Chicago received Sherrick McManis; Houston received Tyler…
Chicago received Sherrick McManis; Houston received Tyler Clutts. Chicago acquired Sherrick McManis for Tyler Clutts at the 2012 roster deadline. McManis became a long-tenured Bears special-teams standout and reserve defensive back, while Clutts gave Houston only a brief fullback return. The hindsight grades are B+ for Chicago Bears and C+ for Houston Texans, producing a Chicago Bears Win verdict.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Sherrick McManis
Houston Texans Received
- player Tyler Clutts
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Chicago received Sherrick McManis; Houston received Tyler Clutts. Chicago acquired Sherrick McManis for Tyler Clutts at the 2012 roster deadline. McManis became a long-tenured Bears special-teams standout and reserve defensive back, while Clutts gave Houston only a brief fullback return. The fairest hindsight test is the actual regular-season service, durable asset value, and opportunity cost each club realized rather than the reputation attached to the names on the transaction date.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago found years of special-teams value in a player obtained during final cuts. McManis eventually became the longest-tenured player on the roster and contributed well beyond the narrow role expected in a fringe-for-fringe exchange. The grade should stay proportional to the stakes: this was not a franchise-defining blockbuster, but even a small exchange can create a clear winner when one side receives dependable service and the other does not.
Houston Texans Return
Houston addressed fullback depth with Clutts and received some immediate roster utility. The return was legitimate, but it was short-lived compared with the sustained special-teams contribution McManis supplied in Chicago. The evaluation gives credit for any real roster service, draft value, or certain consideration that materialized. It avoids inflating a return simply because an acquired player was once highly regarded or because a draft choice existed before its eventual use was known.
Value in Hindsight
Chicago acquired Sherrick McManis for Tyler Clutts at the 2012 roster deadline. McManis became a long-tenured Bears special-teams standout and reserve defensive back, while Clutts gave Houston only a brief fullback return. That is the key separation. A minor transaction can still deserve a positive grade when the cost was controlled and the return became useful, while a low-cost miss should remain a modest deduction rather than an extreme failure. The historical terms and subsequent service are specific enough to compare the clubs without overstating either side's gain.
Final Verdict
The final call is Chicago Bears Win. Chicago Bears receives a B+, while Houston Texans receives a C+. Those grades reflect the verified package, the value that actually materialized after the deal, and the limited scale of the exchange.