Atlanta Falcons received Tom Humphrey while Kansas City…
Atlanta Falcons received Tom Humphrey while Kansas City Chiefs received John Nessel. Atlanta received Tom Humphrey, who had appeared in five games for Kansas City in 1974 but did not produce an Atlanta regular-season contribution after the swap. The Falcons therefore gained little direct value from the player they acquired. That outcome supports a D grade for Atlanta Falcons in this trade.
Atlanta Falcons Received
- player Tom Humphrey
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player John Nessel
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1975-08-05, Atlanta Falcons received Tom Humphrey, while Kansas City Chiefs received John Nessel. The exchange was modest in scale, so the verdict depends on the football value each club actually realized from its return rather than the face value of the names or picks alone.
Atlanta Falcons Return
Atlanta received Tom Humphrey, who had appeared in five games for Kansas City in 1974 but did not produce an Atlanta regular-season contribution after the swap. The Falcons therefore gained little direct value from the player they acquired. That result is the basis for the D grade assigned to Atlanta Falcons.
Kansas City Chiefs Return
Kansas City received John Nessel, a 1975 fourth-round pick, but moved him to Philadelphia within days and he never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. The Chiefs likewise failed to turn their side of the exchange into meaningful on-field value. That result is the basis for the D grade assigned to Kansas City Chiefs.
Value in Hindsight
Neither return produced a useful result for the acquiring club. Humphrey did not become an Atlanta contributor, while Nessel was quickly moved again and never played a regular-season NFL game. With almost no direct value on either side, an even verdict with D grades fits the limited outcome. The comparison stays focused on value produced for the acquiring clubs and does not inflate unrelated later transactions or production elsewhere.
Final Verdict
The final judgment is Even Trade. Atlanta Falcons receives D, while Kansas City Chiefs receives D. The grades are scaled to the size of the deal and the amount of direct NFL value each side obtained, so a clear edge in a minor transaction does not automatically become an elite grade.