On May 9, 1973, he was traded along with wide receiver Billy Parks to the Houston Oilers, in exchange for their first and third round draft picks in the 1974 NFL Draft. For the first time in their history, the Dallas Cowboys would have the first overall draft choice which they used to select defensive end Ed "Too Tall" Jones, who would play a key role on the Cowboys Super Bowl teams in the 1970s. With the third round pick they acquired, the Cowboys selected quarterback Danny White, who became the starting quarterback during the 1980s after the retirement of Roger Staubach.