October 22nd, 1974
GREEN BAY - Coach Dan Devine of the Green Bay Packers, as displeased as most fans with the Packers' lack of punch on offense, overhauled the team's quarterback corps Tuesday.
After announcing that veteran Jack Concannon, Jerry Tagge's backup, would start Sunday against the Lions in Detroit, Devine then obtained veteran John Hadl from the Los Angeles Rams for five draft choices and waived the Packers' other quarterback, Dean Carlson.
Hadl, 34, and in his 13th season of pro ball, was expensive. To get him, the Packers gave up first-, second- and third-round choices in the next draft, and a first and second choice in 1976.
Said Devine, however, "We still have everything for the 1975 draft but our first and third choices, and that includes two second-round picks. The Rams originally wanted players, and we got it down to the draft choices. We have a lot of people on injured reserve who, when healthy, will give us an overcomplement of players, so replacing those draft choices is not going to be any problem if and when we want to do it."
Devine said that the Packers had been considering a quarterback deal for more than a week before Monday night's 10-9 defeat at Chicago against the Bears.
"We had a lot of discussions," he said. "We were thinking about Archie Manning of the Saints, too. But John became available and we needed to do something at this point."
The deadline for trades in the National Football League was 3 p.m., Wisconsin time.
Devine said that Hadl was the only quarterback actually sought by the Packers, although three other NFL quaterbacks, Craig Morton, Norm Snead and Joe Reed were traded Tuesday.
Ironically, it was a poor showing against the Packers in Milwaukee Oct. 13 that led to Hadl's availability. He was the Rams' starter for that game, but he was replaced by James Harris after completing only 6 of 16 passes for 59 yards and throwing two interceptions.