Buffalo Bills received Wray Carlton in the exchange with…
Buffalo Bills received Wray Carlton in the exchange with Boston/New England Patriots. Wray Carlton became Buffalo's leading rusher in the franchise's inaugural season and topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage. He later remained part of the Bills' championship-era teams, creating both immediate production and lasting franchise value. In hindsight, that direct outcome supports a A- grade for Buffalo Bills. The judgment focuses on what this transaction itself produced rather than unrelated later moves.
Buffalo Bills Received
- player Wray Carlton
New England Patriots Received
- player Al Crow
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
On 1960-09-03, Buffalo Bills and Boston/New England Patriots completed a deal in which Buffalo Bills received Wray Carlton, while Boston/New England Patriots received Al Crow. The exchange was modest in scale, so the evaluation turns on the actual football value each club received from the players or consideration involved.
Buffalo Bills Return
Wray Carlton became Buffalo's leading rusher in the franchise's inaugural season and topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage. He later remained part of the Bills' championship-era teams, creating both immediate production and lasting franchise value. That outcome is the basis for the A- grade assigned to Buffalo Bills. The grade is proportional to the deal's size and reflects direct contribution, duration, and useful roster value rather than simply the reputation attached to either name.
Boston/New England Patriots Return
Al Crow did not deliver anything close to Carlton's production or longevity for Boston. The Patriots gave up the player who became the centerpiece of this exchange without receiving a comparable return. That result supports a D grade for Boston/New England Patriots. The same standard applies on both sides: what the acquiring club actually got from this specific exchange, without importing value created by separate transactions later in a player's career.
Value in Hindsight
This is one of the clearest wins in the wave. Carlton became an important early Bills player and championship-era contributor, while Boston's return never approached that level. Because this was not a blockbuster, the grading should remain scaled to a relatively small transaction. The important question is whether one club turned its side of the exchange into clearly better usable football value, not whether either player became a league-wide star.
Final Verdict
The final judgment is Buffalo Bills Win. Buffalo Bills receives A-, while Boston/New England Patriots receives D. The verdict follows the strongest supported comparison of the direct returns and keeps later, independent roster moves from distorting the value of this particular trade.