The dissolution of the AAFC left 13 professional football teams in the U.S., a significant reduction from the 17 in existence the year before. That resulted in a large pool of players without teams. As part of the AAFC and NFL owners' peace deal, the Browns and the AAFC's Buffalo Bills reached an agreement under which the Browns would get the rights to guard Abe Gibron, defensive tackle John Kissell and halfback Rex Bumgardner. In exchange, Bills owner James Breuil got an ownership stake in the Browns. Similar deals were made between former AAFC owners and NFL teams in Los Angeles and New York City. The players left over after those deals were entered into a special draft from which the Browns selected defensive end Len Ford from the Los Angeles Dons and linebacker Hal Herring from the Bills. Gibron went on to a 10-year pro career, Kissell was a starter for the Browns for six seasons, and Herring played for three years. Ford, a tall and hard-hitting pass-rusher, became one of the top defensive ends of his era. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.