The 7 finest Cowboys trades within the Jerry Jones Period

The Micah Parsons period is formally over in Dallas.

The three-time All-Professional and four-time Professional Bowler requested a commerce on Aug. 1, and has formally been shipped off to the Inexperienced Bay Packers. In return, Dallas acquired two future first spherical draft picks and three-time Professional Bowl defensive deal with Kenny Clark. Parsons signed a 4‑12 months, $188 million contract with the Packers, together with $136 million assured—making him the best‑paid non‑quarterback in NFL historical past at a median of $47 million per 12 months.

Within the short-term, Dallas loses a pivotal a part of their protection, with the 26-year-old having totaled 52.5 sacks and 63 tackles for loss in 4 seasons. However solely time will inform how this transfer will play out within the long-term, because the payoff hinges on how Dallas will use these two first spherical picks. This transfer comes just some months after buying and selling for Pittsburgh Steelers huge receiver George Pickens, whom they gave up a 3rd and fifth spherical decide for.

Whereas this commerce may appear puzzling to many, related sentiments had been felt when Herschel Walker was traded in 1989— a commerce that proved to be historic for Dallas in the long term, which we’ll get into beneath. If this large transfer does result in future success for the Cowboys, the commerce will be a part of an inventory of different strong offers Jerry Jones has carried out since changing into the workforce’s proprietor in 1989. Let’s check out the perfect trades the Cowboys have made within the Jones Period.

Certain, swinging a commerce with the Eagles gave the Cowboys’ divisional rival an opportunity to draft DeVonta Smith, a receiver who helped Philadelphia win a Tremendous Bowl title. Nevertheless, it’s powerful to argue that Smith has been a greater participant than Parsons by the primary 4 seasons of their careers. 

Parsons became a perennial Defensive Participant of the Yr candidate. The linebacker has been named a first-team All-Professional twice and a Professional Bowler in every of his first 4 years within the league. It’s additionally onerous to make the case that the Cowboys can be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with Smith as a substitute of Parsons on the roster, particularly this previous season when Dallas struggled defensively.

As a part of the deal, Dallas landed a third-round decide that became defensive finish Chauncey Golston, too. Golston recorded 5.5 sacks for the Cowboys in 2024 earlier than signing with the New York Giants in free company. As talked about above, whereas the jury continues to be out on whether or not or not buying and selling him will repay in the long term—there isn’t any denying simply how unbelievable Parsons was for Dallas in his 4 seasons there.

Dallas secured Lawrence in a draft-day swap in 2014, buying and selling the forty seventh and 78th total picks to Washington for the thirty fourth total decide. The 2 picks Dallas gave up grew to become defensive finish Trent Murphy (26 profession sacks) and middle Spencer Lengthy (44 profession begins).

In the meantime, Lawrence is coming into his twelfth season within the league and is, statistically, one of many sport’s prime lively pass-rushers. The four-time Professional Bowler has racked up 61.5 profession sacks, with that quantity rating fifteenth amongst gamers at the moment on a roster. He additionally had two seasons through which he recorded 4 pressured fumbles, a formidable quantity for a participant at his place.

Lawrence – who signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free company – and Parsons obtained right into a social media spat earlier within the offseason over the Cowboys’ shortcomings throughout their time collectively in Dallas. However giving up two replacement-level gamers for a decade-long mainstay was properly price it for the Cowboys.

Buying and selling up for Dez Bryant (2010)

The Cowboys acquired one among their finest huge receivers in franchise historical past on draft night time in 2010. As Bryant surprisingly slipped towards the underside of the primary spherical, the Cowboys made a take care of the New England Patriots to maneuver up three spots to the twenty fourth total decide to pick out Bryant. 

With the Cowboys, Bryant fashioned one of many prime quarterback-wide receiver duos within the league with Tony Romo, earlier than having transient success with Prescott. A 3-time Professional Bowler, Bryant recorded at the very least 700 receiving yards in six of his eight seasons in Dallas. He led the league in receiving touchdowns in 2014 with 16, almost serving to the Cowboys attain the NFC Championship Recreation for the primary time since their final Tremendous Bowl win within the 1995 season. Nevertheless, a pivotal would-be catch within the NFC divisional-round loss to the Inexperienced Bay Packers was overturned.

Even when Bryant was on the mistaken facet of an notorious play, he ended his profession in Dallas fifth in workforce historical past in receiving yards (7,459), whereas his 73 receiving touchdowns are probably the most ever for a Cowboys participant. 

The Patriots moved down to select No. 27 after the commerce and used the choice on defensive again Devin McCourty, who was an integral piece to 3 of the Patriots’ Tremendous Bowl wins. However getting Bryant greater than made up for that. 

Charles Haley commerce (1992)

Simply days forward of the 1992 season, the Cowboys took an opportunity on Haley after the San Francisco 49ers determined they had been completed coping with his angle. Dallas provided a second- and third-round decide for the then-three-time Professional Bowler.

The danger paid off for the Cowboys because it turned out that Haley was the lacking piece for his or her dynasty run. He led Dallas’ league-best protection in the course of the 1992 season, which ended with the Cowboys as Tremendous Bowl champs. He was named a Professional Bowler two extra instances in Dallas, recording 22.5 sacks between the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He additionally gained two extra titles after the 1992 season, giving him 5 Tremendous Bowl wins, which was probably the most for a participant in NFL historical past till Tom Brady got here alongside.

The commerce additionally quickly hamstrung the 49ers, who misplaced to Haley and the Cowboys within the 1992 NFC Championship Recreation. 

George Pickens traded to the Cowboys

Getting the decide that grew to become Darren Woodson (1992)

After buying and selling as much as the thirty sixth total decide to draft huge receiver Jimmy Smith, the Cowboys made back-to-back picks early within the second spherical in 1992. Because of a first-round decide they acquired from the Herschel Walker commerce, the Cowboys moved down from one among that choice to get one other first-rounder and the thirty seventh total decide from the New England Patriots within the 1992 NFL Draft. Dallas used the thirty seventh total decide to take Woodson, who grew to become a five-time Professional Bowler and a serious contributor at security for 3 of the Cowboys’ Tremendous Bowl-winning groups.

The 2 picks that the Cowboys gave up within the commerce had been offensive deal with Eugene Chung and fullback Kevin Turner, who every solely spent three years in New England. The Cowboys missed on their commerce up of Smith, although, slicing him after two seasons earlier than watching him grow to be one of many NFL’s finest huge receivers with the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Buying and selling up for Emmitt Smith (1990)

A few years earlier than buying and selling for Haley, the Cowboys nabbed one other future Corridor of Famer who was a core member of their dynasty within the Nineties. Armed with picks from one other deal on this checklist, the Cowboys determined to money a few these chips to commerce up from No. 21 to No. 17 within the 1990 draft. 

The participant they chose wound up changing into the NFL’s all-time main rusher. Smith’s data for speeding yards (18,355) and speeding touchdowns (164) nonetheless stand at present. 

The Cowboys surrendered picks that the Steelers became tight finish Eric Inexperienced and defensive deal with Craig Veasey. Inexperienced was a two-time Professional Bowler, however giving up a two-time Professional Bowler for arguably the best operating again of all time is a commerce that everybody would make 100 instances out of 100. 

Herschel Walker commerce (1989)

We didn’t rank the trades on this checklist, but when we did, this deal would definitely be No. 1 because it’s thought-about the largest heist in NFL historical past. Within the midst of Jerry Jones’ and Jimmy Johnson’s first-season struggles in Dallas, the workforce opted to maneuver on from Walker, its star operating again. In an trade with the Vikings for Walker, the Cowboys acquired linebacker Jesse Solomon, linebacker David Howard, cornerback Issiac Holt and defensive finish Alex Stewart. They wound up slicing these gamers and buying and selling Darrin Nelson to complete with a complete of eight draft picks within the deal.

Dallas turned these picks into Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, Clayton Holmes and Darren Woodson, with every enjoying a key position within the Cowboys’ three Tremendous Bowl wins within the Nineties. As for Minnesota, Walker helped the Vikings attain the playoffs in 1989, however his tenure there was largely a disappointment. The deal shortly grew to become generally known as one of the lopsided in sports activities historical past.

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