One intriguing draft/trade strategy for the Dallas Cowboys

Drawbacks and counter-arguments to this crazy trade

But let’s come back to Earth just a little bit, and look at the possible drawbacks to an Amari Cooper trade.

• There is no guarantee that all three of these receivers will be as good as they look. First-round draft choices wash out all the time. Remember Taco Charlton, the defensive end the Cowboys drafted in the first round a few years ago? He’s not even on the roster anymore. Whereas, Amari Cooper is a Pro Bowl player right now, one of the best route-runners in the NFL.

• What if one of the better defensive players drops to pick 17? Let’s say defensive tackle Derrick Brown from Auburn or Javon Kinlaw from South Carolina? That could happen. In that case, Dallas might want to choose that player instead. (But this is what my father used to call a good problem. Let’s say Jerry Jeudy and Javon Kinlaw are both there at pick 17? That’s the kind of problem you want to have!)

• Even if CeeDee Lamb, the consensus top receiver in this year’s class, were to fall to pick 17, and he turns out to be a great receiver, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have great chemistry with Dak Prescott. The chemistry between a quarterback and his receivers is a mysterious thing. There are no guarantees. Right now, we know Prescott and Cooper have tremendous chemistry. Moving on from that could be a mistake.

• Even if this works out to be a brilliant move in the long-term, it might not work so well immediately. In fact, it probably wouldn’t. NFL wide receivers usually aren’t so great in their rookie year. It’s a big adjustment. A move like this, bold as it is, could possibly have negative consequences in 2020.

That last point is a sobering thought. But it could also turn out that, while the trade doesn’t look so great in the first year, it looks better and better as time goes on. A move like this would help with the salary cap for the next four years.

The Cowboys could save $70-80 million over that time. They could sign D.J. Reader to a long-term contract, or sign a series of star free agents to one-year contracts for the next four years. Or they could sign a handful of solid starters. The trade would create a lot of possibilities.

Besides, Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb are among the best receiver prospects to appear in the last decade. It’s hard to see either of them disappointing. While it’s always possible they could be busts, it sure doesn’t look like it. (Henry Ruggs, on the other hand, though he has blinding speed, might be a little riskier. He wasn’t the number one receiver on Alabama this year. Jeudy was.)

As you can see, the idea raises a lot of possibilities, but also some concerns. It’s what you call a high risk/high reward strategy. It could turn out to be one of the smartest moves the Cowboys have made in years. But it could also be a disaster.

For that reason, I don’t think the Cowboys will do it. Besides, over the years, owner Jerry Jones has always loved to acquire star players and keep them with the team for their entire careers. It’s also possible Dallas doesn’t even think of this strategy. I highly doubt they listen to all the Cowboys pundits. So, they might not even consider the idea.

But whether it happens or not, it’s still a fun brainstorm. That’s what I love about this time of year. Nothing is set in stone. Anything can happen! The possibilities are endless! What do you think of Cavenaugh’s suggestions? Do you love any other crazy draft/trade/free agent scenario? In the comments section tell us what you think.