Cincinnati sent running back Stan Fritts to New Orleans on…
Cincinnati sent running back Stan Fritts to New Orleans on July 21, 1977, for a conditional future draft choice. Bengals team history supplies the decisive detail: Fritts did not make the Saints' regular-season roster, so the condition failed and no pick changed hands. Cincinnati moved on from the player, while New Orleans received only a preseason look.
Cincinnati Bengals Received
- pick conditional future draft choice (not conveyed)
New Orleans Saints Received
- player Stan Fritts
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Cincinnati traded running back Stan Fritts to New Orleans on July 21, 1977, for a conditional future draft choice. The condition was tied to Fritts making the Saints' regular-season roster. Cincinnati's official team history states that he did not make the club, so no draft choice was ultimately transferred. That detail resolves what otherwise looks like an incomplete player-for-pick transaction.
Cincinnati's Return
The Bengals did not receive a selection because the condition failed. Their benefit was limited to clearing a player they were prepared to move and avoiding any further roster commitment. Fritts had already produced his meaningful NFL rushing work before the trade, so Cincinnati did not watch a major late-career breakout occur in New Orleans. Still, no realized draft return means the Bengals cannot earn a strong grade.
New Orleans' Return
The Saints received the right to evaluate Fritts in camp without ultimately surrendering the conditional pick. That reduced their risk considerably. The problem is that Fritts never made the regular-season roster, so the acquisition yielded no game contribution. New Orleans effectively spent roster and camp time on an evaluation that ended before the season rather than losing a lasting draft asset.
Value in Hindsight
Once the failed condition is understood, neither side gained durable football value. Cincinnati moved the player but did not collect the expected pick. New Orleans kept its pick but did not keep the player. The trade therefore should not be graded as though a hidden draft choice existed or as though Fritts supplied Saints production that never occurred. Its footprint was extremely small.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Both teams receive a C. Cincinnati created roster separation but no draft return, while New Orleans obtained a risk-limited look at Fritts and kept its selection when he failed to make the team. Neither club turned the exchange into a meaningful long-term asset, making a neutral grade the most accurate outcome.