The 1987 three-team blockbuster sent Eric Dickerson from the…
The 1987 three-team blockbuster sent Eric Dickerson from the Rams to Indianapolis and the rights to Cornelius Bennett from the Colts to Buffalo. Los Angeles received Greg Bell, Owen Gill, and six draft choices: first-rounders that became Gaston Green, Aaron Cox, and Cleveland Gary, plus second-rounders Fred Strickland, Frank Stams, and Darryl Henley. All three clubs received substantial assets.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- player Eric Dickerson
Buffalo Bills Received
- other rights to Cornelius Bennett
Los Angeles Rams Received
- player Greg Bell
- player Owen Gill
- pick 1988 1st round pick from Bills, 14th overall, Gaston Green
- pick 1988 1st round pick from Colts, 20th overall, Aaron Cox
- pick 1988 2nd round pick from Colts, 47th overall, Fred Strickland
- pick 1989 1st round pick from Bills, 26th overall, Cleveland Gary
- pick 1989 2nd round pick from Colts, 45th overall, Frank Stams
- pick 1989 2nd round pick from Bills, 53rd overall, Darryl Henley
Trade Analysis
The Halloween 1987 Dickerson trade was a true three-team transaction, and evaluating it requires keeping all three paths intact. Indianapolis sent the rights to unsigned rookie linebacker Cornelius Bennett to Buffalo and combined the Buffalo return with its own assets to acquire Eric Dickerson from Los Angeles. The Rams received running backs Greg Bell and Owen Gill plus six draft choices spread across the 1988 and 1989 drafts.
The complete Los Angeles draft return is important because an incomplete four-pick list understates what the Rams actually received. Buffalo supplied a 1988 first-round choice that became Gaston Green, a 1989 first-rounder used on Cleveland Gary, and a 1989 second-rounder used on Darryl Henley. Indianapolis supplied a 1988 first-round choice used on Aaron Cox, a 1988 second-rounder used on Fred Strickland, and a 1989 second-rounder used on Frank Stams. Bell and Gill completed the Rams' side of the package.
Indianapolis received the clearest immediate superstar return. Dickerson joined the Colts in the middle of the 1987 season and went on to rush for more than 5,000 yards for the franchise. In 1988 he led the NFL with 1,659 rushing yards. The Colts paid heavily, but they acquired the established centerpiece they wanted and received high-end production quickly.
Buffalo's outcome was also meaningful because Bennett became a long-term defensive fixture rather than merely a contract-resolution asset. The Bills gave up Bell and three premium choices, but they secured the rights to the No. 2 overall pick and built part of their defense around him.
Los Angeles chose volume. The six picks and two backs created multiple chances to replace Dickerson's value, and several pieces contributed, but the package did not yield one player who matched Dickerson's individual impact. That does not make the Rams' return empty; it was a large, diversified haul. The trade's defining contrast is that Indianapolis and Buffalo each concentrated value in a star player, while Los Angeles spread its return across eight incoming assets.