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Dallas Cowboys: 5 reasons the Amari Cooper trade was a mistake

By Steven Mullenax

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 25: Amari Cooper #89 of the Oakland Raiders walks off the field after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 25: Amari Cooper #89 of the Oakland Raiders walks off the field after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images /

The Dallas Cowboys traded away a first-round selection to acquire wide receiver, Amari Cooper. Here are five reasons that the move was a big mistake.

We knew the 3-4 Dallas Cowboys were desperate following the divisional loss against the Washington Redskins on Sunday. But few believed the Cowboys were desperate enough to give away their future first round pick in an attempt to save their season.

This current regime in Dallas seemed much more conservative than that. In fact, many seemed to believe the Cowboys had become far too conservative in recent years. This offseason was a perfect example of that. Despite given the opportunity to improve their situation at safety several times, via by trade or free agency, Dallas simply refused to pay the price.

Yet, it seemed to only take a three-point loss to the Redskins over the weekend to push the Cowboys off the conservative edge. On Monday, they agreed to a deal to trade away their 2019 first round selection to the Oakland Raiders for two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Amari Cooper.

Now Cooper is expected to come in and save the Cowboys season with just nine games left. Here are five reasons why this trade was a big mistake for Dallas.

1. Dallas overpaid

Did the Dallas Cowboys overpay for Amari Cooper? Absolutely. But the truth is they had to. According to the rumors, several teams including NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins were interested in Cooper. The Eagles had apparently offered a second-round selection just last week.

In order to close the deal, the Cowboys had to offer up a first rounder. And for every other team rumored to be interested, that was too high a price. And there is a reason for that. Despite having been to the Pro Bowl twice in his first two seasons, Cooper is considered to be a very inconsistent player.

So why would Dallas be willing to sacrifice a first-round pick when other teams weren’t? Simple. Desperation. The Cowboys inability to find proper replacements for former wide receiver Dez Bryant and tight end Jason Witten this offseason killed their passing game.

Instead, Dallas tried to implement a receiver-by-committee approach that has resulted in the 29th ranked passing offense in the NFL so far, averaging just 183 passing yards a game. At 3-4 following a loss to the Redskins, the Cowboys decided to make this move in an attempt to save their season.

Now, Amari Cooper is tasked with saving the Cowboys passing offense nearly single-handily. If he doesn’t, it’s going to be a very depressing first day of the 2019 NFL Draft for both the organization and fans as we’ll all watch 32 of the best rookies fly off the board.

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