Dallas traded running back Amos Marsh to Detroit for a 1966…
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 Received
- pick 1966 fifth round pick (#79-Walt Garrison)
Detroit Lions Received
- player Amos Marsh
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Dallas moved Amos Marsh to Detroit in September 1965 for a 1966 fifth-round draft choice. The Cowboys used that pick, 79th overall, on Oklahoma State fullback Walt Garrison. That makes the trade unusually easy to trace: one veteran runner went to the Lions, and the return became a player who would be associated with Dallas for nearly a decade.
Why Detroit's Side Was Respectable
Marsh immediately helped Detroit. He carried a meaningful offensive load in 1965 and remained with the Lions through 1967. His speed also had value in the return game. A B- recognizes that the Lions acquired an NFL-caliber player who contributed rather than simply renting an aging reserve. The deal helped the current roster, even if Marsh did not become a long-term franchise fixture.
How Dallas Turned the Pick Into More
Garrison became the more enduring asset. He played nine seasons for Dallas, rushed for 3,886 yards, added substantial receiving value, and made the Pro Bowl. He also contributed during the Cowboys' rise into a perennial contender and was part of the Super Bowl VI championship team. Extracting that career from a fifth-round choice obtained for a player Dallas was willing to move is exactly the kind of long-horizon return that creates separation.
Final Verdict
Dallas wins, B+ to B-. Detroit received legitimate immediate production from Marsh, so this is not a fleecing. But the Cowboys converted one expendable veteran into a pick that became a nine-year contributor and Pro Bowler. Garrison's longevity, role on winning teams, and total production outweigh Marsh's shorter Detroit run and move the verdict clearly toward Dallas.