1972 Free Agency Part 2

Following the draft there was the mad dash to get as many players to training camp as possible. A couple of the top players remaining would sign pretty quickly with TE Tranquille Rousseau heading down to Indiana on a 1-year deal, while DB Alonzo Gray was off to Long Island for 2 years. The remaining free agents would either sign a deal with a team or settle with a training camp invite. 

Before training camps could get started there would be a couple of trades as a result of decisions made during the draft.

With Halifax drafting RB Axel Vandal with the 2nd overall pick, they had a surplus at the position and would move on from either RB Rene Lyons or RB Wesley Wu. Wu being 24, made him a more valuable asset, so he would get traded to Boston for a 4th Round Pick in 1974. The Independents are getting a young RB for depth behind RB Reggie Whitehead. 

Next, a more significant trade would see the Victors move on from 28-year-old OL Gregg Rosenberg, who they had been trying to move during the draft. Rosenberg would be packaged with a 1973 4th Round Pick and sent to Providence in exchange for 27-year-old LB Benjamin Page who had been buried in Providence’s depth chart, and 24-year-old OL Marc Clevinger. Providence gets some more sturdy depth on the O-line in a guy who is locked in for next season as well, while Indiana gets a couple of unproven players with decent potential. 

Finally, the Raiders would look to add more depth at LB and acquire veteran LB Tanner Upton from the Calgary Predators along with a 1973 5th Round Pick in exchange for a 1973 3rd Round Pick. Upton is on the older side, but he’s a solid veteran that’ll be good for depth this season. For Calgary, this allows for more space for some younger players like LB Kaleb Frederick and maybe LB Teddy Redmond.