New York acquired veteran defensive tackle Mike McCoy from…
New York acquired veteran defensive tackle Mike McCoy from Oakland on August 23, 1979 for its 1980 seventh-round pick. McCoy appeared in three games with two starts for the Giants in 1979, went to injured reserve in September, and appeared in two more Giants games in 1980 before leaving the club.
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1980 seventh-round pick (No. 173; Malcolm Barnwell )
New York Giants Received
- player Mike McCoy
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
NFL transaction records and Pro Sports Transactions agree on the August 23, 1979 deal: Oakland sent defensive tackle Mike McCoy to the New York Giants for a 1980 seventh-round draft choice. Draft-transaction records trace that choice to No. 173, which the Raiders used on wide receiver Malcolm Barnwell.
New York Giants Return
McCoy was an experienced former first-round pick, but his Giants tenure was brief. Pro Football Reference credits him with three games and two starts for New York in 1979. Pro Football Archives records him going to injured reserve on September 19. He returned for two games and two starts with the Giants in 1980 before his time with the club ended. That produced five games and four starts from the veteran acquired in the deal.
Oakland Raiders Return
The Raiders converted the seventh-rounder into Malcolm Barnwell. Oakland's official all-time roster credits Barnwell with 57 games, 41 starts, 112 receptions, 1,941 receiving yards and four touchdowns for the franchise. He also remained with the Raiders through the 1983 championship season and was part of the team that won Super Bowl XVIII. For a seventh-round selection, that is a substantial realized return.
Value in Hindsight
The comparison is not close. New York received only a short late-career stint from McCoy, while Oakland turned the draft choice into a multi-year starting receiver with nearly 2,000 receiving yards and championship-team value. The seventh-round draft cost was modest, but the player selected with it significantly outlasted and outproduced the veteran sent away.
Final Verdict
Las Vegas/Oakland Raiders Win. Oakland earns an A- for turning a seventh-round pick into four seasons of useful receiving production and a Super Bowl contributor. New York receives a D+ because McCoy provided only five games and four starts before moving on. The result is driven by the verified pick chain and realized post-trade value rather than by the original low draft-round cost.