New York acquired Lyle Blackwood on a conditional deal, but…
New York acquired Lyle Blackwood on a conditional deal, but the Giants released him on August 31, 1981, before he appeared in a regular-season game. The Colts were owed a 1982 12th-round pick only if Blackwood made the Giants roster; transaction records mark that condition as not exercised. With zero Giants games and no draft asset realized by Baltimore, neither side produced football value. The correct result is D/D and Even Trade.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1982 conditional twelfth round pick (if Blackwood made Giants roster; not exercised)
New York Giants Received
- player Lyle Blackwood
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
The Colts traded veteran safety Lyle Blackwood to the Giants on July 15, 1981, for a conditional 1982 12th-round pick. The condition was unusually simple: Baltimore would receive the choice only if Blackwood made New York's roster. Historical transaction records explicitly label the pick as not exercised, so the outcome depends on whether Blackwood ever reached the Giants' regular-season team.
New York Giants Return
New York received no regular-season value. Pro Football Archives records that the Giants released Blackwood on August 31, before the season began. NFL career records show his 1981 regular-season team as Miami, where he played 12 games and started 10. Those Dolphins games, interceptions and later career success cannot be credited to the Giants because New York had already released him.
Baltimore Colts Return
Baltimore likewise received no realized asset. The trade record states that the 1982 12th-round choice was conditional on Blackwood making the Giants roster and was not exercised. Because the condition failed, the Colts did not receive a draft selection to convert into another player or trade. There is therefore no downstream pick chain to research or assign to Baltimore.
Value in Hindsight
This is a failed transaction on both sides, not a narrow Giants win. New York briefly held Blackwood's rights during training camp but got zero regular-season appearances. Baltimore moved on from the player but received no compensation because the roster condition failed. Blackwood becoming a 10-game starter for Miami later in 1981 is relevant only as proof that his value accrued elsewhere, not to either receiving-team return here.
Final Verdict
Even Trade, with New York and Baltimore both at D. The Giants cut Blackwood before Week 1, so New York received no regular-season football value. The Colts' conditional twelfth-round choice never conveyed because the roster condition failed. Neither side realized a regular-season return from the transaction.