Dallas Cowboys: Is Lombardi hinting at a possible Amari Cooper trade?

It would seem to be a step backward but is there a scenario where the Dallas Cowboys trade Amari Cooper? It could be part of the strategy to sign Dak Prescott.

Michael Lombardi, an NFL insider for The Athletic, recently tweeted that trade winds are blowing hard in the NFL. On his podcast, The GM Shuffle (22:00), Lombardi alluded to a number one wide receiver that would shock everyone could be on the move.

I wonder if Amari Cooper is the wide receiver on the trading block. I think this has everything to do with quarterback Dak Prescott’s next contract which is the single most important decision the Cowboys will make in the next several years.

It is no secret that the Dallas Cowboys 2018 season turned when they traded for Cooper. Before Amari, Prescott was averaging 202 yards passing per game. After Amari, Prescott jumped to 274 yards per game passing.

Prescott’s completion percentage increased from 62.3 percent to 71.8 percent after the trade. More importantly, the Cowboys went from three wins in seven games without Cooper to seven wins in nine games with Cooper winning the NFC East in the process.

So why would the Cowboys consider trading Cooper if he had such a positive impact on the offense? They need to find out if Dak is the type of quarterback that will raise the performance of those around him rather than need players of Cooper’s caliber to succeed.

The Cowboys have Super Bowl aspirations this year but the long-term health of the franchise may take precedent. Could the ownership group be worried about making a high dollar financial commitment to a quarterback that Pro Football Focus rated in the bottom half of starting quarterbacks?

Both Prescott and Cooper have expiring contracts at the end of the season. Cooper seems content to play out the year and test free agency next year.

Prescott seems intent on signing a massive deal this year but can’t come to an agreement with the team. With both players potentially unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, the Cowboys won’t be able to use the franchise tag on Prescott and Cooper.

I would assume that they would prioritize their quarterback so rather than risk losing Cooper for a third-round compensatory pick in the 2021 draft, they might be willing to move him now to recoup the draft capital they gave up to acquire him.

The wide receiver group in training camp has played deep while Cooper deals with a heel injury. Michael Gallup seems to have taken the big leap from his rookie season and Randall Cobb seems to have acclimated to his new team.

Devin Smith and Cedrick Wilson have had stellar performances so far this August in training camp and are under team control through 2020 and 2021 respectively. The coaching staff seems to love what Noah Brown brings to the team despite only nine catches in his first two seasons and Tavon Austin has returner qualities that sometimes flash on offense.

By trading Cooper and halting negotiations with Prescott, they would be signaling to their quarterback that he needs to become the straw that stirs the drink if he is intent on a maximum value contract. Should the Cowboys offense look like the second half of the 2018 season, Prescott might play himself into the contract he desires.

Alternatively, if the offense crashes and burns then it will be clear to all that Prescott is a complementary piece and the Cowboys should begin the search for their next franchise quarterback. It is impossible for the Cowboys to pay everyone and a quarterback north of $30 million and a wide receiver near $20 million is likely beyond the tipping point.

Trading Amari Cooper before this season might derail Super Bowl aspirations this year. Paying an average quarterback big dollars could derail Super Bowl aspirations for years to come.