Dallas sent Garry Lewis to Tampa Bay, and the compensation…
Dallas sent Garry Lewis to Tampa Bay, and the compensation ultimately became an exchange of final-round 1993 selections after the draft was reduced to eight rounds. Dallas received No. 203 and selected Dave Thomas; Tampa Bay received No. 224 and selected Daron Alcorn while also holding Lewis. None became a major long-term piece. Dallas receives a narrow advantage because Thomas provided the strongest realized value among the exchanged assets.
Dallas Cowboys Received
- pick 1993 8th round pick (203rd overall, Dave Thomas; realized from the original conditional ninth-round arrangement)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Received
- player Garry Lewis
- pick 1993 8th round pick (224th overall, Daron Alcorn)
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Tampa Bay acquired defensive back Garry Lewis from Dallas in 1992 under a conditional arrangement originally tied to a ninth-round draft choice. The NFL shortened the 1993 draft to eight rounds, triggering a proviso that converted the compensation into a swap of final-round selections. Dallas received No. 203, while Tampa Bay received No. 224 in addition to Lewis.
Dallas Cowboys Return
Dallas used No. 203 on Dave Thomas. The return was modest, but Thomas became the most useful player directly produced by the final pick structure. For a transaction involving a player Dallas was willing to move and the very end of the draft, extracting a slightly better selection was a reasonable result. The Cowboys did not create a major advantage, but they received tangible value.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Return
The Buccaneers received Lewis and the later No. 224 selection, which became Daron Alcorn. Lewis did not become a long-term defensive fixture in Tampa Bay, and Alcorn also failed to provide a major payoff. The package gave Tampa Bay two pieces, but neither supplied enough sustained production to turn the transaction into a clear Buccaneers win.
Value in Hindsight
The most interesting part of this deal is its mechanism rather than its impact. A ninth-round condition had to be adapted when the league eliminated that round, producing a final-round swap instead. Because the players involved delivered limited value, the grading margin should stay small. Dallas' slightly better realized player outcome is enough to separate the sides.
Final Verdict
Dallas earns a C+ and Tampa Bay a C. The Cowboys receive the narrow edge, but this remains a minor historical transaction whose unusual draft condition is more notable than the football value ultimately created.