Dallas acquired cornerback Garry Lewis from the Raiders in…
Dallas acquired cornerback Garry Lewis from the Raiders in February 1992 for seventh-round No. 190. The Raiders later moved that pick, while Dallas eventually sent Lewis to Tampa Bay and recovered additional late-round value through that move. Lewis never became a Cowboys regular, so the margin is small, but Dallas squeezed slightly more flexibility from the original acquisition.
Dallas Cowboys Received
- player Garry Lewis
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- pick 1992 seventh round pick (#190; later traded by the Raiders)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
The Raiders traded defensive back Garry Lewis to Dallas on February 1, 1992 for seventh-round pick No. 190. The choice ultimately carried Chris Holder's name after later movement, but Oakland did not simply use the pick on Holder; it was part of subsequent draft maneuvering. Dallas acquired Lewis as a young defensive back with starting experience from his Raiders tenure. Dallas Cowboys Return Dallas did not get a long Cowboys playing career from Lewis. Contract tension and roster decisions led the club to trade him to Tampa Bay in August 1992. That secondary move still matters to the value story because Dallas recovered a final-round draft-position benefit rather than losing Lewis for nothing. The return was modest, but the Cowboys preserved some asset value. Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders Return Oakland received a seventh-round choice for a player who was leaving its plans, which was a reasonable transaction. The Raiders then used the pick in later draft movement instead of holding it to the terminal selection. Because the choice did not produce a notable direct Raiders player, however, Oakland's realized gain from the original deal remained limited. Value in Hindsight This is a small transaction on both sides. Lewis became a useful NFL defensive back elsewhere, but not for Dallas, and No. 190 did not become a clear Oakland building block. Dallas gets slight credit for converting Lewis into another late-round benefit after acquiring him, while the Raiders get credit for obtaining a draft asset for a player they were ready to move. Final Verdict Dallas earns a C+ and the Raiders a C. The Cowboys did not uncover a major contributor, yet they retained enough flexibility to extract another return from Lewis. Oakland's seventh-round asset had value but did not create stronger realized production. The result is a narrow Dallas win rather than a meaningful organizational swing.