Detroit Lions received 1978 fifth round pick (#123-Dan Gray)…
Detroit Lions received 1978 fifth round pick (#123-Dan Gray) and 1978 sixth round pick (#153-Tony Ardizzone) in the 1978-05-02 exchange, while San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers received Jim Laslavic. Detroit received the 1978 fifth-round choice at No. 123, used on Dan Gray, and the sixth-round choice at No. 153, used on Tony Ardizzone. The two selections created multiple chances, but neither produced enough value to overcome the Chargers’ side.
Detroit Lions Received
- pick 1978 fifth round pick (#123-Dan Gray)
- pick 1978 sixth round pick (#153-Tony Ardizzone)
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- player Jim Laslavic
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1978-05-02, Detroit Lions received 1978 fifth round pick (#123-Dan Gray) and 1978 sixth round pick (#153-Tony Ardizzone), while San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers received Jim Laslavic. The documented transaction and downstream asset history are sufficiently clear to judge the deal on what each side actually realized. This was not a franchise-altering blockbuster, but the eventual player and draft outcomes still create a meaningful basis for comparing the two returns.
Detroit Lions Return
Detroit received the 1978 fifth-round choice at No. 123, used on Dan Gray, and the sixth-round choice at No. 153, used on Tony Ardizzone. The two selections created multiple chances, but neither produced enough value to overcome the Chargers’ side. The C+ grade reflects both the usefulness of the return and its duration. In a deal of this size, even modest production or retained draft flexibility matters, but it has to be weighed against what the other club ultimately extracted from the same exchange.
San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers Return
San Diego acquired Jim Laslavic and received the more useful realized return from the exchange. The draft-pick package going to Detroit did not develop into a stronger outcome, leaving the Chargers with the better side of a modest transaction. The B- grade captures that side of the value equation. The important point is not simply what was promised on the trade date, but what the player or pick became after the transaction was completed and the asset chain played out.
Value in Hindsight
The competing historical sources vary slightly on pick numbering, but the actual draft slots support No. 123 and No. 153. Once those selections are traced to their players, the Chargers retain the stronger overall result. The result is therefore best viewed through realized value rather than headline value at the moment of the trade. The grades stay proportional to the modest scale of the transaction while still recognizing the side that came away with the better outcome.
Final Verdict
Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers Win. Detroit Lions receives a C+, and San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers receives a B-. The winning side produced the better realized return from the documented package, while the losing side still gets credit for any useful value it received rather than being treated as though the transaction produced nothing.