Buffalo Bills received Tom Ehlers, Tom Graham from…
Buffalo Bills received Tom Ehlers, Tom Graham from Philadelphia Eagles. Buffalo received linebackers Tom Ehlers and Tom Graham. Both supplied only limited value for the Bills in 1978, so the player side of the exchange produced a modest and short-lived return. That outcome supports a C grade for Buffalo Bills. The final verdict is Even Trade, based on the football value the club actually realized from the assets it controlled after the exchange.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Tom Ehlers
- player Tom Graham
Philadelphia Eagles Received
- pick 1979 eighth round pick (#196-Chuck Correal)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1978-08-21, Buffalo Bills received Tom Ehlers, Tom Graham, while Philadelphia Eagles received 1979 eighth round pick (#196-Chuck Correal). 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. Buffalo Bills Return Buffalo received linebackers Tom Ehlers and Tom Graham. Both supplied only limited value for the Bills in 1978, so the player side of the exchange produced a modest and short-lived return. The C grade reflects the size, duration, and usefulness of that return relative to what Buffalo Bills surrendered. The assessment gives credit for documented football value rather than for hypothetical value the asset might have produced elsewhere. Philadelphia Eagles Return Philadelphia received the 1979 eighth-round choice later used on Chuck Correal. That selection did not develop into a meaningful long-term NFL return for the Eagles. The C grade applies the same standard to Philadelphia Eagles, 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 The Bills gained some limited player service, while the Eagles received a late-round choice that produced little lasting value. The difference is too small to support a clear winner, so matching C grades reflect the modest outcome on each side. 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 Even Trade. Buffalo Bills earns C, and Philadelphia Eagles 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.