Cooper Kupp's contract with Seahawks is blessing in disguise for Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been far more active this offseason compared to last. Some might say they've been selectively aggressive.

While the Joneses haven't made any earth-shattering moves and have more work to do to offset the losses of Jourdan Lewis and DeMarcus Lawrence, they're at least doing something.

The running back room is revamped to the tune of Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, which sets the stage for the front office to draft one in April.

The wide receiver corps is a much different story. It's not for a lack of trying, but Dallas still hasn't found a WR2 for Dak Prescott. It is unquestionably the biggest hole on the roster other than cornerback.

The Cowboys reportedly made a late "push", as Adam Schefter described it, to sign Cooper Kupp following his Rams release, but he decided to return home to Seattle. While a swing-and-a-miss in practice, losing out on Kupp might be a blessing in the long run.

Cooper Kupp's contract with the Seahawks vindicates the Cowboys' decision

Kupp signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Seahawks, per Schefter. The guarantees have not been disclosed, but those terms average out to a whopping $15 million per year.

Fringe WR2s Josh Palmer and Darius Slayton both got $12 million a year this week, so it's no surprise Kupp got $15 million. However, paying that price for a player who has missed 18 games in the last three years and been on the decline ever since his record-setting 2021 season is patently absurd.

That isn't to say Kupp wouldn't transform Dallas' receiver room. That would explain why they emerged as a sleeper seemingly overnight to sign the 31-year-old. We shudder to speculate what the front office might have offered Kupp, but they weren't wrong to balk at his asking price.

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It was reported all along that Kupp's contract demands were a hold-up for a number of interested teams. The Cowboys will never shed the "cheap" label until they spend outside their comfort zone, but they weren't cheap to reject Kupp.

That contract could backfire as soon as next season, let alone two and three years down the road. Think about the vitriol and backlash from the media and fans if Dallas was forced to release Kupp in 2026 or 2027 because he couldn't stay healthy.

This would be a much different story if Kupp's market was between $7-10 million. There is nothing foolish or cheap about the front office pulling out of the Kupp race after hearing Kupp wanted $15 million.

Your guess is as good as ours in terms of where Dallas goes from here. The top free agents remaining include Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Diontae Johnson. Maybe they target a receiver early in the draft.

But they do not deserve to be dragged for passing on Kupp.