Los Angeles Chargers received Ron Smith / Ronnie Smith…
Los Angeles Chargers received Ron Smith / Ronnie Smith (Bernard). The Chargers received Ron Smith. Smith supplied some rotational receiving value for San Diego after the trade, giving the club a real but limited player return. That contribution keeps the Chargers competitive in the comparison, although it did not match the multi-season service the Rams later obtained from the correctly identified No. 134 selection, Otis Grant. That result supports a C+ grade for Los Angeles Chargers.
Los Angeles Chargers Received
Los Angeles Rams Received
- pick 1983 fifth round pick (#134-Otis Grant)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1980-09-06, Los Angeles Chargers received Ron Smith / Ronnie Smith (Bernard), while Los Angeles Rams received 1983 fifth round pick (#134-Otis Grant). Historical team, transaction, draft, and player records support the package. The comparison focuses on the value each franchise actually controlled and the regular-season contribution created after the exchange.
Los Angeles Chargers Return
Los Angeles Chargers received Ron Smith / Ronnie Smith (Bernard). The Chargers received Ron Smith. Smith supplied some rotational receiving value for San Diego after the trade, giving the club a real but limited player return. That contribution keeps the Chargers competitive in the comparison, although it did not match the multi-season service the Rams later obtained from the correctly identified No. 134 selection, Otis Grant. That result supports a C+ grade for Los Angeles Chargers. The grade reflects the actual value of that return.
Los Angeles Rams Return
Los Angeles Rams received 1983 fifth round pick (#134-Otis Grant). The Rams received San Diego's 1983 fifth-round choice, No. 134, and used it on Otis Grant. Grant gave Los Angeles multiple seasons of service, making the draft asset more productive over time than the Chargers' return from Ron Smith. Correctly identifying Grant as the selection strengthens the existing Rams-side result without turning it into a landslide. That result supports a B- grade for Los Angeles Rams. The same standard applies to the other side of the exchange.
Value in Hindsight
The 1983 draft records and Chargers history both confirm that Los Angeles received the Chargers' 1983 fifth-round choice in the Ron Smith trade. The No. 134 selection was Otis Grant, not Ron Smith as the current asset label states. Smith provided San Diego some rotational receiving value, while Grant gave the Rams multiple seasons of service, leaving the Rams win supportable with the terminal selection properly identified. This hindsight view keeps later pick movement in context and avoids assigning another club's eventual player production to a team that had already moved the selection.
Final Verdict
The final call is Los Angeles Rams Win. Los Angeles Chargers earns C+, and Los Angeles Rams earns B-. Those grades match the supported package and the relative football value each side realized from the transaction.