Dallas sent Clint Longley and the 1977 first-round pick that…
Dallas sent Clint Longley and the 1977 first-round pick that became Bob Rush to San Diego for 1977 selections No. 14 and No. 41. The Cowboys later packaged both choices with No. 30 and No. 54 to Seattle to move up for Tony Dorsett. That downstream use turned the deal into a major Dallas success.
Dallas Cowboys Received
- pick 1977 first round pick (#14; later sent with picks #30, #41 and #54 to Seattle for pick #2-Tony Dorsett; Seattle used #14 on Steve August)
- pick 1977 second round pick (#41; later sent with picks #14, #30 and #54 to Seattle for pick #2-Tony Dorsett; Seattle used #41 on Terry Beeson)
Los Angeles Chargers Received
- player Clint Longley
- pick 1977 first round pick (#24-Bob Rush (Jeffrey))
Trade Analysis
What the Trade Actually Did
Dallas traded quarterback Clint Longley and its 1977 first-round choice to San Diego on August 30, 1976. The Chargers later used that first-rounder, No. 24 overall, on center Bob Rush. Dallas received San Diego’s 1977 first-round pick at No. 14 and second-round pick at No. 41. The following spring, the Cowboys sent those two choices plus Nos. 30 and 54 to Seattle for the No. 2 pick used on Tony Dorsett. The direct Dorsett package contained pick No. 54, not Duke Fergerson.
Why Dallas Gets the Edge
The acquired draft capital became essential ammunition for one of the best moves in Cowboys history. Dallas could not have assembled the exact four-pick package for Seattle without the No. 14 and No. 41 selections obtained from San Diego. Turning those assets into Dorsett, a Hall of Fame runner who helped win Super Bowl XII as a rookie, gives this earlier trade enormous downstream value.
How San Diego’s Return Held Up
Longley barely contributed for the Chargers, appearing in only a handful of games. Rush was the useful part of the return. He played several seasons in San Diego and made starts on the offensive line, though much of his strongest starting run came later with Kansas City. That keeps the Chargers above a failing grade, but the package never produced a player remotely comparable to the value Dallas ultimately unlocked.
Final Verdict
Dallas earns an A+ because the two acquired selections directly enabled the move for Dorsett and therefore carried franchise-changing value. San Diego receives a C+ because Rush provided legitimate NFL service even though Longley did little. The Cowboys win decisively on downstream impact, and correcting the Dorsett package to include No. 54 instead of Fergerson makes the pick lineage historically coherent.