COWBOYS
Could the Cowboys trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper?
The Cleveland Browns made a surprising move in regards to WR Amari Cooper which makes him much more affordable to the Cowboys should they seek a trade.
Back when the Dallas Cowboys traded away wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns in 2022, it caused a lot of questions. At the time, the Browns received Cooper and a 2022 sixth-round pick (WR Michael Woods II) and the Cowboys got a 2022 fifth-round and sixth-round pick (OL Matt Waletzko and LB Devin Harper, respectively).
Even if that’s all you know, you can see that Cleveland won that deal. But knowing what we know now about the Cowboys, it’s even clearer that they lost that deal badly.
Yes, the Cowboys ended up with a star in CeeDee Lamb, which definitely does ease the pain. But behind him, they could use some depth. At the time, however, they just simply did not see him as worth the cost when they had Lamb on the roster, who ended up costing them quite a pretty penny this summer after they waited until the last minute to sign him to an extension. They also decided to extend Michael Gallup, who didn’t pay off after his return from an ACL injury and was cut during the offseason this year.
Now, however, they may have a second chance to win Cooper back.
Potential for Cowboys to get Amari Cooper back
Of all the help Dallas needs at different positions, wide receiver isn’t actually at the top of the list. But still, there is plenty of room for improvement there.
Behind Lamb is Brandin Cooks, who had a great Week 1, but has since made no impact with just five catches, 51 yards, and no touchdowns in the last three games. If the possibility of getting Amari Cooper back presented itself, it would not be a terrible idea for the Cowboys at this point.
Well, it turns out that in fact, that opportunity has presented itself. The Browns have unexpectedly converted most of Cooper’s current salary into a signing bonus, which means he would cost just $605,000 - a less than $942,000 cap hit for the Cowboys if they were to trade for him.
With the Browns, Cooper has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 16 touchdowns. Through their first four games this year, he hasn’t shown that same production, but that can be largely blamed on quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The Cowboys chose to re-sign running back Ezekiel Elliott a year after they let him go. Re-signing Cooper would make way more sense. Will Jerry be able to actually swallow his pride and do it? That’s another story.