Denver Broncos received Stan Fanning, 1964 sixth round pick…

The Exchange

On 1964-10-28, Denver Broncos received Stan Fanning, 1964 sixth round pick (#47-Al Denson), while Las Vegas Raiders received Gene Mingo. The exchange is evaluated by the regular-season service and draft outcomes each club actually received from those assets. Later movement matters only when it directly clarifies what became of the original return, keeping the comparison tied to this transaction. Denver Broncos Return Denver received Stan Fanning and the sixth-round choice that became Al Denson. Denson developed into a seven-season Bronco, giving Denver a durable return well beyond the immediate player component of the package. The B grade reflects the size, duration, and usefulness of that return relative to what Denver Broncos surrendered. The assessment gives credit for documented football value rather than for hypothetical value the asset might have produced elsewhere. Las Vegas Raiders Return The Raiders received Gene Mingo, who provided useful production after arriving from Denver. His contribution was real, but it was shorter-lived than the value Denver ultimately realized through Denson. The C grade applies the same standard to Las Vegas Raiders, focusing on the service or draft result the club actually obtained. That keeps the comparison proportional to the original cost and the relatively limited scope of the transaction. Value in Hindsight Both clubs obtained genuine football value, but Denver's side lasted longer and produced the more durable contributor. Denson's seven-season Broncos tenure gives the trade a clear edge toward Denver without turning a modest transaction into an overwhelming result. Hindsight here does not require either side to have acquired a star. The deciding question is which club converted its incoming asset or assets into the stronger supported football return, while keeping the grade gap consistent with the scale of the deal. Final Verdict The final call is Denver Broncos Win. Denver Broncos earns B, and Las Vegas Raiders earns C. Those grades reflect the documented package, the playing time or draft value that followed, and the relative durability of each club's return. For a minor transaction, the evidence supports that result without overstating the long-term importance of the exchange.