Kansas City acquired center Wayne Frazier from Houston in…
Kansas City acquired center Wayne Frazier from Houston in August 1966 for a 1967 tenth-round pick. Frazier immediately started all 14 games for the AFL champion Chiefs and remained a starter for part of 1967. He was the center on the team that reached Super Bowl I, giving Kansas City significant immediate value from a late-round future asset. The trade clearly favored the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs Received
- player Wayne Frazier
Tennessee Titans Received
- pick 1967 10th round pick (261st overall, Tim Sheehan)
Trade Analysis
A Championship-Season Acquisition
Kansas City obtained Wayne Frazier from the Houston Oilers on August 16, 1966 in exchange for a future tenth-round pick. The timing mattered. Frazier stepped directly into the Chiefs' lineup at center and started all 14 regular-season games. Kansas City went 11-2-1, won the AFL championship and advanced to the first Super Bowl.
Frazier's Immediate Value
This was more than a depth transaction. Frazier started every game during the Chiefs' championship season and remained in the lineup during 1967, appearing in seven games and making six starts before his Kansas City tenure ended. Even a relatively short stay can create major trade value when the acquired player fills a starting position on a title-winning team.
Houston's Draft Return
The Oilers received Kansas City's 1967 tenth-round choice. Draft records identify it as No. 261 overall, used on Stanford center Tim Sheehan. The selection did not create comparable value. Sheehan's professional record shows the Houston draft and signing, but no AFL or NFL regular-season appearances.
Cost Versus Outcome
Kansas City paid late-round capital and received a starting center at exactly the right time. Houston did convert Frazier into a draft asset, but that pick did not produce a regular-season player. The contrast between a championship starter and a non-contributing tenth-round selection is decisive.
Final Verdict
Kansas City Chiefs Win. The Chiefs earn an A-minus for securing a full-season starter on the 1966 AFL champions at minimal draft cost. The Oilers receive a D-plus because the tenth-round return was legitimate but did not become regular-season production. Kansas City captured both the immediate impact and the better realized value.
Wayne Frazier immediately started every game for the 1966 AFL champion Chiefs and centered the team in Super Bowl I, while Houston's tenth-round return Tim Sheehan never recorded an AFL or NFL regular-season appearance.