Washington acquired running back Tom Barrington from New…
Washington acquired running back Tom Barrington from New Orleans on August 4, 1971 in exchange for defensive end Bruce Anderson. Barrington did not appear in a regular-season game after returning to Washington; Pro Football Archives records his release on September 11. The 1973 draft ledger later suggests possible draft-choice movement around the deal, but those pick links are explicitly unresolved and are not included in the verified package.
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Bruce Anderson
Washington Commanders Received
- player Tom Barrington
Trade Analysis
The verified core of the August 4, 1971 transaction is a player-for-player exchange: Washington sent defensive end Bruce Anderson to New Orleans for running back Tom Barrington. Contemporary reporting cited in later player histories describes that straight swap, and Pro Football Archives records Barrington moving to Washington on August 4. Pro Sports Transactions also associates the same date and players, but its 1973 draft-pick ledger labels possible additional choices as unknown or unconfirmed. It tentatively links New Orleans' fifth-round pick that became Dave Reavis and Washington's eighth-round pick that became Doug Winslow to the transaction, while simultaneously preserving conflicting chains for those selections. Those speculative pick attributions should not be elevated into the canonical package.
Neither verified player produced post-trade regular-season value for his new team. Barrington had been a productive Saints back from 1967 through 1970, appearing in 51 games for New Orleans after beginning his career with Washington in 1966. His 1971 return to Washington did not generate another regular-season appearance. Pro Football Archives records the August 4 trade followed by his September 11 release, and his career participation table ends with the 1970 Saints season. Any Washington games on his career line belong to his earlier 1966 stint and must not be credited to this trade.
Anderson's outcome was similarly empty for New Orleans. Pro Football Reference records his final NFL season as 1970 with Washington, when he played 14 games and started eight. He has no 1971 Saints regular-season line. Contemporary reports summarized in later biographical sourcing say Anderson failed his New Orleans physical because of a knee issue and was waived on August 9, only days after the exchange. Whatever opportunity Washington intended to provide by moving him, the Saints received no regular-season production from the verified incoming player.
Because both documented player returns produced zero post-trade regular-season games, the verified portion of the exchange is effectively even and unsuccessful for both clubs. The uncertain draft-choice references prevent absolute confidence in the full historical package, but they do not justify inventing specific assets or crediting downstream players whose connection is not established. An Even Trade with D grades on both sides reflects the no-production verified swap while keeping confidence at medium due to the unresolved draft-ledger possibilities.