Chicago sent center Wayne Mulligan to the Jets for the 1975…
Chicago sent center Wayne Mulligan to the Jets for the 1975 seventh-round pick that became No. 168, but the Bears did not select Derrel Luce with it. Chicago’s official ledger says the pick was later traded to Baltimore, which used No. 168 on Luce. Mulligan became the Jets’ starting center, appearing in 27 games with 26 starts across 1974-75. The documented pick movement and Mulligan's starting value support a clear New York win.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 1975 seventh round pick (#168 overall; later traded to Baltimore)
New York Jets Received
- player Wayne Mulligan
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On August 28, 1974, Chicago traded center Wayne Mulligan to the New York Jets for a 1975 seventh-round selection. The Bears' official trade ledger identifies the choice as No. 168 and records that Chicago later traded it to Baltimore. Baltimore ultimately used No. 168 on Derrel Luce, so Chicago's return is the selection and its documented downstream move, not Luce's later career.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago received No. 168 and did not make a player selection with it. The draft-trade ledger shows the Bears later sent that pick to Baltimore along with a 1976 fifth-rounder in a package involving the rights to Noah Jackson and a 1976 seventh-rounder. That proves the pick retained trade value, but it would be misleading to attribute all later value from that multi-asset exchange to No. 168 alone. Chicago gets a C+ for acquiring a real, movable selection without a clean one-for-one player outcome.
New York Jets Return
The Jets received Mulligan and immediately found a starting center. Pro Football Reference records 13 games and 12 starts in 1974, followed by 14 games and 14 starts in 1975. That is 27 games and 26 starts over two seasons. The Jets’ own retrospective notes that Mulligan replaced longtime center John Schmitt. For a seventh-round cost, two seasons of near-every-week starting work is a strong return and merits a B.
Value in Hindsight
New York obtained the clearer football value. Chicago preserved some value by moving the acquired pick again, but the Bears never used No. 168 on Luce and should not receive credit for Baltimore's selection. The pick's documented downstream move still shows that Chicago retained a tradeable asset.
Final Verdict
The Jets win, B to C+. Mulligan supplied 26 starts; Chicago received a tradeable seventh-rounder but no directly attributable player selection from No. 168.