Anyway you slice it, the Dallas Cowboys have definitely gotten the better of the Amari Cooper trade with the Oakland Raiders. The first-round compensation to acquire the talented wide receiver is getting easier and easier to swallow now that the Cowboys have made the playoffs.
You may not be aware of it or even given it much thought, but now that the Dallas Cowboys have made the playoffs the best the Raiders can hope for is the 21st overall pick in the first round of the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft. I’d definitely call that a win for Dallas no matter what happens from here on out.
I highly doubt there would’ve been a WR of Cooper’s caliber in the back end of the first-round in next year’s draft. There certainly wouldn’t have been one who could do what #19 has done since arriving in Dallas. It could be argued he’s the reason things turned around and why the Cowboys are in the playoffs right now.
I know my opinion carries very little weight on its own, which is why decided to share with all of you a few statistics to back up my opinion. Let’s take a look at the Dallas Cowboys offense before and after the arrival of Amari Cooper…
Record before: 3-4
Record after: 7-2
Total offense before: 320 YPG
Total offense after: 362 YPG
Passing offense before: 183 YPG
Passing offense after: 250 YPG
3rd down % before: 32% (30th in the NFL)
3rd down % after: 48% (1st in the NFL)
It’s pretty unbelievable the impact Amari Cooper has been able to make in his short time with the Cowboys. I was honestly pretty surprised he was able to come in and not only pick up the offense quickly, but develop a bond with Quarterback Dak Prescott.
I know it’s easy to think Amari Cooper is the sole reason the Cowboys turned their season around, but he wasn’t the only change Dallas made at the time. They also fired Offensive Line Coach Paul Alexander, which seemed to improve the OL play almost overnight. But still, there’s no denying Cooper isn’t a big part of the overall success and should continue to be so this week against the Seattle Seahawks.
Amari Cooper could actually be the difference maker in the Wild Card round this week against the Seahawks. He wasn’t with the Cowboys earlier in the season when they lost to Seattle 24-13 on the road, but he is now and is yet another weapon their defense has to prepare for.
I don’t know about you, but after being skeptical about the Amari Cooper trade to begin with, I’m happy with the way things have turned out. A first-round pick in the back end of the round is much easier to swallow than the potential top 10 it looked as if it might turn out to be.
I know it might be kind of a jerk move, but I’d send the Oakland Raiders a goodie basket to enjoy while they watch the Cowboys and their former receiver in the playoffs from the comfort of their couches. You know, just to say thank you…
