Trade History: Deals fuel Bills’ decline in the 1970s and rebuild in the ’80s
The Buffalo Bills franchise started strong in the American Football League, making the playoffs four times in the circuit’s first seven years and winning back-to-back titles in 1964 and ’65. Buffalo also had a long stretch of success from 1988-99, highlighted by stellar play from four future Hall of Famers: quarterback Jim Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, wide receiver Andre Reed and defensive end Bruce Smith. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the team’s history has been a disappointment. Bills fans, who are some of the most passionate in the NFL, hope that changes this year after a trade in March that brought talented WR Stefon Diggs to Buffalo along with a 2020 seventh-round pick in exchange for first-, fifth- and sixth-round selections in 2020 and a fourth-rounder in 2021. With that in mind, here is a look back at the most notable deals in Bills history.
1. February 24, 1965:
Bills acquired: FB Billy Joe
Broncos acquired: FB Carlton (Cookie) Gilchrist
Joe spent two seasons as Denver’s fullback, posting his two best seasons on the ground with a total of 1,061 yards and six touchdowns with the Broncos. After the trade, he was the second rushing option behind Wray Carlton. Joe was a starter for Buffalo’s second straight title victory in 1965, and he earned a spot in the AFL All-Star Game. He was taken by the Dolphins in the 1966 Expansion Draft, and he actually became a teammate of Gilchrist, who signed there as a free agent. Joe retired in 1969 after three uneventful seasons with the Jets. He then embarked on a coaching career that spanned the next 40 years and included successful stops at Florida A&M and Central State in Ohio, which he led to a pair of NAIA Division I championships in the early 1990s.
Although Gilchrist spent just three seasons in a Bills uniform, his value cannot be underestimated. Gilchrist was a five-time All-Star in the Canadian Football League and helped the Hamilton Tiger-Cats win the Grey Cup in 1957. After the Bills lost out on Ernie Davis, who chose the NFL’s Redskins despite both teams drafting him in the first round of their respective league drafts in 1962, Buffalo signed Gilchrist away from the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. Davis was traded to the Browns and died from leukemia the following year without ever playing a regular-season game in the NFL, but Gilchrist became a star in the AFL. He was one of the best blocking fullbacks of his era, and he led the AFL with 1,096 yards and 13 touchdowns, becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher in league history. He also made the AFL All-Star Game and led the league in touchdowns in each of his three seasons with Buffalo, and he was an All-Pro and led the AFL in rushing yards twice apiece. Gilchrist also ran for 122 yards in Buffalo’s win over San Diego in the 1964 AFL Championship Game, and ranks third in Bills history with 31 touchdowns. After the trade, he was an All-Star and an All-Pro with Denver in 1965 after leading the league with six touchdowns. Gilchrist spent the 1966 season with the expansion Dolphins before coming back to Denver for one more injury-plagued year. He was taken by the Bengals in the 1968 Expansion Draft, but retired instead due to knee issues.
Assessment: The Bills won a title with Joe playing a small part, but Gilchrist had the better career after the trade, though injuries cut it short. PUSH
2. August 31, 1971:
Bills acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 1972 NFL Draft
Broncos acquired: CB Butch Byrd
The Bills and Broncos were trade partners again six years later. There is some question as to which pick was moved in this deal, since both Byrd and fellow cornerback Booker Edgerson were traded for fifth-round selections in 1971. Honestly, it doesn’t matter, since the Bills did not really gain anything from the players they received in either deal. Buffalo took Alcorn State guard Bob Penchion with pick 108, and he played only 17 games with the Bills, then spent two years with the 49ers and one with the expansion Seahawks in 1976, totaling 48 games in five NFL seasons. The following selection (William Taylor, a running back from Michigan who never played in the NFL) was traded to Atlanta for defensive tackle Greg Lens and defensive tackle Randy Marshall, both of whom retired after just two NFL seasons without playing a down for the Bills.
Byrd had interceptions in both of Buffalo’s AFL championship game victories, and he returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown in a 23-0 win over San Diego in the 1965 title game. The five-time AFL All-Star and three-time All-Pro still holds team records for interceptions (40) and interception return yards (666), and he is tied for the most touchdown returns in franchise history with five. Following the trade, Byrd played all 14 games with Denver in 1971, starting one. However, he played in a different era when helmet-to-helmet hits were the norm. Byrd’s rough style of play took a toll on his body, and he retired after the season.
Assessment: Based on name recognition alone, this is the second straight trade the Bills should have “lost.” However, another former Buffalo star had their post-deal career ruined by injury, meaning the Bill likely moved him at the right time. PUSH
3. (Part One) 1972:
Bills acquired: LB Dale Farley and a first-round pick in the 1973 NFL Draft
Dolphins acquired: WR Marlin Briscoe and DE Jim Dunaway
(Part Two) September 1, 1980:
Bills acquired: A second-round pick in the 1981 NFL Draft and a third-round pick in 1982.
Browns acquired: G Joe DeLamielleure
Farley was a reserve linebacker who spent one year with Miami, appearing in four games as the Dolphins reached Super Bowl VI. After the trade, he played nine games with the Bills, posting one interception and one fumble recovery before joining the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. He overcame alcoholism after his career and passed away in 2019. The major piece in the deal was the 1973 first-rounder that became Joe DeLamielleure, a guard from Michigan State. DeLamielleure was selected to five straight Pro Bowls (1975-79) and three All-Pro teams. He was the leader of Buffalo’s “Electric Company” offensive line that helped the team set an NFL mark with 3,088 rushing yards in the 14-game season in 1973, including a then-record 2,003 from O. J. Simpson. DeLamielleure played in 112 games over eight seasons with the Bills and was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Following seven initial seasons with the Bills, DeLamielleure was sent to the Browns in 1980 for two draft picks. The Hall of Famer made the Pro Bowl in his first season with Cleveland and started 70 games in five years with the Browns before signing back with the Bills for one final season in 1985.
After spending his rookie season with the Broncos in 1968, Briscoe played three years in Buffalo, making the Pro Bowl after registering 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns in 1970. With Miami however, he totaled just 858 yards and seven scores in three seasons. Briscoe split the 1975 season between Detroit and San Diego, and played with New England in 1976 before retiring.
Dunaway played on the Bills’ two championship teams in the mid-1960s, and he was a four-time AFL All-Star and a 1966 All-Pro. After nine seasons in Buffalo, Dunaway started six games with Miami in his final campaign in 1972. His post-football life was marred by one ugly incident. Although he escaped indictment, Dunaway was charged with killing his ex-wife in 1998 by allegedly fracturing her skull and leaving her to drown in a swimming pool. The couple had been through a contentious divorce, and Dunaway’s children later won a wrongful death lawsuit against their father.
The Bills’ 1981 second-round pick was Chris Williams, a former LSU safety who had three interceptions in 21 games with Buffalo. The following year, the Bills used the third-rounder from the trade on Eugene Marve, a linebacker who played 76 games and had 4½ sacks in six years with Buffalo. He played four seasons with the Buccaneers and one with the Chargers before retiring in 1992.
Assessment: Buffalo got the best years out of DeLamielleure and Dunaway, and Marve was the best of the rest from either trade. BILLS
4. September 9, 1973:
Bills acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 1974 NFL Draft
Chargers acquired: LB Mike Stratton
Stratton was selected to six straight AFL All-Star Games from 1963-68, and was a three-time All-Pro during his 11 seasons with the Bills. However, he is best known for the “Hit Heard ’Round the World.” In the 1964 AFL Championship Game, San Diego was up 7-0 and driving for another score when Chargers quarterback Tobin Rote found fullback Keith Lincoln with a pass in the flat. Stratton drilled Lincoln just as the ball arrived, causing an incomplete pass. The drive stalled, Lincoln left the game with a broken rib and the Bills came back to win their first title, 20-7. The two became teammates for two seasons after Lincoln joined Buffalo in 1967. Stratton had 18 interceptions over 11 years with the Bills, and notched three more with the Chargers during his final season in 1973.
Buffalo’s acquired draft pick was Gary Hayman, a Penn State running back who played just two seasons in the NFL. He totaled 61 rushing yards, plus 179 on kickoff and 229 on punt returns.
Assessment: Another trade in which the Bills traded away a star player and neither side got much after the deal. PUSH
5. March 24, 1978:
Bills acquired: Second- and third-round picks in the 1978 NFL Draft, a first-and fourth-round picks in 1979, and a second-round pick in 1980
49ers acquired: RB O. J. Simpson
Simpson was ridiculously good during his nine seasons with Buffalo. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro, had five straight 1,000-yard seasons, and led the league four times while setting a record with 2,003 yards in just 14 games in 1973. He ranks second in team history with 10,183 yards and 57 touchdowns, and he also led the NFL in scores twice. With his hometown 49ers, Simpson totaled 1,053 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons. His Hall of Fame career has since been overshadowed by his legal troubles.
The Bills’ two picks from the 1978 Draft turned into Florida defensive end Scott Hutchinson and Nebraska wide receiver Danny Fulton. Hutchinson started just eight of 53 games with Buffalo, and played 16 more with Tampa Bay before retiring in 1983. Fulton had 34 yards in his only season with Buffalo in 1979 and 47 more over two seasons after signing with Cleveland. The Bills also received two picks in the 1979 Draft, including the top overall selection. Ohio State linebacker Tom Cousineau was a hot commodity, but he never played for Buffalo after salary negotiations went awry (more on this later). The fourth-rounder was Knoxville College defensive end Ken Johnson, who had 5½ sacks in six seasons with Buffalo and played two games with the Chiefs in 1987 before retiring. The final pick the Bills received in this trade, Auburn running back Joe Cribbs, was the best of the bunch. Cribbs, a second-round selection in 1980, had three 1,000-yard seasons and ran for 4,445 yards and 21 touchdowns in five years with the Bills. After missing the 1984 season due to a contract dispute, the three-time Pro Bowler played one more year in Buffalo, then spent two in San Francisco and retired after splitting the 1988 season between Indianapolis and Miami.
Assessment: Although Cousineau was a major bust as the top overall pick in 1979, Cribbs was selected to three Pro Bowls while Simpson’s career faded in San Francisco. BILLS
6. April 24, 1982:
Bills acquired: A first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, a third-round pick in 1984 and a fifth-round pick in 1985
Browns acquired: LB Tom Cousineau
The Bills selected the aforementioned Cousineau with the first pick of the 1979 NFL Draft, but the linebacker and his agent, Jimmy Walsh, claimed Buffalo low-balled him and only offered a contract heavily laden with incentives. The CFL’s Montreal Alouettes gave Cousineau a three-year deal worth about $1 million, including a $250,000 signing bonus and two option years, which he quickly accepted. Although Montreal lost the 1979 Grey Cup to the Edmonton Eskimos, Cousineau was named defensive player of the game. He also was a CFL All-Star the following year, but after his initial three-year run with the Alouettes, Cousineau decided to forego the two option years in order to return to the United States,particularly hoping to play for his hometown Browns. There was only one problem: the Bills still held his rights. After matching an offer by the Houston Oilers, Buffalo sent Cousineau to Cleveland for three picks, including a first-rounder in 1983. Cousineau had eight interceptions and 6½ sacks in four seasons as a starter with the Browns, then played two years as a reserve with the 49ers before retiring in 1987.
Buffalo turned the trade into the greatest success the team had in the Super Bowl era thanks to that first-round pick, which became University of Miami quarterback Jim Kelly. Not a fan of cold weather, Kelly spurned the Bills and signed with the United States Football League’s Houston Gamblers. After earning Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in 1984, as well as two All-League team nods, Kelly returned to the Bills in 1986 after the USFL folded. With head coach Marv Levy and offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda wanting to catch opposing defenses off guard, Kelly began to run the “K-Gun” offense, in which the Bills played the entire game in a no-huddle situation. The strategy worked, as Buffalo reached four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s and made the playoffs eight times in Kelly’s 11-year tenure. The five-time Pro Bowler and 1991 All-Pro retired in 1996 as the Bills’ all-time leader with 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and has beaten cancer in his jaw three times since 2013.
With the 1984 third-round pick, the Bills selected Rodney Bellinger, a cornerback who was Kelly’s college teammate with the Hurricanes. Bellinger had four interceptions and five fumble recoveries in three seasons with Buffalo. In 1985, the Bills traded away the third pick from the Browns, a fifth-rounder, to acquire cornerback and kick returner Rod Hill and a fifth-round pick from the Cowboys. Hill played just 18 games with Buffalo before he was released midway through the 1986 season. He went on to become a two-time All-Star with the CFL’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1989-90. The acquired pick became Texas A&M wide receiver Jimmy Teal, who had seven receptions for 84 in two seasons with the Bills. He spent the following two years with Seattle before he retired in 1988.
Assessment: While Cousineau had some good seasons in Cleveland, Kelly led Buffalo to success fans had not seen in a generation. BILLS
7. October 31, 1987:
Bills acquired: LB Cornelius Bennett (from Colts)
Colts acquired: RB Eric Dickerson (from Rams)
Rams acquired: RB Owen Gill (from Colts), RB Greg Bell (from Bills), two first-round picks in 1988 (one each from the Colts and Bills), a 1988 second-round pick (from Colts), a first-round pick in 1989 (from Bills) and a two 1989 second-round picks (one each from the Colts and Bills)
As seen with Cousineau and Kelly, the Bills have sometimes had issues signing high draft picks. This time, however, Buffalo took advantage of another team’s troubles. The Colts were unable to come to an agreement with Bennett, the second overall pick in the 1987 Draft. Indianapolis traded the three-time All-American to the Bills, and Buffalo acquired a linebacker who became a leader on their defense for the next nine years. Bennett totaled 793 tackles (third in team history), 52½ sacks (fourth), 22 forced fumbles (second) and 19 fumble recoveries (most among defensive players for the franchise). He was a Pro Bowler in each of the Bills’ Super Bowl seasons, and was also a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1988. Bennett signed with Atlanta in 1996 and went to a fifth Super Bowl with the Falcons two years later. He spent the final two years with the Colts before retiring in 2000.
The Colts picked up Dickerson, who ran for at least 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first four seasons, led the NFL in rushing three times and set a league record with 2,105 yards in 1984. He earned three Pro Bowl selections and one All-Pro nod with Los Angeles, was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1983 and Offensive Player of the Year in 1986. After joining the Colts, the Rec Spec-wearing Dickerson went to three more Pro Bowls, was an All-Pro twice and led the league with 1,659 yards in 1988. However, injuries wore him down and he was traded to the Raiders in 1992. He retired after playing with the Falcons the following year and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Since they were parting with Dickerson, Los Angeles received two running backs and a plethora of picks in this deal. Gill had 490 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons with the Colts, but only played one game with the Rams. Bell was a Pro Bowler after running for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns with the Bills as a rookie in 1984, and added 883 yards and eight scores the following year. After the trade, Bell led the NFL in touchdowns in back-to-back seasons (1988-89) and ran for more than 1,000 yards in both campaigns. He signed with the Raiders for one final season in 1990.
As far as the picks go, the first, UCLA running back Gaston Green, totaled just 451 yards in three seasons with the Rams. He was a Pro Bowler after rushing for 1,037 yards with the Broncos in 1991, but after one more year in Denver, he retired before the 1993 season. Arizona State wide receiver Aaron Cox started for the Rams as a rookie and totaled 98 catches, 1,673 yards and eight touchdowns over five seasons in Los Angeles. He signed with the Colts and eventually retired after the 1993 season. The 1988 second-rounder was Buffalo-born linebacker Fred Strickland. The Purdue product spent five years in Los Angeles, posting seven sacks and two interceptions in 63 games. Strickland played with four other teams over the final seven years of his career, starting for one season with the Vikings, two with the Packers and three with the Cowboys before ending his career as a reserve with the Redskins in 1999.
The Rams tried again with a running back again in 1989, taking Cleveland Gary from the University of Miami in the first round. Gary ran for 808 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns in 1990 and totaled 1,125 yards and seven scores two years later. After five seasons with the Rams, Gary had just 11 yards with the Dolphins in his final season in 1994.
Los Angeles took Notre Dame linebacker Frank Stams with the first of the second-round picks. Stams played three seasons with the Rams and 3½ with the Browns before signing with the Chiefs for one game in 1995. The final pick involved in this trade came later in the 1989 second round, when the Rams took Darryl Henley, a cornerback from UCLA. Henley spent his entire six-year career with the Rams, posting 12 interceptions in 76 games. The three-year starter also had 579 yards on punt returns. Henley is currently serving a 31-year prison sentence in California for trafficking cocaine and hiring hitmen to try to kill both the judge and a witness in the case.
Assessment: The Rams acquired all those players for Dickerson and, other than Bell and Gary, they got little from them. Dickerson was still a solid player for Indianapolis before he was affected by injuries, while Bennett was a defensive leader on a Buffalo team that went to four straight Super Bowls. BILLS
8. April 6, 2006:
Bills acquired: A fifth-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
Texans acquired: WR Eric Moulds
Moulds had four 1,000-yard seasons and was selected to three Pro Bowls with Buffalo. He ranks second behind Andre Reed in team history with 675 receptions, 9,096 yards and 48 touchdowns. Moulds posted 57 catches and 557 yards in 2006 with Houston and played one more year in Tennessee before retiring in 2007.
Many fifth-round picks don’t even get to start with the team that drafted them, but LSU product Kyle Williams thrived with Buffalo. He made six Pro Bowls in 13 seasons with the Bills, and ranked fifth in team history (and first among Buffalo defensive tackles) with 48½ sacks and seventh with 183 games played.
Assessment: Trading stars on the downside of their careers for draft picks can be a hit-or-miss proposition, but Buffalo definitely found a star in Williams. BILLS
9. April 29, 2013:
Bills acquired: LB Jerry Hughes
Colts acquired: LB Kelvin Sheppard
Hughes was primarily a reserve his first three seasons, posting 62 tackles and five sacks in 40 games with the Colts. He blossomed after the trade, amassing 10 sacks in each of his first two seasons with Buffalo. Although he has never made the Pro Bowl, Hughes has 46½ sacks and 12 forced fumbles in seven years with the Bills.
After being drafted in the third round in 2011 out of LSU, Sheppard had two sacks and 150 tackles in his two years in Buffalo. The linebacker spent one year with Indianapolis, two years each with the Dolphins and Giants, and one with the Lions before retiring after the 2018 season. Sheppard was recently named the Director of Player Development at his alma mater.
Assessment: Although Sheppard was a serviceable linebacker following the trade, Hughes has become a star on Buffalo’s defense. BILLS
10. (Part One) April 25, 2013:
Bills acquired: First-, second-, third- and seventh-round picks in the 2013 NFL Draft
Rams acquired: First- and third-round picks in 2013
(Part Two) March 10, 2015:
Bills acquired: RB LeSean McCoy
Eagles acquired: LB Kiko Alonso
The Rams wanted to move up in the first round in 2013, and traded four picks to the Bills to accomplish their goal. Buffalo acquired four recognizable names in the trade: Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel (first round), Oregon linebacker Kristian “Kiko” Alonso (second), Texas wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (third) and Arkansas tight end Chris Gragg (seventh). Manuel posted a disappointing 6-11 record as a starter in four years with the Bills. He posted his best year as a rookie with 1,972 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Alonso made the All-Rookie Team after registering 159 tackles, four interceptions and two sacks while starting all 16 games for the Bills in 2013. He missed the following year after tearing his ACL in the offseason and was traded to the Eagles in 2015. Goodwin amassed 48 catches for 780 yards and six touchdowns in four years with Buffalo, primarily as a reserve. He became a starter after signing with San Francisco in 2017, posting career highs with 56 receptions and 962 yards in his first year with the 49ers. Goodwin’s numbers declined over the next two seasons, and he was traded to the Eagles in April 2020. As a late-round pick, Gragg found himself constantly battling for a roster spot during his tenure in Buffalo. He played 32 games with the Bills, totaling 24 catches, 251 yards and two scores. Gragg missed the 2016 season after suffering a torn ACL in a preseason game and missed all of the following year when he suffered an ankle injury after signing with the Jets. He now serves as a graduate assistant wide receivers coach with Memphis.
With their upgraded first-round pick, St. Louis selected West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. Nicknamed the “Pocket Rocket” due to his 5-foot-8, 180-pound frame, Austin proved to be a jack-of-all-trades in the NFL. Over five years with the Rams, he totaled 1,689 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving, 1,238 yards and nine scores rushing, 1,324 yards and three touchdowns on punt returns and 451 yards on kickoff returns. The 2013 All-Rookie Team member has seen his role diminished after a 2018 trade to the Cowboys. The Rams used the third-round pick on USC safety T.J. McDonald, who had five sacks, four interceptions and 17 passes defended in four years with the Rams. He signed with the Dolphins in 2017 and had four picks in two seasons with Miami. However, he has yet to sign with another team since the Dolphins released him after the 2018 season.
After missing the 2014 season with a torn ACL, Alonso went to Philadelphia, where he was reunited with coach Chip Kelly, who was also Alonso’s former head coach at Oregon. He missed five games after suffering a partial tear of the same ligament, and was traded to the Dolphins after the season. Alonso amassed 355 tackles and five interceptions in three years with Miami. He played 13 games in 2019 with New Orleans, but suffered another ACL injury during an overtime loss to Minnesota in the Wild Card playoff game.
McCoy spent the first six years of his career with Philadelphia, posting four 1,000-yard seasons while earning three Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections. He also led the NFL with 17 touchdowns in 2011 and 1,607 yards in 2013. McCoy is the Eagles’ all-time leader with 6,793 rushing yards and ranks third with 44 scores. After the trade to the Bills, “Shady” added three more Pro Bowls and two more 1,000-yard seasons to his resume. He spent four years in Buffalo and signed with the Chiefs before the start of the 2019 season. McCoy was a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team and was a member of Kansas City’s run to a Super Bowl LIV crown, although he played sparingly during the playoffs.
Assessment: The first trade was just about even, with Alonso’s rookie season and Austin’s overall versatility canceling each other out. Alonso had the capability to grow into a Pro Bowl player, but struggled with injury while McCoy was the focal point of Buffalo’s offensive for three seasons. BILLS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
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