Denver acquired Rich Jackson, Ray Schmautz, and Dick Tyson…
Denver acquired Rich Jackson, Ray Schmautz, and Dick Tyson from Oakland for Lionel Taylor and Jerry Sturm. Jackson developed into a cornerstone of the Broncos defense and became the defining long-term asset in the exchange. Oakland received an accomplished receiver in Taylor and a veteran lineman in Sturm, but Sturm left camp and was released during the season, limiting the Raiders' overall return.
Denver Broncos Received
- player Rich Jackson
- player Ray Schmautz
- player Richard Tyson / Dick Tyson
Las Vegas Raiders Received
- player Lionel Taylor
- player Jerry Sturm
Trade Analysis
Why the Trade Happened
Denver and Oakland made a five-player AFL trade on July 16, 1967. The Broncos sent receiver Lionel Taylor and lineman Jerry Sturm to the Raiders for Rich Jackson, Ray Schmautz and Richard Tyson. The package is stated only to the level that published football histories can support, so an unidentified choice stays unidentified instead of being attached to an uncertain player. That keeps the exchange coherent while still allowing the football value on each side to be judged from the assets that are known.
What Denver Broncos Received
Denver's prize became Rich Jackson. He developed into one of the best defensive players in franchise history and a dominant edge defender of the late AFL era. Schmautz and Tyson added further roster value to an already lopsided return. The grade weighs both the price paid and the practical value that followed. A named draft choice is credited only when the selection can be connected to the exchange, while a general future choice remains general. That approach makes the historical comparison useful without overstating details that surviving accounts do not settle.
What Oakland Raiders Received
Oakland received an accomplished receiver in Taylor and veteran lineman Sturm, but Sturm left camp and was released during the season. Taylor's value could not offset Jackson's emergence as a cornerstone for Denver. The other side is judged by the same standard: immediate games, starting value, later career impact, and the quality of any draft assets received. Where one part of the package produced little or no NFL value, that matters even if the original transaction looked balanced on paper.
Final Verdict
Denver earns an A+ and Oakland a D+. Landing Rich Jackson alone would have made the deal memorable; receiving two additional players while surrendering a package with limited Raiders longevity makes it one of Denver's clearest early wins. The verdict reflects the strongest supportable version of the transaction and the career value that followed. It does not depend on assigning an uncertain pick to a player simply to make the package look more complete. The result is a full historical evaluation of the trade that can stand on the known facts.