Dallas Cowboys: 3 worst trades in franchise history

By Randy Gurzi | Nov 3, 2021

NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 28: Wide receiver Joey Galloway #84 of the Dallas Cowboys evades cornerback Deveron Harper #28 of the New Orleans Saints during the game at the Superdome on December 28, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Cowboys 13-7. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

2 of 3

Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver Joey Galloway strides untouched into the endzone after catching a 41-yard pass in fourth quarter action at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, 28 November 2002. The Cowboys beat the Redskins 27-20. AFP PHOTO/Paul BUCK (Photo by PAUL BUCK / AFP) (Photo by PAUL BUCK/AFP via Getty Images) /

Dallas Cowboys worst trade No. 2: Joey Galloway, 1999

One of the biggest flaws with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is his inability to let go of the past. While social media is flooded with memes insulting fans for needing a VHS to watch their last Super Bowl highlights, it’s actually Jones who seems to yearn for the days of ‘be kind, rewind’.

Small examples of this can be seen when he makes players wear numbers just so he can pretend they’re re-treads from the 1990s.

Good pass rusher, wear No. 94. Excellent hands? Here, try on this No. 88.

While it doesn’t bring Charles Haley or Michael Irvin back, Jones can at least pretend the guys he sees on Sunday are the ones he’s watching on his 1995 fat screen with the built-in VCR he has set up in the basement.

A bigger example of this came in 1999 when he was desperate to replace Michael Irvin and re-live Troy Aikman’s prime. His idea for doing this was to give the Seattle Seahawks two first-round picks for Joey Galloway.

At least Galloway was a solid player but he had just come off an eight-game season due to a contract hold out and Jones was forced to give him one of the richest contracts in the NFL to make him happy. Galloway then lasted one game in his first season before suffering an unfortunate ACL tear.

He did return to play three more seasons but he was never the player we saw in Seattle. During his short tenure in Dallas, Galloway never had more than six touchdowns in a season and never hit 1,000-yards receiving. Hardly worth two first-round picks.

Home/Dallas Cowboys