The Greatest Trade Ever Made - Page 3 - Dallas Cowboys Forum

burmafrd · 06-03-2005

NO. The franchise did not exist at that time. Therefore it is not eligible to be considered the greatest trade.

burmafrd · 06-03-2005

A trade is when you use either draft picks or bodies as the commodity. What Clint did was make a deal as regards rights to certain properties in exchange for a vote in the meeting.

hipfake08 · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tio

"Lets get 'em"

I thought this was the football forum.

Not the Bleeker Street bar scene.

jackrussell · 06-03-2005

Quote:

sorry dude, as usual people waaaaay overstate what we got in the Walker trade. I hear over and over that we got Emmit and Russell, etc. I dont have a chart nor all the details as I write this but here's one point for example. We did not use a pick we got from Minnesota to get Emmit. We used that pick plus one other top pick of our own to move up to get Emmit. Big difference. I'm pretty sure at least one other of the players always credit as us having gotten with a Minny pick was the same thing.

BIG difference? Don't think so. By moving up with the aid of Minnesota's picks, then they indeed used them to aquire Smith, and Maryland, for that matter.

It is simply referred to as "The Trade." It was the largest player trade in NFL history, and it led to a Super Bowl caliber Vikings squad being decimated, a 2-time Super Bowl champion Cowboys team being built, and Vikings GM Mike Lynn being perhaps the most hated man in the world by Vikings fans. The Trade took place on October 12, 1989. Believing the Vikings to be only a big-time RB away from winning it all, Lynn acquired Herschel Walker from the Cowboys and new owner Jerry Jones and new coach Jimmy Johnson for 5 roster players (LB Jesse Solomon, DB Issiac Holt, RB Darrin Nelson, LB David Howard, DE Alex Stewart), and 6 assorted draft picks (conditional 1st & 2nd round in '90 and '91; 1st round and conditional 3rd in '92).

Nelson, upset at being traded, refused to report to the Cowboys and was traded to the San Diego Chargers, ultimately returning to the Vikings. The result of the trade to San Diego was the Vikings sending a 6th round pick in 1990 and the original conditional 2nd round pick in 1991, and the Chargers sending their 5th round pick in 1990 to Minnesota via Dallas. The Cowboys then waived DE Alex Stewart and threatened to waive other players in order to get all of the conditional draft picks. In February 1990, the Cowboys traded their 3rd and 10th round picks and their 1991 3rd rounder to the Vikings so that they could keep the 3 remaining roster players and all of the conditional draft picks. So the initial trade looked as follows:

Please, spare the details and just tell me who ended up with with our picks and who was drafted with them. Fine. Be that way, click here.

[font=Arial]Vikings[/font] [font=Arial]Cowboys[/font] [font=Arial]RB Herschel Walker[/font] [font=Arial]LB Jesse Solomon[/font] [font=Arial]Dallas's 3rd round pick - 1990 (54)[/font] [font=Arial]LB David Howard[/font] [font=Arial]San Diego's 5th round pick - 1990 (116)[/font] [font=Arial]CB Isaac Holt[/font] [font=Arial]Dallas's 10th round pick - 1990 (249)[/font][font=Arial]Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1991 (21)[/font] [font=Arial]Dallas's 3rd round pick - 1991 (68)[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1990 (47)[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 6th round pick in 1990 (158)[/font] [font=Arial]NOTE: Brackets () indicate[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1991 (conditional) - (11)[/font] [font=Arial]the overall pick number.[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1991 (conditional) - (38)[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1993 (conditional) - (13)[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1992 (conditional) - (40)[/font] [font=Arial]Minnesota's 3rd round pick in 1992 (conditional) - (71)[/font]

On April 19, 1990 Dallas traded Minnesota's 2nd pick and Kansas City's 3rd pick in 1990 to San Francisco for RB Terrence Flagler, DE Daniel Stubbs, SF 3rd round pick in 1990 and SF 11th round pick in 1990.

On April 22, 1990 (draft day), Dallas traded Minnesota's 1st pick in 1990 and SF 3rd pick in 1990 to Pittsburgh for Pitt's 1st round pick (#21 and #81 for #17) and selected RB Emmitt Smith. With the #21 pick, Pittsburgh selected TE Eric Green. Minnesota picked TE Mike Jones with the #54 pick, WR Reggie Thorton with the #116 pick and WR Pat Newman with the #249 pick. San Francisco selected DT Dennis Brown with the #47 pick. Dallas traded Minnesota's 6th round pick, an 8th round pick from NE, a 9th round pick from Seattle, a 10th round pick from Indianapolis and an 11th round pick from San Francisco to the LA Raiders for LA's fifth round choice in 1990, DB Stan Smagala (#122 overall). Minnesota's 6th round pick (#158) ended up in New Orleans who selected LB James Williams (Mississippi State). San Francisco's 3rd and 11th round picks (#81 and #304 overall) ended up with New Orleans (DL Craig Veasey - Houston) and LA Raiders (RB Myron Jones from Fresno State) respectively.

On September 3, 1990 Dallas traded Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1991 (#38 overall) and its own 5th round pick in 1991 (#105 overall) to Houston for RB Alonzo Highsmith.

On April 19, 1991 (draft) Dallas traded Minnesota's 1st pick, Dallas' 2nd, DB Ron Francis, LB David Howard and LB Eugene Lockhart to New England for New England's 1st pick (#1 overall) and selected DT Russell Maryland. With Minnesota's pick (#11 overall) New England selected OL Pat Harlow. With the #38 pick, Houston picked DB Darryl Lewis (Arizona). With Dallas' 3rd round pick (#68 overall) Minnesota selected WR Jake Reed.

On Sept. 16, 1991 Dallas traded LB Jesse Solomon to New England (who sent him to TB) for New England's 6th round pick (#149 overall) in 1992.

On April 26, 1992 (draft) Dallas traded Minnesota's 1st and 3rd round picks (#13 and #71 overall) to New England for NE 1st, 2nd and 4th round picks (#19, #37 and #104 overall). Dallas traded the #19 and #104 picks to Atlanta for Atlanta's 1st and 5th round picks (#17 and #120 overall). Dallas traded Minnesota's 2nd round pick (#40 overall) to Kansas City for 2nd and 3rd round picks (#47 and #74 overall). Dallas traded the #47, #74 picks to Washington for a 2nd and a 3rd round pick (#56 and #58 overall). Dallas traded the #56 pick to Detroit for 3rd, 4th and 9th round picks (#82, #109 and #250 overall).

In the 1992 draft Dallas selected CB Kevin Smith (#17 - Texas A&M), S Darren Woodson (#37 - Arizona State), CB Clayton Holmes (#58 - Carson Newman, OL James Brown (#82 - Virginia State), G Tom Myslinski (#109 - Tennessee), S Greg Briggs (#120 - Texas Southern), TE Fallon Wacasey (#149 - Tulsa), S Chris Hall (#250 - East Carolina). New England selected T Eugene Chung (#13 - Virginia Tech) and RB Kevin Turner (#71 - Alabama) and Kansas City selected QB Matt Blundin (#40 - Virginia) with Minnesota's original picks.

The 1992 draft completed the trade. Herschel Walker was released by the Vikings in May 1992 and was picked up by Philadelphia and eventually ended up back with the Cowboys in 1996. Mike Jones was supposed to be the replacement for Jordan but never lived up to expectations; he was waived in 1992. Thorton did not make the team, Newman was lost in Plan B (Saints). Jake Reed is still with the Vikings. The Cowboys waived Holt in 1993 (Kevin Smith took over); Highsmith, Fragler, Stubbs were disappointments and were waived after a year; the lower picks in 1992 did not make the team.

The end results of the trade after 1992: [font=Arial]Cowboys [/font][font=Arial]RB Emmitt Smith [/font][font=Arial]DT Russell Maryland [/font][font=Arial]CB Kevin Smith [/font][font=Arial]S Darren Woodson [/font][font=Arial]CB Clayton Holmes[/font]
Players selected with the actual picks traded to Dallas: [font=Arial]1990 1st Round (#21) [/font][font=Arial]TE Eric Green [/font][font=Arial]Pittsburgh [/font][font=Arial]1990 2nd Round (#47) [/font][font=Arial]DT Dennis Brown [/font][font=Arial]San Francisco [/font][font=Arial]1990 6th Round (#158) [/font][font=Arial]LB James Williams [/font][font=Arial]New Orleans [/font][font=Arial]1991 1st Round (#11) [/font][font=Arial]OT Pat Harlow [/font][font=Arial]New England [/font][font=Arial]1991 2nd Round (#38) [/font][font=Arial]DB Darryl Lewis [/font][font=Arial]Houston [/font][font=Arial]1992 1st Round (#13) [/font][font=Arial]OL Eugene Chung [/font][font=Arial]New England [/font][font=Arial]1992 2nd Round (#40) [/font][font=Arial]QB Matt Blundin [/font][font=Arial]Kansas City [/font][font=Arial]1992 3rd Round (#71) [/font][font=Arial]RB Kevin Turner [/font][font=Arial]New England [/font]Perhaps the Vikings could've salvaged something out of having decimated their team for one player (particularly their defense), but Walker was never used properly by the coaching brain trust (a total oxymoron in this case). Walker left the Vikings for Philadelphia soon after, and ultimately wound up back in Dallas, an ironic completion of Herschel's journey.

fiveandcounting · 06-03-2005

[quote=jackrussell]BIG difference? Don't think so. By moving up with the aid of Minnesota's picks, then they indeed used them to aquire Smith, and Maryland, for that matter.

Big, medium whatever, who wants to parse words like big here. It made a difference Jack. And since your tone is a little argumentative, let me try a different approach and hopefully you will then agree with me. People (usually anti Cowboys haters) like to say oh you got lucky with one trade, if Minny wasnt so stupid you would have never won super bowls. They like to boil down the trade similar to what you did here and make it sound more direct and cause-and-effect then it really was. If we used a Minny pick and a SF 3rd rounder to move up to get Emmit, then the Minny pick got us like 75% of Emmit, right? I mean that is correct isnt it? I am just saying this was a damn good trade but as a Cowboys fan who feels like the organziation was clicking on all cyclinders back then I prefer to qualify it and not just say things like that trade got us Emmit and Maryland and Smith, etc, because it isnt that simple.

jackrussell · 06-03-2005

If you sense a tone of me being arguementative, I would suggest maybe you're a bit sensitive. I was merely counterpointing your statement that Dallas didn't use a Minn. pick to obtain Emmitt, and quite a few others, when, in fact, they did. And I'm not 'boiling' down the trade, I was giving the proof that they did indeed use those picks.

fiveandcounting · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrussell

If you sense a tone of me being arguementative, I would suggest maybe you're a bit sensitive. I was merely counterpointing your statement that Dallas didn't use a Minn. pick to obtain Emmitt, and quite a few others, when, in fact, they did. And I'm not 'boiling' down the trade, I was giving the proof that they did indeed use those picks.

I suggest I'm not.

Also you misread my post. I think I clearly show I am aware they used a Minny pick PLUS another one to get Emmit. When I said they didnt use a Minny pick I meant they didnt "only" use a Minny pick, but the exclusion of the word "only" in my sentnce was cleared up in my next sentence. This is a silly debate here. My point is just as a Cowboy fan I DONT want that trade to look all that great. I dont want it to be the greatest trade ever in the history of mankind. I think saying that diminishes the accomplishments of the early 90's Dallas organization and it is fodder used by Cowboy haters who pass off our accomplishments as a mere fluke of one trade. You damn right it was a great trade and lopsided in our favor but if I see a hint of a point to downplay it a little I chose to do so and am surprised to see that other fans dont really do the same. They did have to use another pick other than the Minny one to get Emmitt.

jay cee · 06-03-2005

And it started out such a happy, feel good thread.

blindzebra · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tio

Maybe if someone cared about you, we would update your face....but....well, it goes without saying

Actually Winicki would make the perfect Bosley and I'm talking the TV Bosley, not the more cool big screen ones.

jackrussell · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay cee

And it started out such a happy, feel good thread.

Indeed. A semi informative/entertaining intent ran the gamit from 'I'm tellin' the mod' to 'I refuse to acknowledge the Walker trade as the core of the 90's success.'

Oh well. Perhaps a 'should we sign (fill in name here)' clone post would have sufficed.

Mike 1967 · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tio

"Lets get 'em"

That is freakin hilarious.

Give this guy a special reward !!!!!!

jay cee · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrussell

Indeed. A semi informative/entertaining intent ran the gamit from 'I'm tellin' the mod' to 'I refuse to acknowledge the Walker trade as the core of the 90's success.'

Oh well. Perhaps a 'should we sign (fill in name here)' clone post would have sufficed.

Well I for one, enjoyed it. Maybe its because I'm old enough to remember those days.

Keep 'em coming JR. I'll read them. I've been skipping the "should we sign so and so?" threads.

Manster68 · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackrussell

Reading the Jerry Rice thread, I was at first amazed that some knew nothing of the year we missed out on Rice to the 9ers, or the facts on Herschel Walker and his draft status and employment by none other than Donald Trump. But then I realized that when some of this all went down, some of you may not have been even a twinkle in your parent's eye. Yep, the years roll by, and I'm getting a bit long of tooth, yet not nearly as old as CBz40.

So gather 'round my chid'ren, and let ole jack tell the story of 'The Greatest Trade Ever Made'.

Of course the trade that comes to most minds is the Walker dealing to Minnesota. I'm sorry, that's not what I'm speaking of. You will find that in another thread, 'The Greatest Screwing of All Time'. Nope, there was a far more significant trade in Dallas history, one that stretches the domino effect across 2 decades.

[View Full Quote]

JackRussell

Fabulous post!

Too bad the thread got polluted with the Reality Angels pics.

Anyway, with all due respect, my friend, I don't think you went back far enough. Let me explain.

How did Dallas get that pick for Butch Johnson? It was acquired in a trade with another team (that I cannot remember). In 1973, Dallas drafted a Wide Receiver named Golden Richards. Landry and Gil Brandt also picked up two undrafted free agants named Otto Stowe and Drew Pearson.

Dallas' four WRs for 1973 was veteran Bob Hayes, with rookies Otto Stowe, Golden Richards, and if needed Drew Pearson. Otto Stowe beat out Richards and Pearson for the other wide receiver position. For the first couple of weeks, he lit it up courtesy of Staubach.

I think it was Week 4 of the 1973 season where Otto Stowe broke his leg. He was never the same again. NFL Films really hyped up Otto Stowe in the 1973 Cowboys team highlight film.

What happened was that Landry traded Otto Stowe to another team for some future draft picks. One of those picks was the 3rd rounder in 1976 for Golden Richards.

Therefore, the best thing to ever happen to the Cowboys was Otto Stowe breaking his leg.

This did two things:

1. It launched the careers of both Drew Pearson and Golden Richards with their fabulous play in the 1970s. ..... and

2. Led to a string of trades which led to the acquisition of Hershal Walker.

It is amazing how one broken leg would lead not only to success in the 1970s, but also to future success in the 1990s.

jay cee · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manster68

JackRussell

Fabulous post!

Too bad the thread got polluted with the Reality Angels pics.

Anyway, with all due respect, my friend, I don't think you went back far enough. Let me explain.

How did Dallas get that pick for Butch Johnson? It was acquired in a trade with another team (that I cannot remember). In 1973, Dallas drafted a Wide Receiver named Golden Richards. Landry and Gil Brandt also picked up two undrafted free agants named Otto Stowe and Drew Pearson.

Dallas' four WRs for 1973 was veteran Bob Hayes, with rookies Otto Stowe, Golden Richards, and if needed Drew Pearson. Otto Stowe beat out Richards and Pearson for the other wide receiver position. For the first couple of weeks, he lit it up courtesy of Staubach.

[View Full Quote]

Thanks for the post Manster, I always wondered what happened to Otto Stowe.

It seems to me Stowe wore number 88 that season, and hurt his leg when he got tangled up in the netting behind the goal posts that was used to keep the balls from going into the stands on field goals and extra points.

Am I remembering that correctly? If so, what number did Pearson wear that season? I really don't remember Drew until the 1974 season.

Manster68 · 06-03-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay cee

Thanks for the post Manster, I always wondered what happened to Otto Stowe.

It seems to me Stowe wore number 88 that season, and hurt his leg when he got tangled up in the netting behind the goal posts that was used to keep the balls from going into the stands on field goals and extra points.

Am I remembering that correctly? If so, what number did Pearson wear that season? I really don't remember Drew until the 1974 season.

Otto Stowe wore number 82.

Just like one Jimmy Smith did his rookie year breaking his leg.