Dallas Cowboys–Indianapolis Colts Trade History

The legacy record lists Baltimore Colts receiving 1962 ninth round pick (#116-Roy Walker) and Dallas Cowboys receiving Don Perkins (Anthony), but part of that date, identity, or downstream attribution remains disputed in the surviving historical record. Dallas secured Don Perkins rights after he had been drafted by Baltimore, and the Cowboys ultimately sent the Colts a 1962 ninth-round choice as compensation. The exact administrative date remains uncertain, but the football outcome is not: Perkins rushed for 6,217 yards in eight Dallas seasons and became a Cowboys Ring of

The 1962 Dick Bielski deal was a three-team exchange among Baltimore, Dallas and St. Louis. The Colts acquired Bielski from the Cowboys, Dallas received defensive back and punter Jerry Norton from the Cardinals, and St. Louis received Baltimore's 1963 third-round pick, later used on Mike Fracchia. Neither the Colts nor Cowboys produced a large long-term advantage from their direct football return.

Baltimore sent its 1964 third-round pick to Dallas for running back J.W. Lockett. Colts materials confirm the third-rounder went to the Cowboys and note that Dallas later dealt the selection, but surviving draft histories do not securely establish which player should be credited to this exact transaction. Lockett supplied Baltimore one season of modest production before moving on.

Baltimore and Dallas swapped defensive tackles in July 1964, with Guy Reese going to the Colts and Jim Colvin going to the Cowboys. Player histories place the exchange on July 12. Dallas earns a B+ and Baltimore a C. Colvin supplied multiple seasons of useful line play, while Reese did not create a comparable long-term Colts return. The player-for-player structure was balanced on paper, but the careers after the exchange were not.

Baltimore traded Ralph Neely's NFL rights to Dallas on August 29, 1965 for Billy Lothridge and a 1966 fourth-round choice, No. 54. The Colts later used that pick on Rod Sherman. Dallas earns an A+ because Neely became one of the defining linemen of the franchise's rise. Baltimore received a player and a fourth-round pick, but the long-term disparity is too large to call the package competitive.

Baltimore traded veteran defensive lineman Andy Stynchula to Dallas on December 18, 1968, for receiver Sims Stokes and a 1969 fifth-round pick, No. 127. Stokes never played a regular-season game for the Colts, but Baltimore later packaged the acquired pick with another selection to obtain guard Dan Grimm from Atlanta. Dallas received only a brief Stynchula tenure, so the Colts' reusable draft capital gives them the edge.

Dallas acquired defensive lineman John Dutton for its first- and second-round picks in 1980. Dutton became a long-term piece of the Cowboys defense and remained with the club through 1987, giving Dallas years of starting value from an established player. That sustained contribution outweighed the two draft choices Baltimore ultimately used on Derrick Hatchett and Tim Foley.

Dallas traded offensive lineman Steve Wright to Baltimore in August 1983 for a 1985 sixth-round pick. Wright immediately started 10 games for the Colts in 1983 and nine more in 1984, giving Baltimore two seasons of useful line play. Dallas used No. 144 on Kurt Ploeger, whose NFL career totaled only five games and one start, leaving the Colts with the stronger direct return.

Dallas traded kicker Raul Allegre to Baltimore for a 1984 ninth-round pick after Allegre lost a training-camp competition. The Cowboys eventually used No. 232 on John Hunt, who played only a handful of NFL games. Allegre immediately became one of the league's most productive kickers, making 30 of 35 field goals in 1983 and scoring 112 points for the Colts, then remaining with the franchise through 1985.

Dallas traded quarterback Gary Hogeboom to Indianapolis on April 28, 1986, moving from No. 47 to No. 33 in the next day's second round and receiving a conditional 1987 fifth-round pick that was not exercised. Dallas selected Darryl Clack at No. 33. Indianapolis received Hogeboom and used No. 47 on Jack Trudeau, whose long Colts tenure gave Indianapolis the stronger overall return despite mixed quarterback results.

Dallas sent defensive lineman Zefross Moss to Indianapolis on August 22, 1989 for a 1990 tenth-round pick, later used on Jim Szymanski. The transaction was separate from the same-day Chuck Ehin deal. Moss did not become a major Colts contributor, while Szymanski was a late-round selection with limited NFL impact. With neither side extracting substantial long-term value, the cleanly separated trade belongs in the even range.

Indianapolis moved from No. 52 to No. 37 in the 2001 second round and selected safety Idrees Bashir, sending Dallas Nos. 52 and 81. Bashir played 71 career games and recorded six interceptions. Dallas immediately recycled both acquired selections into later trades rather than drafting Chris Chambers or Kenny Smith itself. Those moves created useful downstream value, but Indianapolis receives a narrow edge for securing a multi-year defensive starter directly.

Dallas Cowboys received Caesar Rayford in the exchange with Indianapolis Colts. Caesar Rayford appeared in seven Cowboys games without a start, so Dallas received only a small amount of on-field value. Against Indianapolis Colts' return of 2015 7th round pick (244th overall subsequently traded, Trent Brown), that outcome supports a D+ grade. The transaction is judged as Indianapolis Colts Win, with the mark based on the football value that actually followed from the deal.

Dallas acquired veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore from Indianapolis for a 2023 fifth-round pick that became running back Evan Hull. Gilmore immediately started all 17 regular-season games for a 12-win Cowboys team, intercepted two passes and strengthened a secondary that needed veteran stability. Indianapolis received little lasting production from Hull, making the one-year Gilmore rental easily worth the modest price.