The Dallas Cowboys did not select a single wide receiver in the 2025 NFL Draft despite that being arguably their biggest need. With Brandin Cooks gone and no one to take pressure off of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys are expected to turn to free agency to address that need.
The top free-agent option available is Amari Cooper, who played with the Cowboys from 2018 to 2021. The Cowboys traded their 2019 first-round pick to the Raiders for Cooper, but decided to move on after the 2021 season due to salary cap reasons. He was very productive in Dallas, averaging nearly 70 yards per game and scoring 31 touchdowns in 54 starts.
It appears the Cowboys are considering a reunion despite a rough ending for Cooper in Dallas. That news was first reported by Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and it makes sense given the state of the wide receiver room for Dallas. But is it the right fit, especially considering how the relationship previously ended?
In a recent article by Kevin Patra of NFL.com, he wrote about the best possible fits for Cooper now that the NFL Draft has concluded. At the top of that list were the Dallas Cowboys. Here is a snippet of what Patra had to say about the two sides potentially working together again:
"The most obvious pairing reunites Cooper with the club he spent three-and-a-half years leading. Sure, things went sour, particularly when Jerry Jones began lamenting about Cooper's contract following a Cowboys playoff loss, then traded him for pennies on the dollar less than two months later, but even that bad blood can be smoothed over. Dallas still has a clear need at receiver after free agency and the draft, heading into the offseason program with Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks and Jonathan Mingo as the top options behind CeeDee Lamb."Kevin Patra, NFL.com
An Amari Cooper reunion may be in the cards for the Cowboys
Cooper had a down 2024 season, catching just 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns with the Browns and Bills. But it’s worth pointing out that Cooper had a career year in 2023, catching 72 passes for 1,250 yards despite playing with several different quarterbacks in Cleveland.
It’s clear that he is no longer a true No. 1 receiver, and there is some concern that he isn’t even a high-end No. 2 at this point. But what’s not debatable is that he is still a better option than anyone on Dallas outside of CeeDee Lamb. Cooper and Dak Prescott played extremely well together, and their chemistry has always been there.
There are some obvious things both sides will need to work out before a deal is reached, but this might be the best possible solution for the Dallas Cowboys at this stage of the offseason. They aren’t going to find a better option in free agency and Cooper can be a solid one-year rental until they find a long-term solution next offseason.
The Cowboys and Cooper would be wise to put aside their differences and work together one more time for the 2025 season.