NFL Trade Deadline: 30 greatest trades in NFL history

16. Cowboys trade up for Tony Dorsett

Tony Dorsett made it clear right away that he didn’t want to play for the Seattle Seahawks. when Seattle had the No. 2 pick in the 1977 NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys decided to use this request to their advantage by trading up in the first round in a deal with the Seahawks.

At the time, the Cowboys were coming off another impressive finish in 1976 with an 11-3 record before falling in the divisional round. However, there was room for improvement at the running back position.

As Dallas fans know, Seattle agreed to a deal with the Cowboys, allowing them to move up in the first round in 1977. When seeing the role Dorsett played in helping the team win the Super Bowl that year, it was pretty clear this trade was the right decision.

Dorsett may not have entered his rookie campaign as the starter in the backfield, but he would go on to finish that first season with 1,007 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. This only shows the Cowboys were right about their gut feeling to move up in the draft to take him at No. 2 overall.

Better yet, in order to land Dorsett, all Dallas had to give up Seattle was their No. 14 pick (which ended up being Steve August) and with three picks in the second round.

At the end of the day, the Cowboys were able to accomplish what they sought out for when selecting Dorsett by winning the Super Bowl. Cowboys fans will always appreciate the 11 years Dorsett spent with the team, even if his numbers declined towards the end.