Dallas Cowboys–Detroit Lions Trade History

Dallas Cowboys received 2 players from Detroit Lions, while Detroit Lions received 2 assets in the 1961-08-21 deal. Dallas received Bob Grottkau and Houston Antwine while Detroit received John Gonzaga and an unidentified draft pick; the uncertain pick identity and modest realized returns support an even grade. The final grades are C for Dallas Cowboys and C for Detroit Lions, producing a verdict of Even Trade.

Dallas Cowboys received 1965 fourth round pick (#53-Bob Svihus) and cash. Dallas received Detroit's 1965 fourth-round choice, later No. 53, plus cash. The selection became Bob Svihus, but he did not create direct Cowboys NFL value. Dallas still obtained draft capital and financial consideration, though the realized football benefit remained modest. The balanced outcome supports a C+ grade for Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas traded running back Amos Marsh to Detroit for a 1966 fifth-round pick and used the choice on Walt Garrison. Marsh gave the Lions immediate value, including a productive 1965 season, but his Detroit tenure lasted only three years. Garrison became a nine-season Cowboy, a Pro Bowler, and a dependable runner and receiver on championship teams. Detroit received a useful veteran; Dallas turned a day-three-style pick into the more durable franchise contributor.

Dallas Cowboys: Dallas selected Charles Zapiec with the acquired pick, but he did not provide regular-season value for the Cowboys. The D grade reflects only value tied directly to this transaction, including production or draft value the club itself controlled. Against Detroit Lions, that supported return leads to the final verdict of Detroit Lions Win.

On 1972-07-27, Dallas Cowboys received undisclosed draft pick (selection not identified), while Detroit Lions received Jim Benien. The final verdict is Even Trade, with Dallas Cowboys graded C and Detroit Lions graded C. The hindsight view follows the documented consideration and later traceable value without treating every named pick outcome as if it had been directly exchanged on trade day. Any conditional, undisclosed, or unidentified component is credited only to the extent that the surviving evidence establishes it.

Dallas acquired kicker Skip Butler from Detroit for an eleventh-round pick in 1979, but Butler never appeared in a regular-season game for the Cowboys. Dallas therefore received no realized NFL game value from the player it targeted. The deal became costly only in relative terms because Detroit turned the outgoing pick into a multi-season contributor.

Detroit acquired linebacker Angelo King from Dallas for a 1986 sixth-round pick that became quarterback Stan Gelbaugh. King immediately became a useful Lions defender, playing full 16-game seasons in 1984 and 1985 and recording 73 tackles with four sacks in 1985. Gelbaugh did not produce regular-season value for Dallas. Detroit therefore received the clearly superior football return from a relatively inexpensive draft choice.

Dallas acquired Paul Palmer from Detroit in 1989 for the 1990 eighth-round pick that became No. 194 Willie Green. Palmer rushed for 446 yards in nine Cowboys games before his NFL career ended, while Green became a productive Detroit receiver with 1,640 yards and 14 touchdowns over three Lions seasons. Detroit ultimately realized the stronger return.

Detroit acquired the rights to first-round defensive tackle Kelvin Pritchett from Dallas, while the Cowboys received Nos. 37, 64 and 108. Dallas found linebacker Dixon Edwards at No. 37, a contributor on three Super Bowl champions. Detroit also did well: Pritchett became a durable interior defender with a long Lions tenure, making this one of the rare move-down deals that worked for both clubs.

Detroit acquired the 56th pick from Dallas during the 1992 draft and selected kicker Jason Hanson. The Cowboys received Nos. 82, 109 and 250, using them on James Brown, Tom Myslinski and Chris Hall. Dallas created three chances, but none matched Hanson's extraordinary 21-season Detroit career. Because Hanson spent his entire career with the Lions, this is a direct and overwhelming team-specific win.

Dallas moved down and came away with Dexter Coakley and Antonio Anderson. Coakley became the defining return, developing into a long-time starting linebacker and earning three Pro Bowl selections during his Cowboys career. Anderson added immediate defensive service as well. Coakley's longevity and high-end production turned a modest draft maneuver into a major value win and easily justify Dallas' strong grade.

Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions completed this exchange on 2003-04-27. Dallas Cowboys received Aveion Cason, while Detroit Lions received 2003 7th round pick (236th overall, Brandon Drumm). The historical sources agree on the core package and transaction identity. In hindsight, This was still a small transaction, but one side extracted usable on-field production while the other did not. That makes a modest Dallas edge more appropriate than an even result. The final grades are B- for Dallas Cowboys and C for Detroit Lions, producing a Dallas Cowboys Win verdict.

Dallas received a 2008 fourth-round pick that it later moved onward plus the 2009 fourth-round selection used on Stephen McGee. McGee appeared in only three Cowboys games and made one start, never becoming a meaningful long-term quarterback option. The earlier pick retained transaction value but did not itself create comparable direct production. Dallas' return falls far short of Cliff Avril's impact in Detroit.

Dallas acquired Roy Williams and a seventh-round pick for first-, third-, and sixth-round selections. Williams never became the No. 1 receiver the Cowboys expected, while Detroit used the first-round pick on long-term starting tight end Brandon Pettigrew and gained two more draft opportunities. The Lions sold at peak value and won clearly.

Dallas acquired veteran quarterback Jon Kitna from Detroit for cornerback Anthony Henry in February 2009. Kitna became useful insurance behind Tony Romo and started nine games in 2010 after Romo was injured. Henry's Lions stint was shorter and less successful, making Dallas the clear winner in a veteran-for-veteran exchange that delivered meaningful quarterback depth.

Dallas moved up to No. 146 in the 2014 draft and selected wide receiver Devin Street, sending Detroit Nos. 158 and 229. Street provided limited receiving production and did not become a lasting part of the Cowboys offense. Detroit used the two selections on Caraun Reid and Nate Freese, and Reid supplied the best sustained NFL contribution in the deal, giving the Lions a modest hindsight edge.

Dallas Cowboys received 2021 6th round pick (192nd overall, Quinton Bohanna) in the exchange with Detroit Lions. Its D+ grade reflects the practical value of that return relative to the package surrendered and the hindsight result. The grade remains tied to documented value for the acquiring club, without assigning credit for unresolved or hypothetical downstream consideration.

Dallas moved down from No. 24 to No. 29 in 2024 and added the 73rd pick, turning the deal into Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe. Detroit moved up for cornerback Terrion Arnold and also received a 2025 seventh-round pick. Beebe became an immediate starting center, while Guyton’s first two seasons were interrupted by penalties and injuries. Arnold has started when healthy, making the trade closer than the original grade spread suggests.