Why the Dallas Cowboys interest in Amari Cooper makes sense
After reports that the Dallas Cowboys are doing their due diligence in a possible trade for Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper, here’s why it makes sense.
When rumors started to leak out that the Oakland Raiders were possibly in the market to trade away two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys made the ideal landing spot.
In the offseason, the Cowboys opted to part ways with longtime number one wideout Dez Bryant. Without Bryant, Dallas’ passing offense has struggled. Young quarterback Dak Prescott has posted career-lows in passing yardage (190.6 per game), completion percentage (62.0), and QB rating (85.5) through the team’s first six games.
The Cowboys receiver corps is considered one of the worst in the NFL. Wideout Cole Beasley leads the team in receptions with 26 catches for 294 yards and two touchdowns. The bulk of those numbers coming from his breakout game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week Six (nine receptions, 101 yards, two scores).
Running back Ezekiel Elliott is Dallas’ second-leading receiver with 23 catches. And tight end Geoff Swaim has 17 receptions, ranking him third on that team list. The rest of the wide receivers shake out like this for the Cowboys …
Deonte Thompson – 12 receptions on 17 targets
Allen Hurns – 8 receptions on 22 targets
Tavon Austin – 7 receptions on 9 targets
Michael Gallup – 7 receptions on 17 targets
Terrance Williams – 2 receptions on 3 targets
Austin is currently suffering from a groin injury and is believed to be out for several weeks. Williams landed on Injured Reserve due to a foot injury and has also been suspended for three games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
The Cowboys re-signed wide receiver Brice Butler last month, but he’s played just one snap while dealing with a groin injury and relearning the offense under new positional coach Sanjay Lal.
The point being, outside of Beasley, no other wide receiver has stepped up in this Cowboys offense. Dallas simply needs more talent on their depth chart. That’s where Cooper fits in.
Rarely do team’s get a chance to add a young and talented player like Cooper to their roster. And the Cowboys know this. That’s why it makes sense that Dallas is reportedly researching a possible trade for Cooper from the Raiders.
The fourth overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft out of Alabama started his NFL career with two back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl. Cooper recorded a total of 155 receptions for 2,223 yards and 11 touchdowns in those first two seasons with the Raiders. In 2017, despite the team posting a 6-10 record, Amari was still able to record a career-high seven touchdowns in a down year.
So far this season, Cooper has recorded 22 catches for 280 yards and one score under a new coaching staff that clearly doesn’t value him as highly as the previous regime. Yet, those numbers would make him the Cowboys second best wide receiver. And without Beasley’s offensive explosion last weekend, Cooper would possibly be the team’s top receiver with that stat line.
The main obstacle to any possible trade will be price. The Raiders are rumored to want a first-round selection in exchange for Cooper. Secondly, Oakland picked up the former first rounder’s option in 2019. Although Cooper is making just over $3.5 million this year, he’s scheduled to make just south of $14 million next season.
Next. Dallas Cowboys 5 Best Free Agent Signings Of All Time. dark
For the Dallas Cowboys, adding a player like Amari Cooper to their roster makes sense. They would be getting a Pro Bowl caliber receiver who is only 24-years old to pair with a third-year quarterback in Dak Prescott. Although trading away a future first-round selection seems absurd, the Cowboys will need to add talent to their wide receiver corps regardless. And there are no guarantees it will be a Pro Bowl-level talent you’ll be getting in return via the draft.