Trade History: Cowboys acquire Super Bowl stars from the largest deal in NFL history
When you look at the history of the Dallas Cowboys, the titles most likely overshadow the lean years. Led by the “Doomsday Defense,” as well as quarterback Roger Staubach, the Cowboys went to five Super Bowls in the 1970s and won twice. After some down years in the following decade, Dallas won three more titles in the early 1990s, a period that coincides with drafting of “The Triplets” (quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin), as well as the sale of the team to Jerry Jones and the hiring of Jimmy Johnson as head coach. Players from both of those eras came to “America’s Team” via trade, and the team has also brought in several top-notch receivers over the past 20 years.
1. December 28, 1960:
Cowboys received: A first-round pick in the 1961 NFL Draft
Browns received: T Paul Dickson and a first-round pick in 1962
The Cowboys were just finishing their first season in the NFL when they made this trade, and the draft pick they acquired would help bring the team prosperity for the next 15 years. Bob Lilly was a high school star in football, basketball, and track, and he went on to earn All-American honors as a defensive end at Texas Christian. Since Dallas did not participate in the 1960 NFL Draft, Lilly was the first selection in franchise history (13th overall). Over the next 14 seasons, he earned 11 Pro Bowl selections (including 10 in a row from 1964-73) and was named an All-Pro seven times. Known for his four-point stance (in which he placed both of his hands on the ground before the snap to generate more power for his rush), Lilly played in back-to-back championship games as a member of Dallas’ “Doomsday Defense.” The Baltimore Colts won on a last-second field goal in Super Bowl V, but the Cowboys stopped the Dolphins the following year 24-3, with Lilly registering a sack against Miami’s Brian Griese for a loss of 29 yards. “Mr. Cowboy” played in all of Dallas’ 196 regular-season games during his tenure. A member of the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary teams, Lilly retired in 1974 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
Dickson never played with the Browns. He was traded to the Vikings as part of a package along with future star defensive end Jim Marshall for a pair of draft picks. Dickson started eight games as an offensive tackle with Dallas, but converted to defensive tackle and played in 129 contests in 10 years with Minnesota. He had one tackle as a reserve in Super Bowl IV, which the Vikings lost to the Chiefs. The Browns got 10 solid years out of the draft pick, Gary Collins, a wide receiver who was an All-American with Maryland in 1961. Playing opposite Paul Warfield, Collins was a dependable player who earned Pro Bowl selections in 1965 and ’66. His greatest game was the 1964 NFL Championship Game, when he caught five passes for 130 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-0 win over the Baltimore Colts, which is still the last title in Browns history. Collins retired after the 1971 season. He is Cleveland’s all-time leader with 70 touchdowns, and he also ranks fourth with 331 catches and fifth with 5,299 yards.
Assessment: Despite Collins’ contributions, especially in the 1964 title season, it’s hard to make an argument against a player who was known as “Mr. Cowboy” and has a spot in the Hall of Fame. COWBOYS
2. (Part One) May 9, 1973:
Cowboys received: First- and fourth-round picks in the 1974 NFL Draft
Oilers received: DE Tody Smith and WR Billy Parks
(Part Two) October 22, 1974:
Cowboys received: A first-round pick in the 1975 NFL Draft and a second-rounder in 1976
Giants received: QB Craig Morton
Houston wished they could have this one back, since the team ended up with a paltry 1-13 record in 1973 and would have had the first pick in the draft. Instead, Dallas selected Ed “Too Tall” Jones, a 6-foot-9 monster who earned All-American honors as a defensive end at Tennessee State in 1973. Jones played in three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, including a 27-10 victory over the Broncos in Super Bowl XII. He surprisingly retired after the 1978 season to become a professional boxer. After winning all six of his fights, with five by knockout, Jones returned to football in 1980 and spent 10 more seasons in Dallas. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, earned All-Pro honors in 1982, totaled 57½ sacks in the eight seasons the statistic was recognized by the NFL (with an unofficial career total of 106) and helped the Cowboys reach three NFC Championship Games. Jones retired after the 1989 season. Danny White was a star on offense and special teams at Arizona State, but when the Cowboys wanted to use him as a punter instead of at quarterback, he decided to play with the World Football League’s Memphis Southmen. When the WFL folded in 1975, White returned to Dallas, where he was the punter and backup quarterback behind Roger Staubach. He continued his dual role as a starter in 1980, and led the Cowboys to three straight NFC title games (all losses). White had Dallas ahead in the final minute in the 1981 contest, when Joe Montana found Dwight Clark for “The Catch,” giving the 49ers a 28-27 win. White suffered a knee injury in 1988 and retired after the season.
Dallas was looking for a replacement for the aging Lilly and found one when they made a trade with the Giants in 1974. The Cowboys acquired the second overall pick in the 1975 Draft and used it to select Randy White, a Maryland defensive tackle who was a two-time All-American and earned both the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman) and Lombardi Award (best all-around player) in 1974. White spent the next 14 seasons in Dallas, earning nine straight Pro Bowl and seven All-Pro selections from 1977-85. He played in three Super Bowls in his first four seasons, even earning co-MVP honors (with Harvey Martin) after posting a sack in a Super Bowl XII win over Denver. White amassed 52 sacks before retiring after the 1988 season, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994. The second-rounder in 1976 was Jim Jensen, an Iowa product who was mostly used on special teams as a rookie. The Cowboys selected Tony Dorsett in 1977, so they traded Jensen to Denver. He spent three years in the Mile High City, and played against his former team in Super Bowl XII. He finished his career with two seasons in Green Bay before retiring in 1982.
Smith played 17 games in two seasons with the Cowboys and was a reserve in Dallas’ victory in Super Bowl VI. After the trade, he appeared in 50 games as Houston’s starting defensive end, but was released in 1976 after suffering an ankle injury. He finished the season by playing two games with the Bills and signed with the Buccaneers, but he was released and retired in 1977. Smith died in 1999 at age 50. Parks was an All-American receiver at Long Beach State in 1968 and was a sixth-round pick of the Chargers two years later. After one season with San Diego, Parks was traded to Dallas, where he had 18 catches in 1972. He spent his final three years with Houston, totaling 64 receptions and two touchdowns. Parks retired after the 1975 season and passed away due to melanoma in 2009.
Morton was a 1964 All-American at Cal who was taken fifth overall the following year. He spent most of his Cowboys career as a backup, first behind Don Meredith and then Roger Staubach. He was the full-time starter in 1969-70 and again in ’72 when Staubach separated his shoulder in the preseason. After more than nine years in Dallas and a run to Super Bowl V, Morton was sent to the woeful Giants, where he had an 8-25 record in 2½ seasons. He found a second wind after being traded to the Broncos in 1978. Morton posted a 41-23 record in six seasons and led Denver to the playoffs three times. However, the Cowboys stonewalled him in Super Bowl XII, holding him to 4-for-15 passing with 39 yards and four interceptions.
Assessment: The picks Dallas received became three players who were a part of the team’s Super Bowl success, and were contributors well into the next decade. COWBOYS
3. (Part One) May 3, 1977:
Cowboys received: The second overall pick in the 1977 NFL Draft
Seahawks received: A first-round pick and three second-rounders in 1977
(Part Two) June 3, 1988:
Cowboys received: A fifth-round pick in the 1989 NFL Draft
Broncos received: RB Tony Dorsett
Rarely do college stars live up to the draft hype once they reach the NFL. One of these exceptions was Tony Dorsett, a running back who won the Heisman Trophy in Pitt’s National Championship season in 1976. The three-time All-American totaled 2,150 yards rushing that season and 6,526 overall, most all-time in both categories when he posted those marks (he now has the 11th-most yards in a season, and is second behind Ron Dayne’s 7,125 overall). Dorsett spent his first 11 seasons in Dallas, reaching the 1,000-yard mark eight times. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1981, when he posted a career-high 1,646 yards. Dorsett added more than 1,300 yards rushing in the postseason, including 66 and a score in the Super Bowl XII victory over the Broncos as a rookie. When the Cowboys traded Dorsett away, the fifth-round pick they got in return became Florida defensive tackle Jeff Roth, who was released by Dallas in training camp. He spent the 1989 season on San Francisco’s practice squad and was cut by Denver during the preseason the following year. Roth played two seasons with the Arena Football League’s Orlando Predators before retiring in 1972.
The first-round pick Seattle acquired from Dallas became Steve August, a tackle who spent most of his first eight seasons with the Seahawks until he was traded to the Steelers midway through the 1984 season. He signed with the Jets the following year, but retired at midseason. August’s 90 starts at right tackle are still the most in Seahawks team history at the position. Seattle’s three second-round picks from this deal became Tom Lynch, Terry Beeson, and Glenn Carano. Lynch was a guard from Boston College who played 61 games at left guard with the Seahawks. He signed with the Bills in 1981 and was a reserve with the team until he retired in 1984. Beeson was a starter at middle linebacker throughout his five seasons in the Pacific Northwest, and set a team record with 153 tackles in 1978. Beeson joined August as a participant in the 1983 AFC Championship Game, which the Seahawks lost to the Raiders, 30-14. He played one season with the 49ers and two in the United States Football League (one each with the Oklahoma Outlaws and Jacksonville Bulls) before he retired in 1985. The pick used on Carano was traded back to Dallas later in the Draft for Duke Fergerson, a former San Diego State wide receiver. Although he spent most of his three-year Seattle tenure on special teams, Fergerson totaled 32 catches and two touchdowns. He played with the Bills in 1980 and, after nearly two years out of the NFL, had a failed comeback with the Rams in 1983. After his retirement, Fergerson worked in financial services and politics, and he is responsible for organizing high school football in Harlem.
Looking to improve their running game, the Broncos traded for their Super Bowl nemesis Dorsett in 1988. He ran for 703 yards and five touchdowns, but retired the following year after suffering torn knee ligaments in training camp. His 12,739 career rushing yards were second in NFL history behind Walter Payton’s 16,726 (he is now 10th in NFL history).
Assessment: Despite the productivity, Seattle received from August and Beeson, this spot is all about Dorsett and his stellar career in the Lone Star State. COWBOYS
4. October 12, 1989:
Cowboys received: DE Alex Stewart, LB David Howard, LB Jesse Solomon, CB Issiac Holt, first-, second- and sixth-round picks in the 1990 NFL Draft, first- and second-round selections in 1991 and first-, second- and third-round picks in 1992
Vikings received: RB Herschel Walker, plus third- and 10th-round picks in 1990 from the Cowboys and a fifth-rounder from the Chargers, along with a third-round pick in 1991 from the Cowboys
Chargers received: RB Darrin Nelson
I hope you have your popcorn and beverage ready, because here is the breakdown of the largest trade in NFL history. Stewart, a defensive end, was an eighth-round pick of Minnesota’s in 1988 who was on his way to earning a roster spot when he broke his wrist in the preseason and was released. The Cowboys then cut him from their practice squad due to suspicion of steroid use, and he had failed tryouts with the Oilers (1990) and the CFL’s BC Lions (1995) before retiring. Howard spent two years with the USFL’s Los Angeles Express, then joined the Vikings after the league ceased operations. He had 3 ½ sacks in five years with Minnesota and came off the bench for 17 games with Dallas after the trade. He was sent to New England as part of the deal for the top overall pick in 1991 and played two years with the Patriots before retiring in 1993. Solomon had seven interceptions with the Vikings but only played 20 games with the Cowboys. He also spent time with the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Dolphins before retiring in 1994. Holt, a Division I-AA All-American as a cornerback with Alcorn State, totaled 14 interceptions in Minnesota and nine more in Dallas, as he split his eight-year career almost exactly equal between the teams.
The Cowboys used the acquired 1990 first-round pick to move up four spots and draft Emmitt Smith, a Heisman Trophy finalist and All-American at Florida in 1989. Smith was the 1990 Offensive Rookie of the Year, the 1993 NFL MVP, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro, and a four-time rushing champion. He was a major part of three Cowboys title teams and won the MVP award for Super Bowl XXVIII after his 132-yard, two-touchdown performance. He is also the NFL’s all-time leader with 18,355 yards (17,162 coming during his 13 seasons with Dallas) and 164 rushing touchdowns. Dallas traded away Minnesota’s second- and sixth-rounders, getting three players in return. Terrence Flagler was an All-American running back with Clemson in 1986. He was cut in training camp and signed with the Cardinals. Stan Smagala was a former Notre Dame safety who played just 11 games in two seasons with Dallas after breaking his left forearm. Defensive end Danny Stubbs was an All-American at the University of Miami’s National Championship season in 1987. He was a two-time champion with the 49ers and posted 8½ sacks in 25 games with the Cowboys.
Dallas traded the 1991 first-rounder to the Patriots as part of a deal for the top overall pick and selected Russell Maryland, a two-time champion and 1990 All-American at Miami. Maryland had 14½ sacks in five years in Dallas, won three more titles, and was a Pro Bowler in 1993. The second-round pick was sent to the Oilers for Alonzo Highsmith, a former high school All-American running back who showed promise before having his career ruined by knee injuries. Dallas traded away all of 1992 picks acquired from Minnesota, but eventually ended up with two players who joined Smith and Maryland as key players on three title teams. Cornerback Kevin Smith was an All-American with Texas A&M in 1991. He had 19 interceptions and 361 tackles in eight seasons with the Cowboys. Strong safety Darren Woodson spent 12 years in Dallas, amassing 23 interceptions, 11 sacks, and 967 tackles. He was selected to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams.
Walker was supposed to be the final piece to a Minnesota title, but he wasn’t nearly as successful with the Vikings as he was rushing out of the I-formation with the Cowboys. He ran for 2,264 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2½ years in Minnesota, but surged over 1,000 yards for the second time in his career after signing with Philadelphia in 1993. The 1990 third-round pick was Mike Jones, a former Texas A&M tight end who only caught two passes in two seasons with the Vikings, although both ended in touchdowns. He spent one year with the Seahawks and three on the Colts’ practice squad before retiring in 1995. The Vikings used the pick from the Chargers on former Bowling Green receiver Reggie Thornton, then cut him in training camp. He had one catch in two seasons with the Colts and Bengals. The 10th-round pick became Utah State receiver Pat Newman, who was also cut by the Vikings during his rookie camp. In three years with the Saints, he had 409 all-purpose yards. The 1991 third-rounder was by far the best of the picks on Minnesota’s end: Jake Reed was a former Grambling State standout who had four straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Vikings from 1994-97. Although he never made a Pro Bowl, Reed is fourth in team history with 6,433 yards, sixth with 413 receptions and seventh with 33 touchdowns.
San Diego got involved as a third team, sending a pick to Minnesota which helped make this deal happen. In return, the Chargers received Darrin Nelson, who ranked seventh in Vikings history with 4,231 rushing yards. He had just 211 yards in 23 games in San Diego before signing back with Minnesota. Nelson spent two more years with the Vikings and retired in 1992.
Assessment: The Vikings paid dearly for Walker and it did not pan out. While Reed was a part of one of the NFL’s best offenses during the late 1990s, the trade brought Dallas key pieces in three championship teams, including the league’s all-time leading rusher. Phew, I’m tired. Let’s take a break! COWBOYS
5. September 25, 1990:
Cowboys received: First- and third-round picks in the 1991 NFL Draft and a second-rounder in 1992
Saints received: QB Steve Walsh
The 1991 first-round pick Dallas received in this deal was sent to the Patriots for the top pick (Russell Maryland - see above). The Cowboys found yet another diamond in the rough with the selection of Erik Williams in the third round. A tackle from Central State in Ohio, Williams was yet another key member in Dallas’ three titles. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro in 10 seasons with the Cowboys.
Despite picking Troy Aikman first overall in the 1989 NFL Draft, Dallas took Walsh in the Supplemental Draft later in the year. He started five games that season while Aikman recovered from a broken finger, but was traded early in 1990. He went 10-9 in three years with the Saints, and also spent time with the Bears, Rams, Buccaneers, and Colts before retiring in 2000. He turned to coaching and was named the quarterbacks coach of the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks in February 2020.
Assessment: Williams for Walsh straight up gives Dallas the edge. Add in the fact that new owner Jerry Jones acquired the top overall pick from this deal, and things get even more lopsided. COWBOYS
6. (Part One) February 14, 2000:
Cowboys received: WR Joey Galloway
Seahawks received: First-round picks in 2000 and 2001
(Part Two) March 22, 2004:
Cowboys received: WR Keyshawn Johnson
Buccaneers received: WR Joey Galloway
Galloway had three 1,000-yard seasons with the Seahawks, but lost eight games in 1999 due to a contract dispute. He tore his ACL in his first game with Dallas after the trade, but rebounded to post decent totals in his other three years with the Cowboys, including a league-leading 19.8 yards per catch in 2003. After being traded to the Buccaneers in 2004, he hit the 1,000-yard mark three times in five years. He spent one season each with the Patriots and Redskins before he retired in 2010. Johnson failed to reach 1,000 yards in his two seasons with the Cowboys, totaling a mere 1,820 yards and 12 touchdowns. He signed a four-year deal with Carolina in 2006, but the Panthers released him after just one season. Johnson retired in 2007 and is currently an analyst with ESPN.
Seattle used the 2000 first-round pick on Shaun Alexander, a 1999 All-American with Alabama. Alexander holds Seahawks records with 9,429 rushing yards and 100 touchdowns in eight seasons. He was the NFL’s MVP in 2005 when he posted a league-high and team-record 1,880 yards and a league-record 27 scores. Alexander ended his career with the Redskins in 2008, but retired after Washington released him four games into the season. The Seahawks traded the 2001 first-round pick (along with a sixth-rounder) to the 49ers to get an extra pick. The picks acquired became Koren Robinson, Heath Evans, and Dennis Norman. Robinson had 3,567 yards and 14 touchdowns in five years in Seattle, including a career-high 1,240 yards in 2002. He made his only Pro Bowl in 2005 with Minnesota, when he amassed 1,221 kick return yards. Evans spent his first four years blocking for Alexander, playing in 61 games overall. After splitting 2005 between Miami and New England, he spent three more years with the Patriots and two with the Saints, but was injured during New Orleans’ victory in Super Bowl XLIV. Norman was a Princeton product who played just one game in four seasons with Seattle. He appeared in 63 games in four years with the Jaguars and 10 more with the Saints before retiring in 2009.
Assessment: Johnson and Galloway were both solid players, but Alexander clearly had the best career with his new team, setting Seattle records for rushing yards and touchdowns. SEAHAWKS
7. October 14, 2008:
Cowboys received: WR Roy Williams and 2009 seventh-round pick
Lions received: First-, third- and sixth-round picks in 2009
The Lions were a haven for wide receivers in the 1990s with Herman Moore, Brett Perriman and Johnnie Morton teaming with quarterback Scott Mitchell and running back Barry Sanders to create a formidable offense. Williams had a similar start to his career, totaling 29 touchdowns and 3,884 yards in five seasons, including 1,310 in his 2006 Pro Bowl season. However, he did not come close to that level of production with Dallas. Williams had 1,324 yards and 13 scores in 2½ seasons before the Cowboys released him in 2010. Dallas used the seventh-round pick to move up in the fifth round and select University of Cincinnati defensive back DeAngelo Smith, then cut him in training camp. He played just seven NFL games, all with the Lions in 2009. Smith retired in 2013 after failed tryouts with the Browns (twice), Bears, Jets and the CFL’s BC Lions. He is now the defensive backs coach at Ohio University.
Detroit’s first-round pick was Brandon Pettigrew, a former Oklahoma State tight end who made the All-Rookie team in 2009. He had five solid seasons in Detroit, but his career fell off after he tore his ACL in 2015. Pettigrew totaled 301 receptions, 2,965 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven seasons. He was arrested in Pittsburgh in 2018 for punching a police officer after refusing to pay for a limousine ride. The third-round pick was used on Derrick Williams, a wide receiver from Penn State. Williams had 931 kickoff return yards, but only 82 receiving yards in two seasons with the Lions. The seventh-rounder was former Texas Christian running back Aaron Brown, who totaled 951 kick return, 189 rushing and 138 receiving yards in three years in the NFL.
Assessment: This trade comes down to Williams post-trade versus Pettigrew. While no one in this deal came close to any individual or team accolades, Pettigrew had the best numbers from 2009 onward. LIONS
8. April 22, 2010:
Cowboys received: First- and fourth-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft
Patriots received: First- and third-round picks in 2010
The 24th pick was traded three times on Draft Day in 2010, and all three deals involved some memorable names. The slot was originally owned by the Eagles, but was traded to the Broncos along with the pick that would become Ed Dickson for two picks that were used on receiver Eric Decker and defensive end Brandon Graham. The selection was then sent to New England along with a fourth-rounder that would become tight end, Aaron Hernandez, for a first-round selection that was used on wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. Then there is this deal, which turned into Dez Bryant, an All-American in 2008 with Oklahoma State. Bryant had three 1,000-yards seasons, was a three-time Pro Bowler, and earned All-Pro honors in 2014 when he led the NFL with 16 touchdowns. He is Dallas’ all-time leader with 73 scores, ranks third in team history with 531 receptions and fifth with 7,459 yards. The Cowboys released Bryant after eight seasons, and he signed with the Saints in November 2018 only to tear his ACL in practice two days later. Dallas traded down in the fourth round and added an extra sixth-round pick. Those selections became cornerback Akwasi Owusu-Ansah and tackle Sam Young. Owusu-Ansah was a Division II All-American at Indiana (PA) in 2009. He played 15 games with four teams over his four-year NFL career, and was used primarily as a kick returner. Owusu-Ansah spent three years in Canada and retired after winning the Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. Young played just two games with Dallas in 2010 and 92 overall in 10 seasons. The Raiders will become his sixth team after he signed with them in May 2020.
The Patriots have acquired quite more than a few talented players via trade over the past 20 years and this deal was no exception. The first-round pick became Devin McCourty, a former Rutgers safety who has made two Pro Bowls and been a part of three championship teams in 10 seasons. He made the All-Rookie Team after registering seven of his 26 interceptions in 2010, and he has 772 tackles in 155 games. McCourty has also made 26 stops in the five Super Bowls he played in with New England. The third-rounder was Taylor Price, a former Ohio University wide receiver who had just five catches in three seasons with the Patriots and Jaguars.
Assessment: Despite McCourty’s productivity, this trade belongs to Dallas, since Bryant became one of the most decorated receivers in franchise history. COWBOYS
9. May 9, 2014:
Cowboys received: A second-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft
Redskins received: Second- and third-round picks in 2014
The Cowboys had to give up a third-round pick to move up 13 spots, but it was well worth the risk. Dallas drafted DeMarcus Lawrence, a star linebacker at Boise State. Lawrence started his rookie year on injured reserve with a fractured right foot, but he soon became a pass rush specialist. Through his first six seasons, Lawrence has 39 sacks, with a career-high 14½ in 2017 and 10½ more the following year, leading to a pair of Pro Bowl selections. He signed a five-year, $105 million contract with the Cowboys in 2019.
Washington used the second-round selection on linebacker Trent Murphy, who was an All-American at Stanford in 2013. Murphy had 15 sacks in three years with Washington and converted to defensive end in 2017. He signed with the Bills the following year, and has posted nine sacks and an interception in two seasons. The third-rounder was Spencer Long, a center from Nebraska. Long played both center and left guard during his four seasons in Washington. He spent a year each with the Jets and Bills, and Buffalo exercised a 2020 team option on him in March.
Assessment: Long and Murphy have been solid starters at times, although each played only four years in Washington. Lawrence has the potential to become a consistently elite pass rusher in the NFL. COWBOYS
10. October 22, 2018:
Cowboys received: WR Amari Cooper
Raiders received: A first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft
Cooper was a star in college, and he has continued that success as a professional. He was a member of Alabama’s National Championship season as a freshman in 2012, and collected plenty of hardware two years later. He posted 124 catches, 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2014, while earning All-American status, winning the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s best wide receiver and finishing third in the Heisman Trophy voting (behind Marcus Mariota and Melvin Gordon). In the NFL, Cooper was a member of the All-Rookie Team in 2015 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times, one for each of his 1,000-yard seasons. He was traded from Oakland to Dallas in 2018 after suffering a concussion during a game in London. In the 25 games since, he has totaled 195 receptions, 1,914 yards, and 14 touchdowns.
The Raiders cut salary and acquired an extra first-round pick in this deal, which they used on Johnathan Abram, a safety with Mississippi State. Abram produced five tackles in the first game of 2019, but tore both his rotator cuff and labrum and missed the rest of the season. He is slated to start at free safety for the Raiders as they move to Las Vegas in 2020.
Assessment: It’s not really fair to try and critique this trade now, especially after Abram’s injury. However, Cooper is already a star and a matchup nightmare for the other teams in the NFC East. COWBOYS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
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