The Herschel Walker Trade - Revisted

[Boyzmamacita]

the condition was tied to the players they got off the Minnesota roster...I cant recall all the details, but if they released a guy they got the pick (or something along those lines)

there were two other players he didnt list...one was RB Darrin Nelson, who refused to report...I cant remember who the other was.

David

I remember that. Here' a guy who said he didn't want to play for a lousy team like Dallas. And look what the Boys went on to achieve. What did Darrin end up doing? Um, nothing that I know of. Serves him right. You can't predict the future, so just make the best of the situation you're in, Darrin. Oh well, too late now.

 

[Trendnet]

As for the "Great Train Robbery," I can recall that some in the media actually criticized the Cowboys.

I remember what Randy Galloway said...

something along the lines of "All Dallas received was a handful of smoke"... and how the Vikings "fleeced" Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

I remember that. Here' a guy who said he didn't want to play for a lousy team like Dallas. And look what the Boys went on to achieve. What did Darrin end up doing? Um, nothing that I know of. Serves him right. You can't predict the future, so just make the best of the situation you're in, Darrin. Oh well, too late now.

"If you're not part of the future then get outta the way"

 

[gollum]

here's something I posted a while back

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26273&highlight=walker+vikings

A little rough on the eyes(or mind), but a good read nonetheless.

http://vikings.scout.com/2/11653.html

The Herschel Walker Trade
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.

NOTE: Brackets () indicate the overall pick number.

Vikings
RB Herschel Walker
Dallas's 3rd round pick - 1990 (54)
San Diego's 5th round pick - 1990 (116)
Dallas's 10th round pick - 1990 (249)
Dallas's 3rd round pick - 1991 (68)

Cowboys
LB Jesse Solomon
LB David Howard
CB Isaac Holt
Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1991 (21)
Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1990 (47)
Minnesota's 6th round pick in 1990 (158)
Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1991 (conditional) - (11)
Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1991 (conditional) - (38)
Minnesota's 1st round pick in 1993 (conditional) - (13)
Minnesota's 2nd round pick in 1992 (conditional) - (40)
Minnesota's 3rd round pick in 1992 (conditional) - (71)

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 Ambit 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:
Vikings
WR Jake Reed

Cowboys
RB Emmitt Smith
DT Russell Maryland
CB Kevin Smith
S Darren Woodson
CB Clayton Holmes

Players selected with the actual picks traded to Dallas:
1990 1st Round (#21) TE Eric Green Pittsburgh
1990 2nd Round (#47) DT Dennis Brown San Francisco
1990 6th Round (#158) LB James Williams New Orleans
1991 1st Round (#11) OT Pat Harlow New England
1991 2nd Round (#38) DB Darryl Lewis Houston
1992 1st Round (#13) OL Eugene Chung New England
1992 2nd Round (#40) QB Matt Blundin Kansas City
1992 3rd Round (#71) RB Kevin Turner New England


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.

 

[dmoore]

I think it's pretty classless to make fun of a guys mental illness. Say what you want about MIN and the trade, but I don't think it's right to make fun of the guy. Sure the trade didn't work out for MIN, but was it Walker's fault the Vikings gave up so much for him?

 

[Gossamer]

I think it's pretty classless to make fun of a guys mental illness.

Classless? The guy is getting a group rate on his insurance and we're classless.

Geesh! Smile a little.

 

[joseephuss]

Tough luck for Lynn and the Vikings that out of all twelve... they got the crappy Herschel. That would be the "Tiny Tim" Herschel, who liked to "tiptoe through the OL", of course.

:

The Vikes did get the good Walker. They just refused to give him the ball. He averaged 21.5 touches(rushing and receiving) when he was in Dallas. That was while splitting time with Tony Dorsett his first two seasons. In Minnesota, he only averaged 15.2 touches per game. Why trade for a guy if you aren't going to use him?

Plus the Vikes were just dumb to think they were one player away from a championship. They were not that great of a team. They had Wade Wilson and Tommy Kramer as their QBs the year they traded for Herschel. The next year a young Rich Gannon was their QB. Those guys were not championship caliber QBs at that time.

 

[AsthmaField]

Plus the Vikes were just dumb to think they were one player away from a championship. They were not that great of a team. They had Wade Wilson and Tommy Kramer as their QBs the year they traded for Herschel.

Hey... With Wade taking Human Growth Hormone (HGH) they should have been plenty competitive. They would've been if they would have let that beast Wade run the wishbone. :

 

[dbair1967]

The Vikes did get the good Walker. They just refused to give him the ball. He averaged 21.5 touches(rushing and receiving) when he was in Dallas. That was while splitting time with Tony Dorsett his first two seasons. In Minnesota, he only averaged 15.2 touches per game. Why trade for a guy if you aren't going to use him?

Plus the Vikes were just dumb to think they were one player away from a championship. They were not that great of a team. They had Wade Wilson and Tommy Kramer as their QBs the year they traded for Herschel. The next year a young Rich Gannon was their QB. Those guys were not championship caliber QBs at that time.

they were pretty close then...their defense was outstanding...it took a Commanders robbery (read, Refs) to keep them out of the super bowl after the 87 season, and they made the playoffs again in 88...they really thought getting a guy who was considered 1 of the premier players in the league would put them over the top.

As you mention though, they never really used him the right way. And they gave up way too much. But that was good for us.

David