Arizona received Roger Finnie, who became a durable Cardinals…
Arizona received Roger Finnie, who became a durable Cardinals starter and gave the franchise sustained offensive-line value. His longevity and regular role made him the defining asset in the transaction and gave Arizona a clear advantage once the careers of the exchanged pieces were known. That result supports a A- grade within the Arizona Cardinals Win verdict.
Arizona Cardinals Received
- player Roger Finnie
New York Jets Received
- player Vern Emerson
- pick 1974 sixth round pick (#137-Wayne Jones (a))
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1973-05-07, Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets completed an exchange in which Arizona Cardinals received Roger Finnie, while New York Jets received Vern Emerson and 1974 sixth round pick (#137-Wayne Jones (a)). Both sides obtained identifiable football value, so the hindsight comparison turns on what those pieces actually produced after the move rather than on the number of names or selections in the package. The later careers and roster roles provide the clearest way to separate the returns.
Arizona Cardinals Return
Arizona received Roger Finnie, who became a durable Cardinals starter and gave the franchise sustained offensive-line value. His longevity and regular role made him the defining asset in the transaction and gave Arizona a clear advantage once the careers of the exchanged pieces were known. That result supports a A- grade within the Arizona Cardinals Win verdict. The grade reflects realized contribution, role, and duration rather than the apparent size of the package on the transaction date.
New York Jets Return
New York received Vern Emerson plus the 1974 sixth-round choice used on Wayne Jones. That was a two-piece return, but neither component produced a comparable Jets payoff. The package had reasonable breadth without generating the same level of dependable contribution that Finnie supplied in Arizona. That result supports a D+ grade within the Arizona Cardinals Win verdict. The comparison gives weight to actual professional contribution and does not treat a larger asset count as automatically more valuable.
Value in Hindsight
Quantity favored New York, but realized value favored Arizona by a wide margin. Finnie's extended starting role is more meaningful than simply counting the number of assets received, especially in a modest trade where one useful long-term starter can decide the entire comparison. Looking back at the completed careers and downstream outcomes makes the relative value clearer than it was on the day of the exchange.
Final Verdict
Arizona wins and earns the stronger grade because Finnie became the only return in the deal with substantial staying power. New York's two assets never developed into an equivalent answer. The grades are intentionally scaled to the modest size of the transaction and the strength of the documented on-field return.