4 best (and 2 worst) Cowboys trades under Jerry Jones

[CCBoy]

Amari Cooper (Best)​

When Jerry needs help, he swings for the fences. In 2018 he did just that. The Cowboys' offense was struggling mightily at wide receiver for the first half of the season following the release of Dez Bryant. Allen Hurns, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley all tried to make up for the loss of Bryant, but the lack of a true number one target was noticeable.

After a 3-4 start, Dallas traded a 2019 first round pick for Amari Cooper.

Dak Prescott and Cooper's chemistry slipped in 2019, but he managed a second straight 1,000-yard season and a Pro Bowl invite. His 2020 season saw another 1,000-yard campaign with four different quarterbacks throwing him the ball. Despite Cooper's success, CeeDee Lamb became too much to ignore.

https://thelandryhat.com/posts/4-best-2-worst-cowboys-trades-under-jerry-jones/3

Acquired him under Jason Garrett and Jerry Jones.

 

[CCBoy]

Roy Williams (The Worst)​

The Cowboys traded a 2009 first, third and sixth round pick to the Lions for Williams during the 2008 season, hoping he would pair well with Terrell Owens.

In seven starts, he only caught one touchdown for Dallas in 2008. The team was hoping Williams would step up in 2009 with Owens gone, but that ultimately never happened. In a game against the Chiefs, he sat out with an injury and Miles Austin had a breakout game with 250 receiving yards, a Cowboys' record for one game. He took a backseat to Austin the rest of the season, who made the Pro Bowl. Williams finished with only 596 yards and seven touchdowns his first full season as a Cowboy.

2010 was more of the same. Williams only managed 530 yards with five touchdowns while Austin and rookie Dez Bryant began to take over as the new starters.

https://thelandryhat.com/posts/4-best-2-worst-cowboys-trades-under-jerry-jones/7

He was acquired under Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones.

 

[CCBoy]

Joey Galloway (Worst)​

When Michael Irvin retired after the 1999 season, the Cowboys had a glaring need for a new number one receiver. Jones sold the future for Joey Galloway, trading their 2000 and 2001 first and second round picks to the Seahawks. The hope was Galloway would pair well with Raghib Ismail to form a dynamic receiving duo for Aikman.

Galloway was lost for the year in his first game as a Cowboy, tearing his ACL on opening day against the Eagles. The team finished 5-11 and Aikman retired following another series of concussions. With no Aikman, Dallas had no clearcut starter at quarterback. Had they not traded away their 2001 first and second round picks, the Cowboys could have drafted a rookie quarterback early. Names like Drew Bress would likely have been available.

https://thelandryhat.com/posts/4-best-2-worst-cowboys-trades-under-jerry-jones/6

He was acquired under Chan Gailey and Jerry Jones.

 

[CCBoy]

Charles Haley (Best)​

Jerry and other players from the Super Bowl teams have often said they could not spell Super Bowl until Charles Haley arrived. After making the playoffs in 1991, Dallas knew they still needed more help. The team traded a 1993 second round pick and 1994 third round pick to the 49ers for Haley in the 1992 offseason.

Haley came to Dallas with question marks, having clashed with 49ers coaches and management, but Jones was willing to take the risk. The move paid off immediately as Haley had six sacks with 39 tackles and helped the Cowboys defense rank first in the NFL in 1992. Dallas won its first of three Super Bowls in the 1990s.

Haley helped Dallas win two more Super Bowls in 1993 and 1995. While his off-field problems were well known, he continued to be a force for the defense. Haley retired after the 1996 season, but returned to San Francisco for the final two years of his career.

https://thelandryhat.com/posts/4-best-2-worst-cowboys-trades-under-jerry-jones/4

Acquired under Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones.

 

[CCBoy]

Charles Haley (Best)​

Jerry and other players from the Super Bowl teams have often said they could not spell Super Bowl until Charles Haley arrived. After making the playoffs in 1991, Dallas knew they still needed more help. The team traded a 1993 second round pick and 1994 third round pick to the 49ers for Haley in the 1992 offseason.

Haley came to Dallas with question marks, having clashed with 49ers coaches and management, but Jones was willing to take the risk. The move paid off immediately as Haley had six sacks with 39 tackles and helped the Cowboys defense rank first in the NFL in 1992. Dallas won its first of three Super Bowls in the 1990s.

Haley helped Dallas win two more Super Bowls in 1993 and 1995. While his off-field problems were well known, he continued to be a force for the defense. Haley retired after the 1996 season, but returned to San Francisco for the final two years of his career.

https://thelandryhat.com/posts/4-best-2-worst-cowboys-trades-under-jerry-jones/4

He also was acquired under Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones.

“I think everybody understands the last couple of years we have been looking for a pass rusher,” Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said. “We felt we had improved our defense significantly over the last couple of years, and I think this undoubtedly will make it even better. He will have an immediate impact on our pass rush.”

https://www.profootballhistory.com/charles-haley/

Even Cowboys owner Jerry Jones felt confident that Haley would work out fine for the team.

“I had him stick a helmet up about a foot and a half from me in a sheetrock wall in the middle of the locker room,” Jones said. “I had to basically look deep right then and know that if I walked over and grabbed him around the waist and said, ‘Let’s all calm down here,’ that he was going to calm down. And I knew he would because I had some good experiences with him.”

https://www.profootballhistory.com/charles-haley/


No, it was a team thing and everyone did his part. As things are run now as well.

On August 26, 1992, Haley's volatile temperament and clashes with head coach George Seifert prompted the team to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 1993 second round selection (#56-Vincent Brisby) and a 1994 third round selection (#99-Alai Kalaniuvalu).[6][7]

 

[CCBoy]

Hershel Walker (The Best)​

The only trade that could top Charles Haley is "The Trade". Jerry Jones dealt the team's best player Hershel Walker to the Vikings in 1989 for a bunch of random players and future draft picks. Dallas might have gone 1-15, but great changes were coming.

In exchange for Walker, the Cowboys received Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issaic Holt, and Alex Stewart along with a first second and sixth round pick. Dallas cut all five players also giving them conditional draft picks for the 1991 and 1992 drafts. With a boatload of draft picks, the Cowboys could now build a new team around Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin.

Emmitt Smith, Darren Woodson, and Russell Maryland are just a few of the players Dallas acquired over the next few seasons that helped turn the franchise around. To this day, it remains one of the biggest and arguably most notable trades in NFL history. Trading one player who ultimately helped a team rebuild and win three championships is an unbelievable story.

https://thelandryhat.com/posts/4-best-2-worst-cowboys-trades-under-jerry-jones/5

He spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL) and was the league's MVP during its final season in 1985. After the USFL folded, Walker joined the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, earning consecutive Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors from 1987 to 1988. In 1989, Walker was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, which is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history and credited with establishing the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s.

In 1986, he was signed by the Cowboys and moved to fullback, so he could share backfield duties with Tony Dorsett,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Walker

Tom Landry was the head coach when Herschel Walker was first signed with Dallas.

 

[CCBoy]

At this point in a discussion, it should be noted that how teams are run now has changed in almost all factions of management and play today.

Now, most things are tasked to certain management groups, scouts, until there is some source indicating interest or have made it known that a team is in the market.

Usually a Head Coach first introduces this on up, still ends at Jerry Jones' desk.

Naw, it doesn't take press clippings or congressional votes to get something done today.

When Jimmy and Jerry started out the team of Cowboys were losing a $1M a game. Jerry and Jimmy literally had to do most of what was done then. That took a team atmosphere. But Jerry was the owner and Jimmy apparently wanted more control than was doable at that point for survival of ownership. Jerry even had loans of significant to even qualify for the purchase. That's the facts and not just, hero worship. Jerry tried to walk a supportive road in a very hostile and polarized time of history. He has maintained a world view now, as well. Top Team in revenue for sports. Jimmy angered at the Saudi Prince being shown the functions of a NFL team. Some was ego and some was lack of true loyalty to his players, by Jimmy Johnson.

The role of scouts are very advanced for now and evaluations about all things on the carpet are both good and effective. Jerry is a role, not a fool.

 

[plasticman]

The Sporting News, huh. When did they drop out of general favor with fans, except for swim suite issues?

Post the reports then..

We don't really want to do this do we?

I could download the articles, include all my arguments and we could rant on for ten pages. The results would be that neither one of us would change our mind so why bother? Why dedicate the time and effort when we both know how this is going to end? I know we both have better things to do.

I know I started it so let me end it. You can believe what you wish and I will do the same.

 

[CCBoy]

We don't really want to do this do we?

I could download the articles, include all my arguments and we could rant on for ten pages. The results would be that neither one of us would change our mind so why bother? Why dedicate the time and effort when we both know how this is going to end? I know we both have better things to do.

I know I started it so let me end it. You can believe what you wish and I will do the same.

I was stating the educational burden of proof...not a challenge.

My overall view is stated just above this post. I still prefer John Madden because of the type of man he was as a coach. He didn't have a silver spoon in his mouth and did have a ton of integrity!

Win...spin.

A lot of mountain was moved to the benefit of Jimmy, but some fans still believe that he walked on water.

The Cowboys were successful then, everything considered.

I'm not giving in to more hero worship beyond respect for success.

The Herchel Walker trade made Jimmy, but Tom Landry signed him.

 

[CCBoy]

In the spring of 1991, in Dallas Cowboys headquarters, a petroleum engineer named Mike McCoy sat down at his desk to devise one of the most influential innovations in the past three decades of the NFL. He plotted on logarithmic paper every trade involving a draft pick over the previous four years. He wanted to quantify the value of each pick.

Over the previous two years, the franchise’s brash leaders, owner Jerry Jones and Coach Jimmy Johnson, had built a war chest for the draft. They had shipped star running back Herschel Walker to Minnesota for a massive haul, including eight picks, and quarterback Steve Walsh to New Orleans for three more. Now, Jones’s oil-and-gas business partner was trying to figure out how much the picks were worth.

In his office, McCoy created a graph, assigned the No. 1 pick a random value (3,000) and used a regression formula to calculate the rest. The result — the famous but misunderstood and misattributed “Jimmy Johnson draft-pick value chart” — revolutionized the NFL draft.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/04/25/nfl-trade-value-chart/



Truth be known now! Not just another credit to only Jimmy Johnson...statistical analysis.

 

[plasticman]

I was stating the educational burden of proof...not a challenge.

My overall view is stated just above this post. I still prefer John Madden because of the type of man he was as a coach. He didn't have a silver spoon in his mouth and did have a ton of integrity!

Win...spin.

A lot of mountain was moved to the benefit of Jimmy, but some fans still believe that he walked on water.

The Cowboys were successful then, everything considered.

I'm not giving in to more hero worship beyond respect for success.

The Herchel Walker trade made Jimmy, but Tom Landry signed him.

And I would never suggest that Jimmy was the one and only reason the Cowboys succeeded. I would say that an excellent HC gives a team the opportunity to win a championship but there is also the right blend of chemistry between the players and fans should never underestimate the value of simple luck.

Having said that, it's difficult not to respond to the arguments presented by a claim that Jimmy wasn't the main contributing factor when you consider the fact that his college team had won a championship with players that he had recruited, particularly when over 30 of them were drafted into the pros.

Also, there is the flawed argument that Jimmy wasn't responsible for building the Cowboys s because he didn't win a championship with the Dolphins. This reasoning is null and void. There is no HC in NFL history that has won Super Bowls with two different teams. Therefore, a comparison or standard has never existed as a counter example.

 

[CCBoy]

And I would never suggest that Jimmy was the one and only reason the Cowboys succeeded. I would say that an excellent HC gives a team the opportunity to win a championship but there is also the right blend of chemistry between the players and fans should never underestimate the value of simple luck.

Having said that, it's difficult not to respond to the arguments presented by a claim that Jimmy wasn't the main contributing factor when you consider the fact that his college team had won a championship with players that he had recruited, particularly when over 30 of them were drafted into the pros.

Also, there is the flawed argument that Jimmy wasn't responsible for building the Cowboys s because he didn't win a championship with the Dolphins. This reasoning is null and void. There is no HC in NFL history that has won Super Bowls with two different teams. Therefore, a comparison or standard has never existed as a counter example.

I don't know who said he had nothing to do with success.

As to two...what - four years without the whole picture kicking in matters?



Also, For the first 30 years of the NFL, trading picks was “arbitrary,” said Gil Brandt, a Cowboys executive from 1960 to 1988. Brandt remembered the NFL as more of a family business than a corporation, and he offered trades based on relationships. “George Allen didn’t give a crap about draft choices,” he said, laughing. “You could always ask for more with him.”

Jones and Johnson, oil wildcatter and maverick coach, exploited the status quo. From 1991 to 1993, they made a dizzying number of trades and drafted 42 players. Fred Gaudelli, the longtime football TV producer, once said the pair helped create the modern draft spectacle by transforming the event from “a sleepy little meeting into a live poker game.”

In the three decades since — despite the league’s tremendous structural changes, despite a growing number of critics poking holes in the chart, despite many teams developing their own charts, despite McCoy’s own admission that he created a history textbook instead of a price list — the chart has endured, more or less controlling the trade market of draft picks.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/04/25/nfl-trade-value-chart/

 

[Cowboys5217]

And I would never suggest that Jimmy was the one and only reason the Cowboys succeeded. I would say that an excellent HC gives a team the opportunity to win a championship but there is also the right blend of chemistry between the players and fans should never underestimate the value of simple luck.

Having said that, it's difficult not to respond to the arguments presented by a claim that Jimmy wasn't the main contributing factor when you consider the fact that his college team had won a championship with players that he had recruited, particularly when over 30 of them were drafted into the pros.

Also, there is the flawed argument that Jimmy wasn't responsible for building the Cowboys s because he didn't win a championship with the Dolphins. This reasoning is null and void. There is no HC in NFL history that has won Super Bowls with two different teams. Therefore, a comparison or standard has never existed as a counter example.

What gets me is they act like Jimmy's Dolphins teams were bottom of the league.

 

[CCBoy]

What gets me is they act like Jimmy's Dolphins teams were bottom of the league.

No, that just points out that a system works instead of just the greatness of a single coach, no matter who that is. It is team all the way through.

Jimmy was respectable in Miami.

 

[Diehardblues]

He won at the top level...why force an attaboy into the ledger for Jimmy? No he was a successful Head coach only in Dallas and with Jerry Jones running the organization that had enough resources to succeed in a free wheeling NFL. Until '95 when the NFL changed and player identifications and style/conditioning of players started to change. This isn't Jimmy against Jerry competition...and should be where efforts went from there and why. Don't dare say Jimmy left and Jerry just screwed up...that's not the truth in an objective view.

The fact is Jethro has struggled building a championship caliber team since Jimmys team. He’s made a mess of Cowboys Football in last 3 decades.

Fans who are wanting to defend our owner over Jimmy baffles me . Why would any Cowboys fan attempt to discredit Jimmy in order to prop up Jethro ?

 

[Diehardblues]

No but it’s irrelevant to the discussion iMo.

When you bring in comparisons with Switzer to Jimmy it becomes relevant.

 

[CCBoy]

The fact is Jethro has struggled building a championship caliber team since Jimmys team.

Fans who are wanting to defend our owner over Jimmy baffles me . Why would any Cowboys fan attempt to discredit Jimmy in order to prop up Jethro ?

No, YOU keep adding the departure statement of over Jimmy.

Jerry does get credit for actually rolling up his own sleeves and also participated in the process you don't even give him respect for being in.

I said more in the view of part of a whole team's inclusion. Disrespectful through out not upon Jerry. Jerry earned his place.

Both Jimmy and Jimmy were also part of the respect, but Jerry provided Jimmy the opportunity for the process that he was very involved in as much as were others involved, for the success of that group of Dallas Cowboys.

 

[CCBoy]

When you bring in comparisons with Switzer to Jimmy it becomes relevant.

Who set that as a football requirement? Your ego? That expands the sole standard of all value but to who now is a hero worshiped Jimmy. That's not true for football that is based upon a team at all levels of the game. Jimmy was a good coach, nothing more. You don't have a case with me...run along now. That is about your continued attacks directed at just me...not what I actually say.

 

[CWR]

Agreed, but a lot of the Galloway trade was derailed by not only his injuries but losing both Irvin and Aikman was a big part of that failure. Him running along side of 88 with Troy throwing at them would have made a world of difference.

 

[CCBoy]

Agreed, but a lot of the Galloway trade was derailed by not only his injuries but losing both Irvin and Aikman was a big part of that failure. Him running along side of 88 with Troy throwing at them would have made a world of difference.

Finally, some football...