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Dining In The 80’s:
Trading Places
by Chris Brophy
12/11/2008
Just like in the 1983 film of the same name as this articles title, this is a story of how several NFL teams invested in the futures market to help provide them with success. Rather than guessing about the future of frozen concentrated orange juice, a couple of teams were guessing on getting a proven veteran running back to help with their march to glory. This is the story of those trades and how they shaped the future long and short term of several NFL teams. It will also show how they are intertwined. Cause and affect my friend…
As discussed in our previous D.I.T. 80’s article player movement in the late 80’s was restricted to the draft, Plan B and trades. 1989 would feature two trades for running backs that would help both the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins go on to taste the ultimate success.
What’s interesting about both trades is that they are subtly linked but come from totally different ends of the spectrum in terms of their size, hype and projected impact at the time.
An off-season bargain
After Super Bowl XXII the Redskins thought they had found their running back of the future in the previously unheralded Timmy Smith. The truth though was that Smith was nothing special. He’d enjoyed amazing success in the ultimate game but looking back at the film, anyone worth their salt knows it was the ‘Skins mammoth offensive line that was the true reason why he had being able to amass so much yardage on the Broncos in San Diego that day.
Smith returned for the 1988 season out of shape and rumours were rife he was enjoying the high life. By mid-season he was riding the pine whilst veteran Kelvin Bryant took over rushing duties and then rookie Jamie Morris (brother of the Giants running back Joe Morris) got the nod when Bryant went down hurt. Regardless Smith went from champ to chump in the space of 12 months as he was left on the Redskins Plan B unprotected list in 1989.
The Skins were back to needing a runner to expose the Hogs ability to blast holes in opposing defences. They made two moves: one big, one small.
In 1989 Redskins GM Bobby Beathard was about to retire (he would later re-emerge as the Chargers GM) and as a leaving present, he did what he always did at the draft traded the future for the present. He sent the Skins first round pick in 1990 (their first round pick in 1989 was already traded to the Bears as part of the Wilbur Marshall trade) and their 2nd round pick in 1989 to the Atlanta Falcons for Gerald Riggs, a big power back often compared to former Redskin runners such as John Riggins and George Rogers. The problem was solved it seemed.
 Beathard covered his bases though and also sent back-up running back Mike Oliphant to the Cleveland Browns for veteran runner Earnest Byner.
Byner was effectively run out of town by the Browns. Never forgiven for his infamous fumble in the 1987 AFC Championship Game that cost the Browns a chance to go the Super Bowl, the Browns got shot of the man who had along with fellow runner Kevin Mack in 1985 being one half of only the third ever 1000 yard rushing duo in NFL history.
It would turn out to be the best trade Beathard would ever pull off in his time as Redskins GM.
Gerald Riggs started off his career strongly as a Redskin, setting a team record 221 yards rushing in only his second game for the franchise but costly fumbles and injuries meant Earnest Byner would get his chance and he kept hold of it with both hands this time!
Byner finished 1989 strongly but in 1990, he would enjoy a career year with over 1200 yards and a Pro Bowl appearance. He was especially strong at the end of the season enjoying several 100 yard games in December as the Redskins grabbed a wild card.
The following year he would redeem himself for 1987 and get the Super Bowl ring most of his former Browns team mates would never get as the Skins went 14-2 and beat the Bills in XXVI. Byner would play a major part in the Skins success that year, finishing 5th in the league in rushing and scoring the Redskins opening touchdown of the 37-24 big game victory.
A fine all rounder, Byner could run the ball in a single set backfield, line up at fullback or H-back and even throw the odd pass! He was also a superb pass blocker, reading the blitz extremely well. He had a hand in an offense that only allowed 9 sacks in 1991.
Meanwhile Mike Oliphant, who the Browns took in exchange for Byner, would be out of Cleveland less than two years after the trade having never made an impact.
The link to Dallas
 The trade that really shock the foundations of the NFL in 1989 though was the Dallas Cowboys trade of running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings.
Convinced Walker was the missing piece to a puzzle almost complete, Vikings GM Mike Lynn sent players; draft picks and the kitchen sink to the Cowboys in order to secure his talents.
The Vikings gave up three first round picks, three second round picks, several other low round picks and five players to the Cowboys in exchange for Walker and a couple of draft picks back. It was a blockbusting deal that no one had imagined was possible, mainly because no one ever believed someone would pay that much for in effect, one player.
But why did Lynn pay that much? It can be traced back to the Byner trade.
Having sent Byner to the Redskins, the Browns were going to rely on veteran Kevin Mack to do the heavy lifting in their rushing offense complemented by rookie scat back Eric Metcalf for the 1989 season. Mack got injured though the Browns year was off to a slow start in the competitive AFC Central. Knowing the Cowboys were looking to the future because of their poor record and new (coach and owner) structure at the time, the Browns had contacted the Cowboys and offered picks and players in exchange for Walker. The Cowboys then used the Browns offer to up the ante and whilst some other suitors, including the Falcons walked away from a deal, the Vikings took the chance and topped the Browns.
Walker had a lot to live up to in Minnesota. The start was promising as with limited knowledge of the play book he would give the Green Bay Packers all they could handle – including one of his shoes (it came off during a long run) in his debut but it was an impossible task to follow up week in, week out. For what the Vikings had paid, Walker needed to be a consistent 1000+ yards a season back as well as being the player to push them ahead of the rest of the NFC pack. Walker would never rush for 1000 yards in his three seasons in Minnesota and whilst he can be perceived as a massive disappointment, the coaching staff and their misuse of him at times, must take some of the blame.
The Aftermath
The deal would go on to be remembered as a coup for the Cowboys and a disaster for the Vikings. That’s actually a little unfair. Walker never worked out for the Vikings and the failure of the trade had a lot to do with Jerry Burns eventual departure as Head Coach. He would be replaced by Dennis Green and the Vikings would make the play-offs in eight of his first nine years in charge. They also got a few bits and pieces back off the Cowboys. One of those buts was a 3rd round pick in 1991 that would be used to select wide receiver Jake Reed who would go on to record four 1000 yard receiving seasons for the Vikings.
 The Cowboys certainly used some of the picks they received extremely well including drafting running back Emmitt Smith (who would become the NFL’s all time leading rusher ), safety Darren Woodson (5 time pro bowler) and trading many of the picks in other significant trades but it’s worth remembering another move the Cowboys made in 1989 that paid dividends.
Just like Bobby Beathard had covered his bases with the addition of Earnest Byner to back up his move for Gerald Riggs, the Cowboys had pulled something similar. After drafting UCLA QB Troy Aikman number one overall in the 1989 draft, the Cowboys then pulled the surprise of selecting Miami QB Steve Walsh a former Jimmy Johnson pupil with the first pick of the supplemental draft (surrendering their first round pick in 1990 to do so).
Both QB’s were on the roster and played as rookies in 1989 but despite Walsh leading the Cowboys to their only victory of a 1-15 season (over the Redskins) he was then traded to the New Orleans Saints for two first round picks in 1990. Those addition picks would play as much a part of the Cowboys ability to restock quickly via the draft between 1990 and 1992 as the Herschel Walker trade was. The fact they also made some smart trades themselves – such as the acquisition of Charles Haley from the 49ers was also major part of their rebuild.
Ironically, had they not taken Walsh and kept their first round pick of the 1990 draft which would have being the overall number one again they might have being able to pull off another blockbuster trade as that pick ended up in the hands of the Atlanta Falcons who would in turn trade it to the Indianapolis Colts for picks and players so they could select Jeff George.
Also, before the Cowboys traded Walker they had considered trading wide receiver and future Hall Of Famer Michael Irvin to the Los Angeles Rams as a way towards gaining draft picks for rebuilding. Irvin of course would be a major part of Dallas’ three Super Bowl teams of the 90’s.
It could so easily have being Steve Walsh throwing to Andre Rison (part of the Jeff George trade) with the lone star on their helmets if a couple of different choices had being made.
The Herschel Walker trade certainly helped the Cowboys in their rebuild to success but it was not the lone reason they went on to dominate the 90’s. Likewise, it didn’t destroy the Vikings in the same decade, just left their egos bruised.
But it may never have happened at all had the Cleveland Browns not being so keen to get rid of a running back who had left scars on their franchise because of one mistake in a big game.
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