The acquisition of DE Robert Quinn for a measly 6th round pick in 2020 has Dallas Cowboy fans pretty excited for 2019. It is only on a one year deal and it remains to be seen if this move is intended as a compliment for Demarcus Lawrence or a contingency plan. Regardless, the move has been received positively from fans and critics which is a very rare thing. Will the Robert Quinn trade end up being another one of Jerry Jones more impressive moves, or will it end up as an afterthought when it is all said and done? Only time will tell.; So far, here are the top 5 best trades of the Jerry Jones era.
5. WR TERRY GLENN 2003
Terry Glenn was an aging player with injury concerns when the Dallas Cowboys acquired him from the Green Bay Packers in 2003 for a 6th round pick. The former Pro Bowl receiver was brought in during the Bill Parcells era and gave the Cowboys a legitimate deep threat in the passing game. Glenn battled injuries during his 5 year career with the Cowboys but he posted back to back 1000 yard seasons in 2005 and 2006 catching passes from both Drew Bledsoe and Tony Romo. For only a 6th round pick, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys were able to get excellent production from Glenn before releasing him after the 2007 season.
4. QB STEVE WALSH 1990
When Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys, he was immediately criticised for firing legendary coach Tom Landry and replacing him with University of Miami head coach Jimmy Johnson. Finishing 1-15 in their first season did little to improve public perception and fans openly questioned the decision making of the new owner/GM and head coach. Among the more unpopular decisions was drafting two quarterbacks, Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh. Jerry Jones was able to turn that around by trading Steve Walsh to the Saints in 1990 for a first, a second, and a third round draft pick. The Cowboys were able to use those draft picks to acquire OL Eric Williams and DT Russell Maryland. Those two players were instrumental pieces to both the offensive and defensive lines that would help propel the Cowboys into a dynasty in the early 90’s.
3. WR AMARI COOPER 2018
The cost to acquire Amari Cooper from the Raiders (1st round pick), was a steep price to pay and the overall impact is yet to be determined. However, adding Cooper midseason last year injected life into a stagnant offence, rejuvenated the confidence of a struggling QB, and helped the Cowboys reach the playoffs and earn a postseason victory. Most fans would gladly trade a 1st round draft pick for that. However, I would remind Cowboy fans that the full impact of the trade has not yet been determined. If the Cowboys are unable to sign one of their stars as a result of Cooper’s salary, if they regress in 2019, or if the Raiders are able to turn pick #27 into a star, the perception of this trade could be altered dramatically. Alas, I can only evaluate the trade on its merits as of today and so far it has been a success.
2. DE CHARLES HALEY 1992
The Dallas Cowboys were a team on the rise when they made the move to land the volatile DE from the San Francisco 49ers for a second and third round draft pick. After Jones acquired the star pass rusher, Haley immediately elevated the Cowboys defense to the #1 unit in the entire league. Aside from his game breaking talent, Haley also brought a championship pedigree, and a no nonsense attitude to the Cowboys. He was considered an extremely intelligent player and his intel was invaluable when the Cowboys faced his former team in the NFC Championship game back to back seasons. Charles Haley was the key missing ingredient that propelled the Dallas Cowboys to 3 Super Bowl Championships in 4 years.
1. RB HERSCHEL WALKER 1989
The Herschel Walker trade is not only the greatest trade of the Jerry Jones era but it is widely considered the greatest trade of all time in any sport. A great deal of controversy has clouded the trade over whether or not Jimmy Johnson or Jerry Jones deserves more credit but regardless, as owner and GM, Jerry Jones had at least some say in the decision. The trade was unpopular among Cowboy fans at the time. I for one was crushed that the Cowboys had parted ways with my favourite player and the team’s only Pro Bowler. It all worked out in the end though. The Cowboys were able to secure a package of players including key defensive contributor Isaac Holt and what amounted to a whopping 6 draft picks including 3 first rounders! The Cowboys were able to use those draft picks to jump start their rebuild selecting players such as All Time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, All Pro safety Darren Woodson, and Pro Bowl players Russell Maryland (DT) and Kevin Smith (CB). The Herschel Walker trade remains the most legendary trade in the history of pro sports and will never be surpassed by Jerry Jones or any other GM.
Jerry Jones has made a lot of trades during his tenure as owner and GM of the Dallas Cowboys. Some, such as those detailed above, have been successes. Others, can only be described as utter failures. The impact of the Robert Quinn trade remains to be seen but for now Cowboy fans have reason to be a little excited.
*Photo by Kieth Allison https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
**All data and statistics obtained and verified from https://www.pro-football-reference.com/