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1987 NFL trade deadline

The three-team Eric Dickerson megadeal

The Rams, Colts and Bills moved a superstar back, players and a vast draft package through one of the league's most complicated transactions.

Open the full season →Every trade deadline by year

Why this window matters

#3 in the Athlore NFL trade deadlines ranking

Dickerson won the rushing title after changing teams midseason, while the package became an early proof of how aggressively elite talent could be repriced.

In the order it happened

The transaction timeline

The draft, major signings, trades and roster decisions are ordered chronologically. Complete draft boards, trade packages and free-agent jersey changes are embedded at the moment they happened.

  1. Deadline eve · Negotiations

    Three teams assemble a rare megadeal

    Indianapolis pursued Eric Dickerson, Buffalo wanted Cornelius Bennett and the Rams sought players plus draft capital.

  2. October 31 · Three-team trade

    Dickerson, Bennett and Bell change teams →

    The Colts acquired Dickerson, Buffalo landed Bennett and Los Angeles received Greg Bell plus a vast selection package.

    The complete trade package is preserved beside this moment →

    11TradeOctober 31, 1987To INDINDDICKERSON29To BUFDraftPICKround assetTo LARLARBELL—LARGILL—Draft1STround asset+1 assetsDickerson to IndianapolisIND receives Eric DickersonBUF receives Rights to Cornelius Bennett · No. 2LAR receives Greg Bell, Owen Gill, Three 1st-round picks + 1 more6 original assets · 2 outcomes tracedOpen trade →

  3. After the trade · Immediate impact

    Dickerson enters the Colts offense midseason

    The star runner changed uniforms without a full offseason and still finished as the league's rushing champion.