Dallas acquired guard Jim Ray Smith from Cleveland on April…
Dallas acquired guard Jim Ray Smith from Cleveland on April 30, 1963 for tackle Monte Clark. Smith came out of retirement to play at home, but injuries limited his Cowboys return to 12 regular-season games across 1963-64 before he retired for good.
Cleveland Browns Received
- player Monte Clark
Dallas Cowboys Received
- player Jim Ray Smith
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
Cleveland's own retrospective on Jim Ray Smith confirms that Art Modell persuaded the retired guard to speak with Dallas and then traded him to the Cowboys for tackle Monte Clark. The move gave Dallas a decorated veteran near the end of his career and Cleveland a younger tackle entering his prime.
Dallas Return
Smith played eight games with eight starts in 1963, then four games with one start in 1964. Cleveland's account says his two Cowboys seasons were disrupted by two knee operations, two broken hands and two concussions. He retired after 1964, leaving Dallas with only 12 regular-season games of post-trade value.
Cleveland Return
Clark played for Cleveland from 1963 through 1969. NFL records show 89 regular-season games over those seven seasons, and later lineup records identify him as Cleveland's right tackle. He was on the 1964 championship club and remained in the lineup through the Browns' late-1960s division and conference runs.
Hindsight Comparison
Dallas received short-lived veteran help, but Cleveland converted a player who had already tried to retire into seven seasons of tackle value. The durability gap and Clark's role on a championship-era line create a much larger separation than the legacy C+/C grading captured.
Final Verdict
Cleveland Browns Win, A- to C. Clark's seven-year Browns tenure and championship-era role clearly outweigh Smith's injury-limited two-season Dallas stint.