Was the Amari Cooper trade the worst offseason move by the Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys made several “up for debate” decisions this offseason. The team lost Randy Gregory (even though they clearly wanted to keep him) to the Denver Broncos at the 11th hour due to contract language. The front office designated La’el Collins a post-June 1 cut with no clear plan to replace him. And, the Cowboys traded their WR1, Amari Cooper, to the Cleveland Browns essentially in return for a fifth-round pick.

This Cooper trade was one of the blockbuster moments of quite a chaotic NFL offseason. But many thought it was a box office hit for the Browns, not the Cowboys. Most believed that Cleveland was getting a top receiver in the league at a huge discount, while some others felt Dallas had no choice but to save money on a receiver who wasn’t performing well enough given his salary.

It’s likely that the idea to trade Cooper wasn’t the huge issue. It’s more about the lack of return. For example, the Las Vegas Raiders broke up the dynamic Packers duo of Aaron Rodgers and Devante Adams by trading for the big-time receiver. But, unlike the Cowboys, Las Vegas had to give up a lot to secure his talents. The Raiders surrendered a first and second-round pick in the trade.

Cleveland only had to trade a fifth and sixth-round pick, but the sixth-round pick was essentially a wash because they also received one from Dallas.

Bleacher Report says the Cowboys’ biggest regret from this offseason should be the Amari Cooper trade

So, this all begs the question… should the Cowboys regret what they did? Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox thinks so. In an article selecting every team’s biggest mistake of the offseason, Knox picked the Cooper trade.

This move hurt for many reasons. But, let’s start with what it meant about the Cowboys’ decision-making as a whole.

Not only was Cooper Dak Prescott’s favorite target, but letting go of him also marks yet another bust for the front office. Taco Charlton was a first-round pick who ended up doing minimal for the team. Cooper’s exit means the Cowboys gave up a first-round pick for the WR to only use him for less than two seasons. That’s not a great use of assets.

Knox actually agrees that trading Cooper made sense. The problem, he felt, was that they made moves too soon. Although the front office certainly needed cap space, the team made the transaction right before the receiver market completely boomed. He cited what the Packers got for Adams and what the Kansas City Chiefs got for Tyreek Hill, the Tennessee Titans got for A.J. Brown, and what the Baltimore Ravens got for Marquise Brown. Here’s more from Knox:

"The Cowboys should have been able to pry at least a Day 2 pick out of a team for Cooper. They might not regret trading him, but they dealt him for prospects who might not even make the 53-man roster."

With so many questionable decisions made this offseason, is this trade the worst? Which move will the Cowboys regret the most once this season starts?