The Los Angeles Rams acquired veteran linebacker Tommy Joe…
The Los Angeles Rams acquired veteran linebacker Tommy Joe Crutcher from the New York Giants on May 30, 1970 for New York's 1971 fifth-round pick and 1972 third-round pick. Crutcher spent the 1970 season on Los Angeles' taxi/inactive list and never produced regular-season value for the Rams. The Giants retained two future assets, making New York the stronger side in hindsight.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Tommy Joe Crutcher
New York Giants Received
- pick 1971 fifth-round pick (#122; later exercised by San Francisco on George Wells)
- pick 1972 third-round pick (#69-Tom Mozisek)
Trade Analysis
The documented transaction is straightforward even though one downstream draft chain is not. Pro Sports Transactions records the Giants sending Tommy Joe Crutcher to the Rams on May 30, 1970 for New York's 1971 fifth-round choice, No. 122, and its 1972 third-round choice, No. 69. The 1972 draft ledger identifies No. 69 as Tom Mozisek, selected by the Giants. The 1971 ledger shows No. 122 eventually being exercised by San Francisco on linebacker George Wells and notes that the Giants' fifth-round choice went to the 49ers, while also flagging uncertainty about the precise Clifton McNeil consideration. That means the Giants unquestionably acquired the pick, but the record should not overstate the exact later trade package attached to it.
Crutcher did not generate a meaningful Rams return. Pro Football Archives lists the May 30 trade and shows him with Los Angeles in 1970 before his 1971 move back to Green Bay. Green Bay's 1971 media guide says Crutcher was taxied with Los Angeles for the entire 1970 season and then returned to the Packers in a trade early in the 1971 preseason. Pro Sports Transactions also records the Rams placing him on injured reserve on September 17, 1970. Those sources support the core hindsight point: Los Angeles spent two future selections for a veteran who did not provide regular-season production during his Rams stay.
New York's two acquired selections were not franchise-changing assets. The 1972 third-rounder became Tom Mozisek at No. 69, and Pro Football Reference's Giants draft history lists him with no NFL regular-season games. The 1971 fifth-rounder became part of a later asset chain and was ultimately used by San Francisco on George Wells. Because the surviving transaction ledger describes the Clifton McNeil linkage as unconfirmed, the Giants should receive credit for obtaining transferable draft capital rather than being awarded the full later value of McNeil as though that chain were certain.
The Giants win the trade on realized and retained value, but only modestly. Los Angeles received no regular-season production from Crutcher and moved him back to Green Bay the following year. New York received two future picks, one of which it used directly and one of which retained enough value to be moved onward. A B- for the Giants and D+ for the Rams reflects that asymmetry without pretending the picks themselves became major stars. The transaction is a clear example of future draft flexibility outperforming a short, non-producing veteran acquisition.