Why trading Amari Cooper was the right move for the Cowboys

Earlier this offseason, the Dallas Cowboys traded their star wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns. The Cowboys acquired a fifth-round pick and swapped sixth-round picks with the Browns in the 2022 NFL Draft in exchange for the star wideout.

It was a sad reality when America’s Team decided to let go of Cooper because of his contract. His 5 year, $100 million contract became too much for the team to hold on to, especially with Dallas sitting at -$21 million in cap space at the time. From comments both midseason and after the Wild Card Round, it was clear that both Jerry and Stephen Jones were unhappy with how much Cooper was making given his not-so-strong year.

Realistically, the Cowboys could have gotten more for the four-time Pro Bowler. After all, he had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020. But, the most important thing for the Dallas front office was to just get rid of Cooper to clear the cap space. Cooper was set to have a cap hit of $22 million entering the season. After his trade, Dallas cleared $16 million of that while holding a $6 million dead cap.

When the Cowboys decided to pay quarterback Dak Prescott $160 million over four years and running back Ezekiel Elliott $90 million over five years, the front office knew they would have to make some tough decisions to make up for those contracts. Letting go of Cooper was one of those choices.

Nonetheless, it’s not all bad for America’s Team.

Yes, losing Cooper hurts a bit. However, he simply wasn’t producing. You can blame the scheme, you can blame Prescott, but he was getting paid $20 million a season to have mediocre stats. He’s coming off 68 catches for 865 yards in 2021, which is his worst season since 2017 with the Raiders.

Why the Cowboys losing out on their “top” wide receiver, Amari Cooper, was a good thing.

1. CeeDee Lamb Time

You can argue that CeeDee Lamb was already Dallas’ No. 1 wide receiver. You can also say the same about Cooper.

Well now, that role unanimously goes to Lamb, who is in for a challenge due to Cooper’s absence. The former Oklahoma star was already the Cowboys’ most complete weapon. Last season, Lamb led the team with 120 targets, 79 receptions, 1,102 receiving yards, and 13.4 yards per touch.

Entering his third season, the sky’s the limit for the 22-year-old wide receiver. He will most likely have a bigger role, seeing more targets over the field. Furthermore, Lamb has the capability to be that guy for America’s Team. He has the speed, quickness, and route-running to be the sole, main guy for Prescott. He can simply do it all.

The one slight problem that the 6-foot-2 wide receiver should work on is dropping passes. Through two seasons, he has a total of 16 drops, eight in each season. Dropping passes, as he did multiple times in Week 15, is something that he has to fix. In that contest against the New York Giants, Lamb dropped three passes.

Lamb’s learned from his mentor, Cooper, and is now set to take over the Cowboys wide receiver group.

2. Money to Spend

With that extra $16 million to spend from trading away Cooper, the Cowboys decided to use that money for in-house contracts.

Most Cowboys fans are frustrated that Dallas made the moves they did and didn’t spend it on big-time players like Von Miller or Bobby Wagner. While Wagner is still a free agent, reports are that the Cowboys will not be signing the veteran linebacker.

However, Dallas was able to keep both tight end Dalton Schultz and wide receiver Michael Gallup. Schlutz received the franchise tag ($10.9 million) and Gallup signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract ($12.5 million per year). With Cooper’s contract gone, the Cowboys were able to retain two of Prescott’s top weapons. If Dallas decided to keep the 27-year-old wideout, the team would have probably had to let go of both Schultz and Gallup. The team also secured Gallup for $7.5 million cheaper than Cooper per season.

Additionally,  Dallas was able to get creative with their cap situation. Remember, Cooper’s cap hit was $22 million this upcoming season. Now, the combination of Gallup ($4.5 million), Schultz ($10.9 million), safety Jayron Kearse ($3.7 million), and defensive end Dante Fowler ($2.9 million) all combined to equal roughly that same $22 million cap hit. That’s four players for the price of one.

Additionally, if the Cowboys can agree to a contract extension with Schultz by July 15, that $10.9 million cap hit will likely be lower than that as well. Getting rid of Cooper so that America’s Team can keep one of Prescott’s security blankets in Schultz is a huge plus. The Cowboys’ tight end finished second on the team in catches (78), tied for first in touchdowns (eight), and tied for second in targets (104).

Then, there’s Gallup, who is often known as one of the most underrated receivers in the league. Prior to Lamb’s arrival to Dallas, the former Colorado State alum produced his best season, bringing in 66 catches (career-high) for 1,107 yards (career-high), six touchdowns (career-high), and 16.8 yards per reception (career-high).

Assuming Gallup has a quick, healthy recovery, the Cowboys can expect similar numbers for the 2022 season. When both Lamb and Cooper were in the picture, Gallup took a major backseat. Now, will get the opportunity to be the WR2 for Dallas.

The Cowboys were able to still keep some weapons for Prescott, while also bringing in wide receiver James Washington on a cheap contract. It hurts to see Cooper play somewhere else, but his contract was simply too big and there were good things to come out of the trade.