The great trade robbery

[WV Cowboy]

http://grantland.com/features/30-for-30-shorts-the-great-trade-robbery/


Shed a tear that Jimmy is gone.

If this has already been posted, .. please delete this thread.

 

[joseephuss]

I never thought Minnesota was just one player away. It was a dumb move on their part. They didn't have a reliable QB at the time. Then they made matters worse by not using Walker once they got him. Instead of handing it off to him 20 to 25 times per game, they run him less than 15 times per game and waste time by putting him back on kick returns. He was a good kick returner, but that isn't why they traded for him. If you get a guy like Walker, then you have to feed him the ball. The Vikes were just dumb.

 

[WV Cowboy]

If you get a guy like Walker, then you have to feed him the ball. The Vikes were just dumb.

Agreed, as were the Eagles.

Herschel was best from the top of the "I", running straight downhill between the tackles. They both tried running him on sweeps, which was not his strength.

Landry was the only one to use Herschel the right way, .. he rewarded Landry with 1500 yards rushing and 500 receiving.

 

[WV Cowboy]

I bet Jerry hates this "30 for 30 short" because it reveals even more so that Jimmy was the brains behind the 3 Super Bowl wins.

 

[lostar2009]

I never thought Minnesota was just one player away. It was a dumb move on their part. They didn't have a reliable QB at the time. Then they made matters worse by not using Walker once they got him. Instead of handing it off to him 20 to 25 times per game, they run him less than 15 times per game and waste time by putting him back on kick returns. He was a good kick returner, but that isn't why they traded for him. If you get a guy like Walker, then you have to feed him the ball. The Vikes were just dumb.

That is how bad the coaches was in those days. Teams would give up major picks for talent.Now your lucky to get a 2nd if its not a qb.

 

[tyke1doe]

I never thought Minnesota was just one player away. It was a dumb move on their part. They didn't have a reliable QB at the time. Then they made matters worse by not using Walker once they got him. Instead of handing it off to him 20 to 25 times per game, they run him less than 15 times per game and waste time by putting him back on kick returns. He was a good kick returner, but that isn't why they traded for him. If you get a guy like Walker, then you have to feed him the ball. The Vikes were just dumb.

What was so amazing is that you had writers and football commentators criticizing the Cowboys for giving up their only superstar player.

In hindsight, everyone sees that that trade was heavily favored toward the Cowboys. But it wasn't that way when the trade was made.

 

[Eddie]

I remember reading an interview with Minny's GM at the time Mike Lynn ... he pulled the trade because he thought Dallas would keep the majority of the players. Instead, Jimmy Johnson dumped the players and kept the draft picks.

 

[Gameover]

The cowboys had no talent other than Walker at the time of the trade? This trade built a dynast for the other team?

Aikman
Irvin
Newton
Moose
Norton
Mark T
Tony Tolbert
Stepnowski
Moose
Gogan
K mart
Jeffcoat
Bates
Tony C ?
J-Dub plan b free agent
Novacek plan b free agent
Haley trade

That trade might be the biggest myth in sports history. Take away that collection of talent and no one would ever mention that trade.

 

[joseephuss]

The cowboys had no talent other than Walker at the time of the trade? This trade built a dynast for the other team?

Aikman
Irvin
Newton
Moose
Norton
Mark T
Tony Tolbert
Stepnowski
Moose
Gogan
K mart
Jeffcoat
Bates
Tony C ?
J-Dub plan b free agent
Novacek plan b free agent
Haley trade

That trade might be the biggest myth in sports history. Take away that collection of talent and no one would ever mention that trade.

The Herschel trade occurred in 1989. Jay Novacek wasn't signed until 1990. Tony Casillas didn't join Dallas until 1991. The Haley trade didn't happen until 1992. If Dallas doesn't trade Herschel then we don't know if those other signings and trades happen. They were all important, but one thing begets another. Everything could have changed without the Walker deal.

The biggest outcome of the fleecing of the Vikings was getting the draft picks that resulted in the ability to move to get Emmitt Smith. If they keep Herschel or get a lot less for him, then there is no guarantee that Dallas ends up with Emmitt Smith. The Cowboys also don't get Darren Woodson or Alvin Harper.

Everything works together. These moves don't matter if Landry and Co. don't draft Michael Irvin in their final draft. I don't think the Walker trade is a myth at all. It was reliant on moves and players that came before it and utterly critical in the moves and players that Dallas was able make and get as a result of it.

 

[BAT]

I never thought Minnesota was just one player away. It was a dumb move on their part. They didn't have a reliable QB at the time. Then they made matters worse by not using Walker once they got him. Instead of handing it off to him 20 to 25 times per game, they run him less than 15 times per game and waste time by putting him back on kick returns. He was a good kick returner, but that isn't why they traded for him. If you get a guy like Walker, then you have to feed him the ball. The Vikes were just dumb.

They were closer than everyone remembers but Walker did not fit Burns' offense. Minny had one of the best D's in the league and pro bowler Carter at WR. They were a very good team, but lost all their depth and ability to add depth after trade.

 

[KingintheNorth]

I bet Jerry hates this "30 for 30 short" because it reveals even more so that Jimmy was the brains behind the 3 Super Bowl wins.

Why there was ever any doubt about that is amazing to me.

 

[Zordon]

lol at a young randy galloway.

 

[Rick_Deckard]

I remember reading an interview with Minny's GM at the time Mike Lynn ... he pulled the trade because he thought Dallas would keep the majority of the players. Instead, Jimmy Johnson dumped the players and kept the draft picks.

Actually, Jimmy stuck it to him even worse than that.
Dallas was supposed to either keep the players or get the draft picks. Jimmy was determined to get the picks, but wanted to keep a few of the players as well. He called Mike Lynn about giving him back a draft pick in exchange for keeping Ike Holt and 2 other players (Soloman and Howard???). Initially Lynn hung up on him, but eventually realized that there wasn't much he could do. Jimmy was going to cut the players and keep all of the picks. He wound up calling Jimmy back and they worked out a deal where Dallas kept all of the original picks and the 3 players and gave them a 3rd rounder in exchange.

 

[Zordon]

fyi it looks like they're making another 30 for 30 on the cowboys called The Fall of '87. I don't know what this is about. Any guesses?

 

[tm1119]

I was way too young to know what was going at the time, but even to this day I had no idea the trade went down like that. I always thought we just got the picks flat out.

 

[Plankton]

The cowboys had no talent other than Walker at the time of the trade? This trade built a dynast for the other team?

Aikman
Irvin
Newton
Moose
Norton
Mark T
Tony Tolbert
Stepnowski
Moose
Gogan
K mart
Jeffcoat
Bates
Tony C ?
J-Dub plan b free agent
Novacek plan b free agent
Haley trade

That trade might be the biggest myth in sports history. Take away that collection of talent and no one would ever mention that trade.

Tony Casillas came to Dallas in 1991. Haley was acquired in 1992. James Washington and Jay Novacek came in 1990.

The trade made all of the difference in the world. What it allowed Johnson to do is take more chances with trading around and picking players. He had more chips at the table than the other players. As he accurately said during the piece, he busted on a lot of picks, but he hit on a ton as well. You give yourself a lot more opportunities to succeed with more picks. This trade allowed that to happen.

 

[Plankton]

I was way too young to know what was going at the time, but even to this day I had no idea the trade went down like that. I always thought we just got the picks flat out.

The funny thing is, after they let Mike Lynn know that they weren't going to keep the players, he was so pissed that he told the Cowboys that they could keep the players anyway. The Cowboys kept Jesse Solomon for a year after the trade. Darrin Nelson threatened to retire, so they traded him to San Diego, and the draft pick compensation for him was redone between Minnesota and Dallas. David Howard was traded with Eugene Lockhart to New England in a deal to move around in the 1991 draft. Issaic Holt was kept, and played for the Cowboys through the 1992 season. Alex Stewart was cut after the 1989 season. It ended up that the Vikings gave up the players AND the picks. It is even worse than originally portrayed.

 

[Gameover]

Tony Casillas came to Dallas in 1991. Haley was acquired in 1992. James Washington and Jay Novacek came in 1990.

The trade made all of the difference in the world. What it allowed Johnson to do is take more chances with trading around and picking players. He had more chips at the table than the other players. As he accurately said during the piece, he busted on a lot of picks, but he hit on a ton as well. You give yourself a lot more opportunities to succeed with more picks. This trade allowed that to happen.

That talent I listed, that had nothing to do with that trade, made all the difference in the world. It allowed to get a way with things, like selecting Russell Maryland number one overall.

 

[Gameover]

I think Jerry is doing a good job of building the current roster.

 

[Western]

fyi it looks like they're making another 30 for 30 on the cowboys called The Fall of '87. I don't know what this is about. Any guesses?

An educated guess ~ reflections of the brief NFL player strike in 1987.
Randy White, Steve Largent, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana and some other vets crossed the picket lines in order to collect payments under their player contracts.
Caused tension with other vets who voted with labor to continue work stoppage.
Also, when owners hired replacement players it led to minor skirmishes when the replacement players crossed the picket lines at the team facilities.