Jerome Bettis trade

The Jerome Bettis trade was a

While the compensation to the Rams by the Steelers was small compared to the Herschel Walker trade and the forthcoming Ricky Williams trade, the deal would have longstanding impacts on both franchises. Coupled with Phillips subsequently becoming a draft bust due to off-the-field issues, the trade has since become one of the more lopsided deals in NFL history, strongly favoring the Steelers and eventually leading to Bettis's induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Background

The then-

In 1995, the Rams moved east to St. Louis, bringing in former Oregon head coach Rich Brooks to be their new head coach. Wanting to install a more passing-oriented offense, Bettis was limited to 637 yards,^[1] a significant dropoff from his 1993 and 1994 totals. Some sports journalists, knowing the short lifespan of running backs in the NFL, thought Bettis might already be done. The coaching staff did as well; Brooks asked Bettis whether he wanted to move back to his college position^[2] of fullback (a position that was transitioning to more of a pure blocking position during this time, and which Bettis's size was arguably more suited for) for the upcoming 1996 season or preferred to be traded. Bettis stated he thought he could still help an NFL team with his running.

Meanwhile, the Rams saw potential in Nebraska running back

• Running back Jerome Bettis
• 1996 third round pick (72nd overall, used to select Steve Conley)

Traded to St. Louis

• 1996 second round pick (59th overall, used to select Ernie Conwell)
• 1997 fourth round pick (121st overall, later traded to the Miami Dolphins, used to select Jerome Daniels; the Rams received the 112th pick in exchange, used on Ryan Tucker)

With the team out of the running for Bettis, the Oilers would select Ohio State running back Eddie George with their first-round pick in the draft. The deal was initially reported during ESPN's coverage of the draft by ESPN reporter & ex-Steeler Mark Malone,^[5] and confirmed by the NFL shortly after the start of the 2nd round.^[6]

Reaction and aftermath

Many sports journalists initially felt that the Rams got the better end of the deal due to the relatively high compensation for Bettis, feeling that he was already on the decline at 24. Even journalists in Pittsburgh felt that the price was high, and with Bettis being a pending free agent in 1997 with the expiration of his rookie contract put the Steelers into a catch-22 situation, as the trade was either going to be for naught if Bettis struggled, or with the Steelers up against the salary cap too expensive to retain Bettis if he was successful.

The Steelers (then as now dating back to Noll's tenure) also rarely made trades, preferring to build through the draft and were criticized for making the deal.^[7] It also affected their draft strategy; before the Bettis trade was confirmed by the NFL, the Steelers selected North Carolina A&T offensive lineman Jamain Stephens over Purdue fullback Mike Alstott with their first-round pick; it had been speculated that the Steelers would've selected Alstott over Stephens had Bettis not been available for trade.^[8] Had the Bettis trade fell through after the pick, the Steelers would've been left without a power running back, as Morris would plead guilty to possession charges in June and be subsequently released by the team. Additionally, Alstott would go on to a successful 12-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a 3-time All-Pro while Stephens would go on to become one of the Steelers biggest draft busts after being infamously cut on the first day of training camp in 1999 after failing to complete a 40-yard dash.^[9]

As it turned out, the trade to Pittsburgh was the best thing to happen to Bettis' career, as he more than rebounded in 1996 with a then career-high 1,431 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, being voted

Foreshadowed by the sports journalists, the Steelers would sign Bettis to an extension at the expense of several veterans due to the salary cap, notably fellow Hall of Famer Rod Woodson and Bettis' backup Erric Pegram. Despite that, Bettis would finish his career after the 2005 NFL season as the 5th all-time leading rusher in NFL history and would finish his career with a Super Bowl ring, as the Steelers would win Super Bowl XL in Bettis' last game.

While both the players the Rams selected from their picks related to the trade (Conwell and Tucker) would be on their Super Bowl XXXIV roster in 1999, neither one would be significant contributors to The Greatest Show on Turf, nor would any of the players selected with the picks related to the Bettis trade in general have successful NFL careers, or at least one on the level of Bettis. This included Phillips, whose off-the-field issues from college continued in the NFL. The Rams (by this point led by Dick Vermeil) cut Phillips midway into the 1997 season, and is generally regarded as a bust. Phillips would eventually be sent to prison in 2008 and would commit suicide in 2016 following a murder of his cellmate and pending charges against Phillips. As the Rams would not have a featured back until they traded for Marshall Faulk in 1999 to kick-start the Greatest Show on Turf era, the trade has since been ranked as one of the most lopsided trades in the history of sports, strongly benefitting the Steelers.^[11][12]

See also

• Brock for Broglio
• Eric Lindros trade
• Herschel Walker trade
• Ricky Williams trade
• White Flag Trade
• List of largest National Football League trades

References