis weighs the role and service after the trade; for a pick, it credits only a downstream outcome that can be traced with confidence.
New Orleans Saints Return
New Orleans Saints's return was 1979 seventh round pick (selection not identified). The side is graded C. The same standard applies. A familiar name or later draft selection does not by itself create a winning return; what matters is the value the acquiring club actually realized from what it received.
Value in Hindsight
The Even Trade verdict reflects the separation, or lack of separation, between those realized returns. The comparison keeps the original terms, subsequent usefulness, draft-chain evidence, and source certainty in view. A conditional pick that was not conveyed is not treated as value received. An unidentified later selection is left unidentified rather than guessed. That conservative approach matters especially in older, lower-profile deals, where forcing precision would distort the surviving record.
Final Verdict
The final call is Even Trade. Arizona Cardinals receives C, and New Orleans Saints receives C. The grades follow the documented package and the supportable value that came from it. Where the historical trail becomes uncertain, the analysis stops there rather than converting an unresolved detail into a stronger claim.