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The Halloween Trade: Eric Dickerson, Cornelius Bennett, and the Three-Team Deal

October 30, 2026

The NFL played a shortened season in the fall of 1987. The players' union called a strike on September 22; the third week of the season was canceled outright, and weeks four through six were played by replacement teams while the regulars stood on picket lines. The striking players returned for the seventh week, on October 25.1 A trade at the end of that month involved two unsettled players: Cornelius Bennett had not signed with the Indianapolis Colts, and Eric Dickerson was in a contract dispute with the Los Angeles Rams.2

The rookie who wouldn't sign

Bennett was a 22-year-old who had never played a down in the NFL. Cornelius Bennett, the Lombardi Award-winning linebacker from Alabama, had been drafted second overall by the Indianapolis Colts that spring — and then never signed. He stayed home while the Colts, coming off a 3–13 season, waited on a contract that never came.2416 In Buffalo, general manager Bill Polian had a defense that already included Bruce Smith, a first-team All-Pro in 1987, and rookie linebacker Shane Conlan, who earned second-team All-Pro honors that year.6

The superstar in a contract dispute

Dickerson's contract dispute with the Los Angeles Rams dated to 1985, when he missed the first two games of the season in a contract dispute and still rushed for 1,234 yards.2 By 1987 the Rams were unwilling to renegotiate his contract.3 He played only three games for Los Angeles that season before the trade.23

Dickerson had set the single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984, and he had led the league in rushing three times in his first four seasons — in 1983, 1984, and 1986.3 He stated his running philosophy plainly: "When they have their hands on their knees, that's when they're tired. If I get the ball enough times, something's going to give — me or the defense."3 In Indianapolis, head coach Ron Meyer had coached Dickerson at SMU.2

The trade: October 31, 1987

On October 31, 1987, the Los Angeles Rams sent Eric Dickerson to the Indianapolis Colts, and the Colts sent the rights to Cornelius Bennett to the Buffalo Bills. Los Angeles received running backs Greg Bell and Owen Gill plus six draft picks — three from Buffalo and three from Indianapolis.7

The pick ledger shows the price each team paid. Buffalo surrendered its 1988 first-rounder (#14), its 1989 first-rounder (#26), and its 1989 second-rounder (#53). Indianapolis surrendered its 1988 first-rounder (#20), its 1988 second-rounder (#47), and its 1989 second-rounder (#45).7 Ten players and picks changed hands in all — the Pro Football Hall of Fame notes that only four deals in league history ever involved more.7

Buffalo's 1988 first-rounder landed at #14 after the Bills finished 7–8 and missed the playoffs in 1987.6 Buffalo's 1989 first-rounder fell to #26 after the Bills finished 12–4 in 1988.14

How the three teams fit

The trade ran through Indianapolis. The Colts traded the rights to Bennett to Buffalo for Greg Bell and Buffalo's three picks — the first-rounders in 1988 and 1989 and the second-rounder in 1989.3 The Colts then sent Bell, those three picks, their own first- and second-round picks in 1988, their second-round pick in 1989, and running back Owen Gill to Los Angeles for Dickerson.2 Counting the draft picks as players, Indianapolis gave up eight players for Dickerson.3

What Buffalo bought

Bennett joined Bruce Smith, Shane Conlan, and Darryl Talley in Buffalo, and the defense that took shape around them became the core of the Buffalo teams that reached four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990 through 1993 seasons.68 Bennett was a first-team All-Pro in 1988, 1991, and 1992, a five-time Pro Bowler (1988, 1990–1993), a two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and a member of the NFL's 1990s All-Decade second team.45 In Buffalo from 1987 to 1995, he recorded 52.5 sacks and 793 tackles.5 Sports Illustrated's retrospective on the deadline's biggest deals wrote that "the underrated winner of the trade might be the Bills."8

What Indianapolis bought

Dickerson played nine games for the Colts in 1987 and still gained 1,011 yards, finishing the season with 1,288 yards. He was part of a late-season run that carried the Colts to 9–6, the AFC East title, and their first winning season and first playoff berth in a decade.212 The run ended in Cleveland, where the Browns beat them 38–21 in the divisional round.12

Dickerson led the league in rushing again in 1988 with 1,659 yards, became the fastest player ever to 10,000 career rushing yards (91 games), and by 1989 had set a record with seven straight 1,000-yard seasons to open a career.2 But the Colts never made the playoffs again during his tenure.8 He retired in 1993 and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.313

What Los Angeles bought

Greg Bell had led Buffalo in rushing for two seasons before the trade. In 1988, his first full season as a Ram, he rushed for a team-high 1,212 yards and led the NFL with 16 touchdowns. In 1989 he did it again: 1,137 yards and a league-leading 15 touchdowns.9 Bell pointed to head coach John Robinson: "I knew I would be a large part of the offense because of John Robinson," he said of the Rams' head coach. "John loved running the ball."9

The Rams used the six draft picks on running back Gaston Green (#14, 1988), wide receiver Aaron Cox (#20, 1988), linebacker Fred Strickland (#47, 1988), running back Cleveland Gary (#26, 1989), linebacker Frank Stams (#45, 1989), and defensive back Darryl Henley (#53, 1989).7 Strickland stayed with the Rams from 1988 through 1992, and Stams from 1989 through 1991.11 In 1991, Henley started 15 of the Rams' 16 games, Strickland started 10 of the 14 games he played, and Cox started 5 of the 15 games he played.10

Los Angeles finished 10–6 and reached the wild-card round in 1988.15 In 1989 the Rams finished 11–5 and reached the NFC Championship Game.9

Bennett finishes in Indianapolis

Cornelius Bennett finished his career in Indianapolis. He played his final two seasons, 1999 and 2000, for the Colts, the team that had drafted him second overall in 1987 and had not signed him.4

Sources

  1. Pro Football Hall of Fame — Chronology: 1980 to 1999 — 1987: 24-day strike, week 3 canceled, replacement games weeks 4–6, veterans returned Oct 25; three-team trade summary (Oct 31)
  2. Wikipedia: Eric Dickerson — contract disputes from 1985, 3 games for Rams in 1987, Bennett "unable to sign," 1,011 yards in 9 games (1,288 total), first playoff berth in 10 years, 1988 rushing title (1,659), fastest to 10,000 (91 games), seven straight 1,000-yard seasons, the six players drafted with the picks, Ron Meyer coached him at SMU
  3. Pro Football Researchers Association — Coffin Corner on Eric Dickerson — Rams "unwilling to renegotiate Dickerson's contract"; Dickerson quotes on his running style; three-team trade mechanics
  4. Wikipedia: Cornelius Bennett — drafted #2 overall 1987, 3× First-team All-Pro (1988, 1991, 1992), 5× Pro Bowl (1988, 1990–1993), 2× AFC Defensive Player of the Year, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, Bills 1987–95, final seasons with Colts 1999–2000
  5. Buffalo Rumblings — Bills Wall of Fame candidates: LB Cornelius Bennett — "prolonged holdout with the Indianapolis Colts"; 52.5 sacks and 793 tackles in Buffalo
  6. Wikipedia: 1987 Buffalo Bills season — Oct 31 three-team trade summary, Bills 7–8 in 1987, Bennett helped form nucleus of later Super Bowl defenses, Bruce Smith 1st-team All-Pro, Shane Conlan 2nd-team All-Pro
  7. Pro Football Hall of Fame — "Trick or Trade" — 10 players/picks involved, only four deals ever larger; full pick ledger (Green #14, Cox #20, Strickland #47, Gary #26, Stams #45, Henley #53) and team-by-team breakdown
  8. Sports Illustrated — Biggest NFL Trade Deadline Deals in Football History — Bills "underrated winner," Bennett "three-time All-Pro" who helped Buffalo reach four straight Super Bowls; Dickerson's 1987 postseason run, no further Colts playoff berths during his tenure
  9. Los Angeles Rams — "Where Are They Now? Former Rams RB Greg Bell" — 1988: 1,212 yards, led NFL with 16 TDs; 1989: 1,137 yards, led league with 15 TDs, 11–5 and NFC Championship Game; Bell quotes on John Robinson
  10. The Football Database — 1991 Los Angeles Rams roster — Darryl Henley DB, 16 games / 15 starts; Fred Strickland 14 games / 10 starts; Aaron Cox 15 games / 5 starts
  11. The Football Database — Rams all-time roster (linebackers) — Fred Strickland Rams 1988–92; Frank Stams Rams 1989–91
  12. Wikipedia — 1987 Indianapolis Colts season — 9–6, 1st AFC East, first winning season/division title/playoff berth since 1977; lost divisional round to Browns 38–21
  13. ClutchPoints — Rams news: Eric Dickerson — retired 1993, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1999
  14. Wikipedia — 1988 Buffalo Bills season — Buffalo Bills 12–4, 1st AFC East, won divisional round
  15. Wikipedia — 1988 Los Angeles Rams season — Rams 10–6, 2nd NFC West, lost wild-card round
  16. Wikipedia — 1986 Indianapolis Colts season — Colts finished 3–13 in 1986, 5th AFC East, Ron Meyer took over at 0–13 and won the final three games
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About this article: it was drafted with AI assistance from the Football Trade Trees database and public reporting, then reviewed by a human editor. Spot an error? Email [email protected].