New York acquired veteran quarterback Milt Plum from the Los…
New York acquired veteran quarterback Milt Plum from the Los Angeles Rams on July 20, 1969 for a future draft choice. Contemporary reporting described the return only as a future pick; the later draft ledger connects the deal to New York's 1971 fifth-round slot, No. 122, but that selection also carries conflicting later transaction chains. Plum appeared in one Giants game, completing 3 of 9 passes for 37 yards, and was released October 3.
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick future draft choice (later associated with 1971 fifth-round slot #122; downstream chain disputed)
New York Giants Received
- player Milt Plum
Trade Analysis
The legacy row conflates at least two different player histories. Contemporary Associated Press reporting published July 21, 1969 says the Giants acquired Milt Plum from the Los Angeles Rams and gave up a future draft choice. Pro Football Archives independently records Plum's trade to New York on July 20, 1969 and his release on October 3. Pro Sports Transactions later links the Plum deal to New York's 1971 fifth-round slot, No. 122. Those sources support one Rams-to-Giants transaction centered on Plum and a future choice. They do not support Henry Dyer as part of the Giants' return, and the duplicate undisclosed-consideration fields in the old record are not part of the documented exchange.
Dyer is a clear sign of the conflation. NFL and Pro Football Reference records place him with Washington in 1969 and 1970 after his earlier Rams seasons. He played 13 games with one start for Washington in 1969, not for New York, and the Giants' 1969 roster includes Plum but not Dyer. Dyer therefore cannot be credited to the Giants through this transaction. Removing him leaves the historically supported exchange: Plum to New York for a future draft choice.
Plum provided almost no realized value to the Giants. NFL statistics show him appearing in one 1969 game, completing 3 of 9 passes for 37 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Pro Football Archives records his October 3 release, ending a brief stop behind Fran Tarkenton. New York acquired experienced quarterback insurance but received only one regular-season appearance from the deal.
The Rams' compensation is more difficult to follow cleanly. Pro Sports Transactions associates the Plum deal with the Giants' 1971 fifth-round slot, No. 122, but the same ledger also records later and partly conflicting claims involving Tommy Joe Crutcher and Clifton McNeil. The final No. 122 selection, George Wells, was made by San Francisco, not Los Angeles. That means the future choice was real, but assigning Wells or another final player directly to the Rams would overstate what the evidence proves.
The Rams still receive the better hindsight grade because they converted a reserve quarterback into future draft capital while Plum gave New York only one game before his release. The uncertain later disposition keeps Los Angeles from receiving strong downstream credit. A C- for the Rams and D for the Giants reflects the modest edge without pretending the disputed pick chain is settled.