Chicago Bears received Dave Finzer, while Los Angeles…
Chicago Bears received Dave Finzer, while Los Angeles Chargers received 1985 twelfth round pick (#329-Bret Pearson). Chicago and San Diego histories document the August 15, 1984 Dave Finzer trade for a 1985 twelfth-round selection, ultimately Bret Pearson. That return earns a B- grade for Chicago Bears, and the overall verdict is Chicago Bears Win.
Chicago Bears Received
- player Dave Finzer
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- pick 1985 twelfth round pick (#329-Bret Pearson)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1984-08-15, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers completed a deal in which Chicago Bears received Dave Finzer, while Los Angeles Chargers received 1985 twelfth round pick (#329-Bret Pearson). The exchange was modest in scale, but it still created a direct comparison between the service one club obtained and the player or draft value returned to the other. The supported package provides a clear basis for judging both sides.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago Bears came away with Dave Finzer. That side receives a B-. The grade reflects direct service for the acquiring club and, where a selection was involved, the identifiable value produced by that choice. A useful role in a smaller transaction deserves credit, but the evaluation stays proportional to the size of the deal and the length of the contribution.
Los Angeles Chargers Return
Los Angeles Chargers received 1985 twelfth round pick (#329-Bret Pearson), which earns a D. The same standard applies here: actual playing time, starting value, or a productive draft result counts more than theoretical value that never reached the field. A short stay or a late selection can still help, but it does not receive outsized credit simply because the exchange is easy to trace decades later.
Value in Hindsight
Chicago and San Diego histories document the August 15, 1984 Dave Finzer trade for a 1985 twelfth-round selection, ultimately Bret Pearson. Finzer punted all 16 games for Chicago in 1984, creating more realized value than the late selection. Hindsight therefore favors the return that produced the stronger supported value for the original club. Later movement of a player or selection can explain what the consideration became, but unrelated success after another transaction is not credited twice. Where historical sources differ on a minor detail, the comparison uses the strongest supported description without inventing information that the record does not establish.
Final Verdict
The final call is Chicago Bears Win. Chicago Bears receives B-, while Los Angeles Chargers receives D. The result follows the stronger direct return supported by the transaction history and the players or selections that actually reached the field. The grades are measured for the scale of the trade, separating a useful edge from a truly lopsided outcome.