1. Cowboys send Herschel Walker to Vikings
True football fans know that when it comes to one of the greatest NFL trades ever to take place, it’s tough to disagree with the Dallas Cowboys sending Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for being at the top of the list.
Not only was Walker viewed as one of the most talented players on offense at the time of the trade in the middle of the 1989 season, as he was effective as both a runner and receiver, but it was what the Cowboys were able to get in return that made this trade so crazy.
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While it’s easy to understand why a team like Minnesota would want to acquire such a talented running back like Walker, just seeing what the Vikings were willing to give up to Dallas to make this happen was insane to see unfold.
Along with Walker, the Cowboys sent three draft picks to the Vikings (two third-rounders and a 10th-round pick).
However, seeing what they received in return, it’s easy to see why agreeing to this deal was one of the easiest decisions the organization ever could have made.
Receiving five players (Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issiac Holt, Darrin Nelson and Alex Stewart) was great for Dallas. That being said, it was the eight future draft picks that made this deal so amazing for the Cowboys.
Why? Well, let’s just say the first-round pick acquired from Minnesota in the 1990 NFL Draft was later used in a trade by Dallas to convince the Pittsburgh Steelers to let them move up from No. 21 to No. 17. Future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith was the No. 17 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft.
A few years later, Smith along with quarterback Troy Aikman and wide receiver Michael Irvin would help the Cowboys win three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span.
Once again, sometimes everything happens for a reason when it comes to the NFL. Give the Cowboys credit for being able to trade Walker the way they did when seeing how it all worked out in the long run for the organization.