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Herschel Walker (1989) trade tree

The 1989 Herschel Walker trade: Minnesota acquired Walker for five players and eight conditional picks; Dallas parlayed the picks into Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and others, building a 1990s dynasty.

Multiple 1st-roundersBlockbuster score: 611,788 · #22 of 3,307 trades Ranks trades by how much they matter to fans — famous players first, then draft capital. Higher means a bigger deal.|View all trades involving Herschel Walker →

16 trades 113 assets October 12, 1989 first trade

Trade Custody Map

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Pan and zoom the graph to explore how draft picks and players moved across trades. Click any node to highlight its chain.

PlayerDraft pickVoidedFrom another tree

Connected trees 5 connected trees — picks that became players, players whose picks traveled

Drafted with picks from this tree

Picks in this tree became

How the assets moved 19 multi-stop asset chains — assets that moved on through more than one trade in this tree
  • A 1990 sixth-round pick (No. 158, became James Williams) moved from Minnesota to Dallas on October 12, 1989, then to Los Angeles on April 22, 1990, then to New Orleans on April 22, 1990.
  • A 1992 first-round pick (No. 19, became Tony Smith) moved from Atlanta to New England on April 26, 1992, then to Dallas on April 26, 1992, then to Atlanta on April 26, 1992.
  • A 1992 fourth-round pick (No. 104, became Frankie Smith) moved from Atlanta to New England on April 26, 1992, then to Dallas on April 26, 1992, then to Atlanta on April 26, 1992.
  • A 1991 first-round pick (No. 11, became Pat Harlow) moved from Minnesota to Dallas on October 12, 1989, then to New England on April 19, 1991.
  • A 1991 second-round pick (No. 38, became Darryll Lewis) moved from Minnesota to Dallas on October 12, 1989, then to Houston on September 3, 1990.
  • +14 more asset chains

Trades in this tree

October 12, 1989 · First trade

Minnesota acquires Herschel Walker from Dallas

Multiple 1st-rounders

Dallas receives

  • 1991 1st-round pick No. 11 (originally MIN) — became Pat Harlow
  • 1991 2nd-round pick No. 38 (originally MIN) — became Darryll Lewis
  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 13 (originally MIN) — became Eugene Chung
  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 40 (originally MIN) — became Matt Blundin
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 71 (originally MIN) — became Kevin Turner
  • 1990 1st-round pick No. 21 (originally MIN) — became Eric Green
  • 1990 2nd-round pick No. 47 (originally MIN) — became Dennis Brown
  • 1990 6th-round pick No. 158 (originally MIN) — became James Williams
  • Alex Stewart (DE)
  • David Howard (LB)
  • Issiac Holt (CB)
  • Jesse Solomon (LB)

Minnesota receives

  • 1990 10th-round pick No. 249 (originally DAL) — became Pat Newman
  • 1991 3rd-round pick No. 68 (originally DAL) — became Jake Reed
  • 1990 3rd-round pick No. 54 (originally DAL) — became Mike Jones
  • 1990 5th-round pick No. 116 (originally SD) — became Reggie Thornton
  • Herschel Walker (RB)

San Diego receives

Note

Herschel Walker trade (agreement date October 12, 1989; Pro Football Reference lists October 13, 1989). Minnesota acquires Herschel Walker plus Dallas's 1990 3rd (#54 Mike Jones), San Diego's 1990 5th (#116 Reggie Thornton), Dallas's 1990 10th (#249 Pat Newman) and Dallas's 1991 3rd (#68 Jake Reed). Dallas acquires Jesse Solomon, David Howard, Issiac Holt, Alex Stewart and eight conditional Minnesota picks. San Diego acquires Darrin Nelson (who refused to report to Dallas) for its 1990 5th. The eight Minnesota picks were conditional; sources agree on the realized picks/outcomes but conflict over which conditional trigger produced which pick.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] · Trade page

April 19, 1990 · Chapter 2

Dallas acquires Danny Stubbs from San Francisco

Dallas receives

  • 1990 11th-round pick No. 304 (originally SF) — became Myron Jones
  • 1990 3rd-round pick No. 81 (originally SF) — became Craig Veasey
  • Danny Stubbs (DE)
  • Terrence Flagler (RB)

San Francisco receives

  • 1990 3rd-round pick No. 68 (originally KC) — became Ron Lewis
  • 1990 2nd-round pick No. 47 (originally MIN) — became Dennis Brown
Sources: [1] [2] [3] · Trade page

April 22, 1990 · Chapter 3

Dallas moves the No. 81 pick to Pittsburgh

Multiple 1st-rounders

Dallas receives

  • 1990 1st-round pick No. 17 (originally PIT) — became Emmitt Smith

Pittsburgh receives

  • 1990 3rd-round pick No. 81 (originally SF) — became Craig Veasey
  • 1990 1st-round pick No. 21 (originally MIN) — became Eric Green
Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 22, 1990 · Chapter 4

Dallas acquires Stan Smagala from Los Angeles

Dallas receives

Los Angeles receives

  • 1990 11th-round pick No. 304 (originally SF) — became Myron Jones
  • 1990 10th-round pick No. 259 (originally IND) — became Jim Szymanski
  • 1990 6th-round pick No. 158 (originally MIN) — became James Williams
  • 1990 8th-round pick No. 197 (originally NE) — became Arthur Jimerson
  • 1990 9th-round pick No. 230 (originally SEA) — became Leon Perry
Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 22, 1990 · Chapter 5

Los Angeles moves the No. 260 pick to New Orleans

Los Angeles receives

  • 1991 4th-round pick No. 98 (originally NO) — became John Kasay

New Orleans receives

  • 1990 10th-round pick No. 260 (originally LA) — became Gary Cooper
  • 1990 11th-round pick No. 287 (originally LA) — became Webbie Burnett
  • 1990 6th-round pick No. 158 (originally MIN) — became James Williams
  • 1990 8th-round pick No. 207 (originally LA) — became Gerry Gdowski
  • 1990 9th-round pick No. 233 (originally LA) — became Broderick Graves
Sources: [1] · Trade page

September 3, 1990 · Chapter 6

Dallas acquires Alonzo Highsmith from Houston

Dallas receives

Houston receives

  • 1991 2nd-round pick No. 38 (originally MIN) — became Darryll Lewis
  • 1992 5th-round pick No. 136 (originally DAL) — became Tim Roberts
Sources: [1] [2] · Trade page

April 19, 1991 · Chapter 7

New England acquires Eugene Lockhart from Dallas

Top-5 pickMultiple 1st-rounders

Dallas receives

  • 1991 1st-round pick No. 1 (originally NE) — became Russell Maryland

New England receives

Sources: [1] [2] [3] · Trade page

January 27, 1992 · Chapter 8

New England acquires Reggie Redding from Atlanta

Atlanta receives

  • 1992 5th-round pick No. 120 (originally NE) — became Greg Briggs
  • 1993 7th-round pick No. 169 (originally NE) — became Clarence Williams

New England receives

Sources: [1] [2] · Trade page

February 10, 1992 · Chapter 9

Green Bay acquires Brett Favre from Atlanta

Hall of FamerCultural icon

Atlanta receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 17 (originally PHI) — became Kevin Smith

Green Bay receives

Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 10

Cincinnati moves the No. 4 pick to Washington

Top-5 pickMultiple 1st-rounders

Cincinnati receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 6 (originally SD) — became David Klingler
  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 28 (originally WAS) — became Darryl Williams
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 84 (originally WAS) — became Leonard Wheeler

Washington receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 4 (originally CIN) — became Desmond Howard
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 58 (originally CIN) — became Clayton Holmes
Sources: [1] [2] [3] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 11

Dallas moves the No. 40 pick to Kansas City

Dallas receives

  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 47 (originally KC) — became Shane Collins
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 74 (originally KC) — became Paul Siever

Kansas City receives

  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 40 (originally MIN) — became Matt Blundin
Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 12

Dallas moves the No. 47 pick to Washington

Dallas receives

  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 56 (originally WAS) — became Jason Hanson
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 58 (originally CIN) — became Clayton Holmes

Washington receives

  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 47 (originally KC) — became Shane Collins
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 74 (originally KC) — became Paul Siever
Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 13

Dallas moves the No. 56 pick to Detroit

Dallas receives

  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 82 (originally DET) — became James Brown
  • 1992 4th-round pick No. 109 (originally DET) — became Tom Myslinski
  • 1992 9th-round pick No. 250 (originally DET) — became Chris Hall

Detroit receives

  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 56 (originally WAS) — became Jason Hanson
Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 14

Atlanta moves the No. 19 pick to New England

Multiple 1st-rounders

Atlanta receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 8 (originally NE) — became Bob Whitfield

New England receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 19 (originally ATL) — became Tony Smith
  • 1992 4th-round pick No. 104 (originally ATL) — became Frankie Smith
  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 46 (originally ATL) — became Tony Sacca
Sources: [1] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 15

Dallas moves the No. 13 pick to New England

Multiple 1st-rounders

Dallas receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 19 (originally ATL) — became Tony Smith
  • 1992 2nd-round pick No. 37 (originally NE) — became Darren Woodson
  • 1992 4th-round pick No. 104 (originally ATL) — became Frankie Smith

New England receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 13 (originally MIN) — became Eugene Chung
  • 1992 3rd-round pick No. 71 (originally MIN) — became Kevin Turner
Sources: [1] [2] [3] · Trade page

April 26, 1992 · Chapter 16

Atlanta moves the No. 17 pick to Dallas

Multiple 1st-rounders

Atlanta receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 19 (originally ATL) — became Tony Smith
  • 1992 4th-round pick No. 104 (originally ATL) — became Frankie Smith

Dallas receives

  • 1992 1st-round pick No. 17 (originally PHI) — became Kevin Smith
  • 1992 5th-round pick No. 120 (originally NE) — became Greg Briggs
Sources: [1] · Trade page